After a wonderful surprise birthday party yesterday for Glynn, I had a not so wonderful surprise awaiting me this cold, cold morning (windchill in the minus degrees).
The first clue was looking out my kitchen window and seeing one of my heifers with her nose too far down into the livestock tank. Third clue was seeing the metal top to my well-house in the pond. The heater I had put in was still going but the heating element had died and now my pipes were frozen. So I got my little heater that makes my bathroom nice and toasty in the a.m., plugged it in and put the top back on -- with a few extra heavy rocks to keep in from blowing off again.
Didn't want to go back out and see how things were going because I just didn't want to face having to deal with a burst pipe, so I put it off until mid-afternoon pretending that everything was going to be okay. Then I heard it -- water running as I got closer to the well. Not only had the pipes thawed, but now my well-house was about 1/3 filled with water, totally submerging my electric heater and plug and partially covering my pressure tank. Turned off the electricity and spent the next 30 minutes or so bailing out water.
Thankfully, the wind is still blowing ferociously so my pond won't freeze over (moving water) and the cows can get a drink -- and I don't have to go break up ice before work tomorrow. I'm hoping it will warm up in the next few days and that I will be able to convince Dennis to come out and replace the pipes.
And yes, I keep a goldfish in my tank. It eats algae and does a pretty good job of keeping the tank from getting too yucky. I usually start out with about four small ones and end up months later with one slightly larger one. Haven't figured out if they are cannibals or if they are getting sucked up when the cows take a sip.
The wind had blown so hard last night that my two metal hay bale rings, standing upon their sides, were blown from behind my barn into the fence about 50 or so feet away. Thank goodness they hit the fence and didn't go through the open gate (right next to where they ended up) and into the pond.
Think I'm going to go eat another piece of Glynn's delicious chocolate pie now.
ok, helen jane...could your life get any harder. maybe you need to go back to that grocery store and let her pray a little more. glad you cleared up the FISH in the tank. loved seeing everybody at glynn's party....but i didn't see a chocolate pie!!! JUDY
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hey, Judy commented and it went through! Very exciting and oh so funny. Aunt Janie...really....frozen pipes, running water, frozen fish....it was funny to read though!!! Love you!!!
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