rain chains

I first learned about rain chains reading Nature on View, a book full of gorgeous photos of Japanese-inspired homes. Used instead of a downspout, they transport the water from your house's gutters down to a drain or rain barrel. They are a very common feature in Japan, and one I'd like to add to our own house one day.

This image is from chaim zvi on Flickr. If you visit the photo page, there's a link to a video of the chain in action. To see more examples, go to the Rain Chains Gallery I curated on Flickr. Or you can also see another example of a rain chain at Duke Gardens on my post about the visitor's center that inspired the (re)design of our house.