COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

R

rct269

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We live in a BIG house on a "small lot"---275 acres in the Sequatchie Valley in "East Tennessee"------all that's left of the 3,000 or so acres amassed by the Boss Lady's forefathers (and foremothers) after they arrived here in 1816---on their way west---from Virginia. This, where we are, is the "home place". This BIG house is the last of several built on the same piece of ground---the remainder after parceling off the rest to preceding generations.

So far, so good! Not surprisingly, our water comes from a well. It's presence is noted by "the pump house".

The weather here is such that it doesn't snow hardly at all----a dusting now and then, and the winter temperatures are "mild". So far, so good!---again.

It snowed here about ten days ago-----and it got COLD here about ten days ago. Now when I say it snowed, there was about 8-10" on the ground--and when I say cold, it stayed below freezing---for the most part.

All this is no big deal for me, having spent from 6th grade through 10th grade in Fargo, North Dakota---where, if you spit on the sidewalk at 44 degrees below zero---it will BOUNCE when it hits! I kid you not!!

The Boss Lady, on the other hand, has a heightened sense of awareness for all such as this, and sent me off to the pump house to see if the little heater was going.

It was not going. Not only that, but water was GUSHING out of a hole in one of the "pressure tanks"!! "OH ****!!"

The bottom line here is we have been without water for the last ten days----because the water well folks live "on the mountain"---and couldn't get off. (I reckon they could get off, but they'd play hell gettin' back on!!)

We made do with bottled water for our ice tea, and one thing and another, and by gathering and melting snow for water to fill the "water closet" of the toilet. (The ice for our tea came from the grocery store.) To save you the trouble of trying that out for yourself, it ain't no fun AT ALL!!! A bath/shower?----forget about it!! That's the last ten days---during which we used up all the hard dishes and such, and were on paper plates---for take-out. We could get take-out because the Boss Lady's little truck has 4-wheel drive---and goes anywhere---through anything!!

The doorbell rang this morning---the water well folks are OFF the mountain! The doorbell rang again just awhile ago---"You have water!" And damned if we didn't!

We're like kids with a new toy!

Don't try this for yourselves!!!!

Ralph Tremaine
 
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I live in the Blue Ridge mountains of Southwest Virginia. We didn't have nearly as much snow, but we did have the cold. I kept the faucets dripping for days. The big inconvenience was that the kitchen drain freezes when the temps drop below 15 degrees for any length of time. So, I did the dishes in a plastic dishpan and rinsed them off into a bucket. Once everything is clean, I go pour out the water.

About 12-13 years ago, we had a derecho come through and I couldn't power the well for 7 days. Had to haul water from the creek to flush the toilet. Since then, I was a transfer switch in the breaker box and I can now power the house using the 5000 watt portable generator.

Ain't country living grand? :D Seriously, I don't think I could handle being back in town.
 
Hauled water from the creek, huh?

We have a river (Sequatchie by name)---2 1/2 miles of shoreline (if you count the half mile where the property is on both sides. Interestingly enough, the property deeds note the boundaries to "the middle of the river".

I once told the county executive we were going to put up a toll gate, and charge tolls for any of "OUR" river passage---never mind the only such passage is by "coon hunters"---whenever "coon" hunting season is---if there's such a season---and by the occasional canoe folks. He noted it sounded like a good idea---that probably wouldn't fly.

We too could haul water from the river, it being only about 60 feet from the house. The bad news is it's another 60' down, after the 60'across---and it'd be tough enough navigating that down (and back up)---never mind carrying any amount of water with you.

As an aside, we once had a whole herd of cats---one of whom's named Fred. Fred came up missing one night for supper, and we went hunting him. Here he is---on the other side of the river!! He sees/hears us and starts meowing---------plaintively. We have no idea how he got across the river in the first place, but called encouragingly to get him back. He sat there for a bit, then ran to a tree, climbed up, and then ran out on a branch hanging about halfway across the river, and took a flying leap---landing in the middle of the river, and swimming the rest of the way! He climbs out, shakes the water off, and heads for the house----all in a day's work!!

Ralph Tremaine
 
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Same only different!

I went to town, and bought four five gallon buckets. These were placed on the floor of the shower stall---'cause it wasn't being used for anything else!

The goal was to fill them to use for water closet needs. After achieving 3/4's of the goal----the goal for each of God only knows how many sessions, I called it quits after learning how many loads of water from snow it took to fill a bucket. Henceforth we conserved toilet water by using it only for certain specific toilet uses---ended up working out quite well. And trying to move an almost full bucket of water from the kitchen where the snow melting was going on with a "two wheeler" (Hand Truck) proved problematic---that solved by carrying along a bath towel to mop up the spills along the way---hence the methodology of carrying smaller amounts from the kitchen to the shower stall.

Someone once said "Necessity is the mother of invention." We invented a bunch of new stuff---never to be used again---God willing-----and He and I are going to be having a little chat if He's not willing---for all the good THAT will do!

Ralph Tremaine
 
You'll see it says above I'm from Harlem Ohio, I grew up on Harlem Road, in Harlem Township, and went to the now torn down Harlem Elementary. Through our farm ran a small tributary called Chipmunks Creek, that runs into Duncan Run. Growing up I played in and drank from both creeks. My brother has that farm now and I live in a condo. About 4 years ago the water main for this end of the condo complex came apart right under the power company's transformer. So we were without water for about 3 days. My wife keeps 8 gallons of water for emergencies in a closet, and when we needed water to flush the toilets, I have a choice of a small creek, a few ponds or I drove to the clubhouse to fill jugs from the pool, but since the water was still on there, I used the hose.

