Persistence Pays

Persistence pays or it maybe described as stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

After working until after dark Friday night our plumber and husband (H) decided to return to the task at hand Saturday. The silcock/spigot/faucet in the old concrete block building cleared Friday night, so we had a water source from which to collect water for toilet flushes.

The plumber arrived at 8 a.m. H and I were still drinking coffee made with bottled water and dumping stored water to into toilet tanks to flush toilets. Since the plumber returned so bright and early H was energized to return to the weary task of hunting the frozen blockages. Out in the frigid 3 deg. weather they went.

They focused on areas where the water service line exited the concrete block building and entered the manufactured home, as well as various pipe joints underneath the house.

My job was to inform them when water began to flow from open indoor faucets.

Time lagged on; I visited my blog list, posted an update of our tribulations. I answered numerous phone calls checking on our welfare and one lengthy call concerning a city matter at about 11 a.m. This last call went on and on from one subject to another, my fault as much as the caller ,as we discussed several other subjects. I was bored into inattention to my assigned duties.

What else was there to do while waiting for water to run? During this last call, H came in the house briefly and left again.

Shortly after H exited outdoors and under the house, my conversation ended. I decided to stretch my legs and walked around. Lo and behold I witnessed water running in the bar sink, the kitchen sink and the master bathroom. The running water was not noisy so I did not hear it.

I figured that was H's reason for coming in the house. But I opened the back door, and gingerly stepped on the somewhat iced stoop. I called to the guys under the house. No response, so I returned to my own agenda.

Near 11:30 a.m. H, looking dejected and weary, came inside and sat at a table near me. As I pecked on my laptop I said, "I see we have water." H doesn't hear well, said, "No, not yet and we quit for the day; I've turned everything off again."

Realizing he misunderstood me, I repeated, "Yes we have water. I saw it and even tested additional faucets, both hot and cold taps--we have WATER."

I could see his mood change. After I convinced him, he moseyed out to the city drop box and turned the water on. When he returned to see the faucets running water, he immediately called the plumber [a personal friend] to inform him, we had water.

H and the plumber were two weary, happy, frozen persons at the moment of sharing the good news they had succeeded.

His previous trip in the house was to check if water was flowing and it was not. I guess it started immediately after the phone call terminated.

We have one busted pipe but it only provides water to front and rear outside spigots. Fortunately, it has a shutoff valve. Repair/replacement can wait until spring and summer.

Saturday night indoor faucets were opened to allow water movement in the water service system.... and are still dripping....to heck with the water bill!

Happiness is the sound of flushing toilets, swish-swish-swish sound of water in dishwashers and clothes washers, cool water and ice from the refrigerator/freezer dispensers, and the cleansing sound of hot and cold water for showers.

These Arkies have learned a lesson: Do not ignore Mother Nature!!!

Lack of Attention to Detail Lesson

Still frozen and without water in the Ozarks. This is turning out to be a painful lesson of inattention to weather and detail.

At this time inconvenience is the only problem. We are hauling water for toilets and buying drinking/cooking water.

The plumber is here again this morning, but I am beginning to think warmer weather may be the cure. The low last night was 7 degrees and wind chill 0 degrees. What was frozen is still frozen; that is a given.

We are arranging showers at a friend's house so we don't go to church smelling . We have clean clothes but if this drags on I'll have to go to a laundromat.

As a side note, we once had a gentleman who attended church in obviously tattered clothing and an odor that caused me to gag if he sat within four pew rows of me. Once he came in late and sat next to my husband. I had to put a Kleenex and my hand over my mouth and nose to finish the service. It was very hard to have a charitable attitude. The church provided him clothing and some items for bodily cleanliness, mainly SOAP and deodorant, but he failed to get the message. Maybe he had no water. I don't know what became of him; he disappeared from the congregation.

Friday (15th) I've employed a house cleaner to deep-clean the house, but she requires water! I am exciting to have someone to do this for me, and then I plan to employ someone twice a month to keep it that way, as long as finances allow. I have already begun sifting mounds of paper and pitching unneeded records.

Stay tuned! to the epic adventures of Golden Agers As the World Turns...........without the gold!!!

Perils of Living in the Ozarks - Foto-less Friday

We arose this morning to frozen water lines somewhere. A few nights ago we cracked several faucets, which usually keeps the pipes from freezing: something about moving water does not freeze?

It is 4/5 degrees F with wind chill of -9/10 degrees F. WE BOTH FORGOT TO OPEN FAUCETS ON THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YOUNg NEW YEAR!Old timer's Alzheimer's is setting in.

There is a concrete block building on the property that was intended to be an one room fishing cabin and single car garage. It was plumbed for water and a toilet. A washroom deep sink was installed with an old fashioned free standing faucet, [otherwise known as a silcock, similar to graphic]. The stump for the toilet was connected to an old septic tank.

We inherited an antiquated plumbing system with the property and the building. we moved a double wide manufactured home on the property.

The building, plumbing and concrete septic tank were probably built in the time of Noah. They do not meet any building codes.

The city water system, which is probably 50 years old, enters our property to a concrete drop box and runs to another concrete drop box equipped with freestanding faucet (silcock) which also served as shut-off connection. This silcock valve control has rusted off---thank goodness in the open position. A garden hose could be connected to provide an outdoor source.

The water system makes a 90 degree turn into the concrete building to the inside silcock and then exits to another connection under our house. This is definitely hillbilly engineering.

Previously when the water system froze, the trouble spot is the concrete building silcock where exits the crude concrete floor. The concrete's surface was not finished: feels like walking on creek gravel.

So (H) is out looking for one of our plumber friends who has a kerosene blower heater that looks like an horizontal stove pipe. [similar to graphic] .

We had a gallon of bottled water to make coffee this morning. Otherwise, we both might not be fit for conversation. In fact, I made extra cups. We will need it.

It's crisis time at Nitwit1. We can handle this one, let's hope there is only one.