Rain barrel nonsense

About a week ago I encountered my first thunderstorm since living here, and as the rain was pouring I noticed a spout from the roof that was spilling gallons of water onto a patch of gravel. My own personal waterfall, I thought. How delightful.

That, of course, isn't entirely true. My real thought was, as you might guess, how shall I harvest the rainwater? Rain barrel, naturally. But how will I aim the water into the barrel? Use the old duct that's piled among the debris that came with the house (which just happens to be the perfect length). But what should I use for the barrel? For now, the 5-gallon bucket from the shed will do, but I'd ask on Freecycle, I'm sure someone has exactly what you're looking for. (Note that this conversation is fictional; myself and I don't really talk like that.)

Pics for your enjoyment:

I predict the haphazard construction to last one rainfall before it needs to be repaired.