What amazed me was, the city born and bred neighbors used 20-ounce bottles of drinking water to flush with! I mentioned the pond a hundred feet away. She then said she didn't have a bucket. What about the one you wash your car with? Then she got mad at me and stormed inside.

Inconveniences only become emergencies if you let them.

BTW several winters in the 80's The water froze at our farmhouse, We heated with a woodstove anyway, so a giant pot was on the stove and melted plenty of snow, The water got heated first and the 4 young kids got baths first, then it was used for toilet flushing. Reuse, Repurpose & Recycle!

I'm glad to see all you 'al are using the brains God gave you!

Ivan
 
Back in the mid seventies when I was fist married we had a 'blue cold freeze' for over a week in southern WV. It froze the ground past the frost line and seized up the main water lines where we lived almost three feet deep. When the water company came around to address the situation they hooked up a welder to the line every so often to thaw the mains. That's when I learned the wisdom of my old man insisting that I run a copper feed line into my homestead from the main. A great number of the neighbors were out of water for almost three weeks as they had installed plastic piping to their new constructions. I simply had the guys hit my copper line with the welder to thaw it and went on business as usual. Those with plastic lines had to wait for the ground to thaw and it took a while depending on which side of the hill you were on.
 
Thanks Ivan! If you're ever in our neck of the woods you'll see and hear "you'al" spelled and pronounced "y'all". Having been born in Boise, Idaho---and raised in the midwest, it's been quite an adjustment for me---never mind I've been here for over 30 years.

I'm in good shape if the Boss Lady is with me to translate, but I'm frequently in trouble when I'm by myself---especially if I'm simply overhearing one native talking to another. Some of the more considerate folks talk louder when they're talking to me---which doesn't do any good at all!

My very first real exposure was on our honeymoon, having stopped for gas in this neck of the woods. The attendant asked "Hahtes or raygler?" Nancy stepped in and answered him before I started laughing---never mind I could handle that particular inquiry because I already knew what he'd be asking.

Ralph Tremaine
 
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lkabug said:
NFrameFred,
I have relatives in those hills in Southern West Virginia. Each time I visit they still remind me of that Deep Freeze and how lucky I was to miss out on the fun.
Click to expand...

I'm about 60 miles south of Bluefield and Princeton WV. It is amazing how much more snow and bad weather is blocked by East River Mountain.

I have driven through the VA/WV tunnel on I-77 and it seems like a change between winter and spring, at times.
 
We lost our water a while back and waited for a replacement pump. A handy tool is a new 2 gallon garden sprayer. Heat water to the proper temperature and fill your sprayer and you can have a decent shower. Just don't do it after you ran Roundup through it.
 
Back in the 70's, my wife and I lived in Pontiac and had city water. During a cold snap (-20 degrees), the water coming to the house froze up. I called the city and to their credit, a guy showed up about an hour later with a pick-up truck pulling a welding trailer. He hooked a lead on to the neighbor across the street's outside faucet and the other lead to my water line and fired up the welder. In short order, we had water again. He told me to leave the water trickling in the laundry tub until the temps climbed back above zero and then shut it off. That was the last time I evr had the water supply freeze though I have had a few problems over the years with outside pipes - one in my garage and one under the kitchen sink going outside.

We sure take water and electricity for granted until we lose it Same thing applies to a working sewer!
 
NFrameFred said:
Back in the mid seventies when I was fist married we had a 'blue cold freeze' for over a week in southern WV. It froze the ground past the frost line and seized up the main water lines where we lived almost three feet deep. When the water company came around to address the situation they hooked up a welder to the line every so often to thaw the mains. That's when I learned the wisdom of my old man insisting that I run a copper feed line into my homestead from the main. A great number of the neighbors were out of water for almost three weeks as they had installed plastic piping to their new constructions. I simply had the guys hit my copper line with the welder to thaw it and went on business as usual. Those with plastic lines had to wait for the ground to thaw and it took a while depending on which side of the hill you were on.
Click to expand...

"Almost 3 ft down"………God I love WVA. Here in NY everything is 48" down. Utilities, fence post, deck post, you name it. It's a different kind of cold here.
 
When we have had water outages, my dad taught me to get water from the hot water tank for toilet flushing. It only takes a little over a gallon to clear waste. We always keep a few gallons of water in jugs for drinking / cooking if needed.

Being down for that length of time must have been a real drag! Glad it is fixed. You are right we forget how convenient life is today.
 
When I was 10 we moved to Central Oregon. The first winter was bitterly cold, for this area. Yes, Montanans, I hear ya. Shhh. This isn't about you.:D
The place we moved into was brand new, in a new development. The way it was set up, there was one well for every three lots, with a pumphouse on one of them. We were the ones with the pumphouse.
One fine, really cold day, I awoke to find that there was no water. I asked my mom about it and she told me something had frozen and my father and the neighbors were down at the pumphouse, trying to fix it.
Now, I used to play in that pumphouse all the time. it was my fort from which I could plan various adventures and set off on them. I went down to see what they were doing.
Now here's 3 men, standing around looking at the pumphouse and discussing what to do about it. They had determined that the lines were clear, but the line coming up to the pump was frozen. Being that this was underground deeper than the lines that ran to the house, it was a mystery. And a 10 year old boy walks up, listens for a minute and then says, "Dad, when I was playing in here awhile back, I noticed that the hole for the well seemed to be sucking air down around the pipe." "Show me."
So, I showed them that it was, in fact, drawing cold air down the shaft. We put a milkhouse heater in there, and soon enough, the agua was flowing again. Then we used some insulation to block the hole as much as possible.
I remember overhearing my dad talking to my mom. "Three grown men scratching their heads, and a 10 year old kid solves the problem in 2 minutes." My father never told me directly that he was proud of me, but I heard it in his voice that night. One of my most cherished memories.
 
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