It's funny the things I seem to need to feel safe and secure. Not locked doors--our doors are never locked. Not an alarm system (besides our current Triple-Collie Alarm, of course). No. Mostly what I require to feel secure is water in the cistern.
I know. So easy to please.
You see, when the water in the cistern gets low and I have to be careful about doing laundry or taking showers, I get nervous. If the water gets TOO low in the cistern, then the water pump will burn itself out, and that would be a Bad Thing. So, I worry.
The water got low about a week ago. I didn't look to see what the level was myself, but when I asked A. after he took a look, he said it wasn't good and I should avoid unnecessary water use. Great. And everything was frozen, so we couldn't do an emergency pumping to refill the cistern. This is the problem in the winter. However, A. took the opportunity to re-build his dam. Then we got a couple of days when it thawed a bit, so that snow melt made the tiny creek in the hollow run, filling the pond in front of the dam enough that A. pumped water to avoid a crisis. Not a lot of water, but enough.
Then it started to rain. And rain and rain and rain. We were under flood watch and everything was squishy, muddy, and filthy. And I was thrilled. Because all this rain made the weensy little creek into a raging torrent (relatively speaking), allowing A. to pump enough water to actually fill the cistern to the very top. That's many thousands of gallons of water, enough that we shouldn't have to worry about water for at least another month. By which time there will probably be another thaw that will allow us to pump again.
But I won't worry about that next thaw yet. Instead, I'll just bask in the happiness that is a full cistern. It truly is the simple things in life. At least, in MY life.
10 comments:
We here in the Sierra Nevada can identify. My daughter and family just went through a spell of no electricity while being unable to exit the property. Funny how that puts life into perspective.
Glad the cistern is full.
Stay warm. Stay dry.
You don't drink that water do you? From the creek into the cistern? Does your cistern catch the rain water off of the roof?
Water is high on my list as far as security goes.
Here's wishing you a full cistern.
Yup, we drink it. Our new (new as in a couple of years old) filtering system includes a sediment filter and an ultraviolet filter, so it's perfectly safe. Probably safer than a lot of municipal water supplies, to be honest.
Before we moved here, rain water was collected via gutters in the cistern underneath the house--the one A. climbed into to replace floor joists. Indoor cisterns are pretty bad, though, because of all the moisture they create in the house. We found the outdoor cistern to be a much better system. Now we just collect rain water in barrels for watering plants and things.
Your blog is such a delight. I hadn't thought of cisterns in years.
It's amazing how much water and electricity mean in our comfort. Living here I've only worried about losing electricity. The longest I've had to go without both of those things was 4 days. At the time, it felt like 4 months.
Don't look now, but hippies are watching you with your cistern and collection barrels and water harvesting...
Kidding - glad the well didn't run dry and you're able to do something with all that rain.
Save up that water for all that nappy-washing!
Your three-collie alert is better than any fancy alarm system.
I have been reading your blog for awhile, and have to tell you how much I enjoy every post. Every one. We don't have a cistern, but we have well water, and it's a very deep well. Over 600 feet. So I can relate to your feeling of security being related to having water. If our pump goes out, or the water dries up (turn around 3 times and spit) we are in Big Trouble. I also get a deep sense of security if I have a full woodpile. Also we have lived here (Central Sierra Nevada's) for almost 7 yrs, and have never locked our doors, except when we are out of town and the person that feeds our cats insists on it... Country Living is a good thing.
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