Naughty Cat!!!

She must have got wedged in the barrel in such a way that she couldn't keep her head above the water line.    The sides of a 55 gallon barrel are pretty high to try to get yourself out of if you're head first in one.

this is really sad.

my first thought was why thaw the rain water? but then i remembered that in santa fe, water is practically a luxury. the town is too big to be supported by it's water sources so people who live there do what they have to do sustain.

many homes (including my childhood home), put 55 gallon barrels beneath the roof canals to catch rainwater. my mother used (uses) the water to water her plants. when we were kids, it was something she did because that is how she was brought up -- waste not, want not. then "progress" moved to town -- you all know the sad story. pave paradise, blah blah blah..

now with so many people, there is not enough water. the tourists are made comfortable at the expense of the people who live there and pay the taxes. if you are caught watering, or washing your car in your yard, etc... you are fined. santa fe is a very very expensive place to live, and water conservation is a big issue.

they were probably using the water for something which most people take for granted, such as watering plants, household cleaning, washing dishes...