Screeching Halt

Ever have one of those days when you think, "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all?"  Yesterday started out so well.  I was moving pretty well and got a lot done in the barn that I'd had to ignore the day before.  One thing about "bad" days, they sure make you appreciate a good one and I had high hopes.

Back in the house and after my sit-down, stripping the bed, I threw the linens in the washer and headed for the kitchen.  My milk customer was due and I needed to wash and carton his order of eggs.  The little girls have upped production so he's getting eggs that may be only three days old and less, but I never wash off their natural protective coating until the last minute.  That done, my intent was to clean up the kitchen and that's when everything came to a screeching halt.  There was a moment of disbelief when I turned on the faucet and had...no water.  I looked around.  Yes, we had electricity.  Even if the power had gone out there would still be water in the pressure tank.  If there were a break in the water lines, there would have been symptoms prior to no water at all.  Running back to the laundry room to check, sure enough there was a half-full tub with nothing going in and I hurriedly turned the machine off.  In a panic, I ran scenarios through my mind, none of them good.  Had the well pump gone dead?  Had the pressure tank failed?  Even with the recent rain, had the well gone dry?  Taking a moment for several deep, calming breaths, I put in a call to Jim Hammonds, my go-to water guy who has saved my metaphoric bacon more than once.  "I'll be there," said my man on the white charger (okay, it's a pickup truck, but it's white).

The day had been damp and overcast and I desperately needed to be outside, events in the house were too depressing.  Deciding to take a chance, I fired up John Dear and we took off for the backyard and side slope.  We both needed exercise and I needed the practice.  John is going to take some getting used to as he is an automatic and speed is controlled by the gas pedal just like a car.  Fu Manchu had a lever to set speed and we could tootle around without thinking.  Mowing the slope was good training and I quickly learned not to brace both feet on the downslope because John responded by racing faster down the hillside.  Yikes!  Alrighty then.  We had finished the backyard and a good portion of the hillside when Jim and Debbie drove up.  She and I left Jim to play detective.  It seemed (to me) it took forever before he found the problem and put a temporary fix on what turned out to be a broken electric line to the pressure pump.  Go figure.  Since I once again have water, finishing the job in a couple of days is fine with me.  I turned the washer back on and went to bed on clean, dry sheets.

After a long, hot, dry summer, a sundown sky filled with the promise of rain is every bit as beautiful as one of those red-gold sunsets.

All's well that ends well.

PS:  Omigosh!  One of the last things I do every morning is check the statistics and today the number of "hits" (how many have read my blog) reached over 100,000, 100,032 to be exact, in the six years I've been writing.  Wow!  Thanks to everyone who has and/or is following the adventures and misadventures of Farview Farm.  We are honored.