Day 5 of no water - Bathing

Front gate

View from the gate looking down the driveway

Here is the start of a mini tour of our homestead.  Blogger isn't cooperating tonight, so I've only been able to attach a couple of pictures.  Our "cabin" is on the right at the end of the drive.

We haven't been able to shower since Saturday.  We have been going swimming every night though, and I do mean night.  Around 9 p.m. we jump in the pool and swim around, jump out, soap up, shampoo hair and then pour water from the pool over our heads to rinse.  PS2 is enjoying this new ritual.  He loves running around without anything on. 

My bath tub for the moment

I did two small loads of laundry in the Wonder Wash tonight.  Towels and a few light clothes.  I am not sure I am doing it right, as one of the towels didn't come out really clean.  I think I need to use spray and wash, and allow the clothes to soak in the soapy water before cranking the handle.  I like being able to wash something to wear if needed, and not having to wait for the water or even electricity for that matter.

The well man (WM)came out today.  It wasn't a positive experience.  Not because of the work needing to be done, but the man's attitude was very unprofessional.  For being an older man I expected more from him.  I don't know why, but I assume they were raised in better days and were taught manners.  He and PH had "words".  To give PH some credit, he managed to keep his cool longer than I thought he would.  PH is known for telling it like it is, and he refrained until the well man was very rude and insulting, then PH told him what he thought.  WM was making us feel like he was doing us a favor, and that we were less than desirable people, plus because he came out here he was losing business.  PH told him that it wasn't our fault that he didn't use an appointment book, and didn't know how to schedule himself.  He also told him that our money was as green as anyone elses.  We were paying him, he wasn't doing it for free.  PH told him that our children were staying with relatives until we had the water issue handled.  The man said it wasn't his concern.  Basically PH told him that if he was unwilling to do the job let us know, there were others who would want the work.  Suffice it to say after the WM finishes the job in the morning, we won't be using him again. 

PH had the option of replacing the wiring again on our 7.5 hp pump, or putting in a new 1.5 hp pump.  PH chose the 1.5 hp pump, and we will keep the other as a backup, just in case...The WM pulled 300 feet of metal pipe out of the ground and has left it lying beside the well opening. 

So, this time tomorrow I pray we will have running water.  I really need to catch up on laundry, do the dishes and clean in here...I could do all of it without the water on, but it would make it a lot easier ;-)

I am happy about the new pump, because there is the potential to be able to run it with our generator in the event of a power outage.  Now to get the fuel tanks brought home and start filling them with gasoline...just in case.

The weather has been HOT lately.  I don't mean just your average almost 100 degree hot, but 116 at 4:30 p.m. hot.  The kind of hot when you walk outside your skin starts shriveling up.  The garden is doing great though...cantelopes are ripening, and PH brought in SEVEN of them this morning.  Our 2 year old PS asked for me to cut one right away, and then he ate 1/2 of another before going to bed...Ah, diaper changing should be fun tomorrow...I wish potty training was advancing better.  Boys are so much harder to potty train than girls (sigh).

PH has been working on our new cabin.  This time a REAL cabin, and not a 45 foot long, 8 foot wide metal shipping container that this PW calls a cabin to make herself feel better. 

I did laundry today, and sometime around 7 p.m., PH noticed the small pond by the bridge was totally dry.  Confused as to why he went over to the well and fiddled around with it.  Soon PH popped up with a bunch of words I cannot print here, and almost looked as if he was going to cry.

Apparently, our well pump is not working, and we didn't notice this...our 1100 gallon water tank that was supposed to be our safe guard in case the pump stopped working was practically empty.  Because PH didn't know the main well wasn't refilling the tank, he had basically drained it dry (my two loads of laundry didn't help I am sure) while he was mixing cement to put the piers in for the new house.  There is a foot of water in the tank.  So effective NOW we are shut down.  We have no water for laundry or bathing.  Praise the Lord!  This PW had the foresight to purchase those big blue water storage containers and had them filled, plus several plastic jugs of water. 

I had also cleaned and added water to the above ground pool, so the water level is blessedly high and it's clean.  So, because we couldn't take a shower we went swimming.  I then washed my hair, while standing in the grass, and poured a bucket of water over my head (it's one of the kid's buckets to fill with sand at the beach).  PH looked at me like I was crazy, but he soon relented.  After working in the hot sun all day, he was fragrant.  And not with the sweet, smell of prairie grass, but a really great prairie funk!  He soaped up from head to toe, and poured a couple of buckets over his head, then went swimming.  Good thing we live in the country!  Wouldn't want the neigbhors shocked over flagrant
"nekkidness". 

On the agenda tomorrow after church, PH and I will head over to our town house (soon to be sold I hope) and fill up water containers.  Good thing the main pond is full.  PH had been keeping it filled for the horses, and the rain a couple of weeks ago, has the pond overflowing.  The horses and goats should be okay for awhile.  This will give us time to get the well fixed, and maybe God will send us rain in the meantime.

This is a good lesson in a "survival" situation.  If this was when TMHTF (The Manure Hitting the Fan) what would our options be?  Personally, PW (that's me) has been "gently" encouraging PH to install a windmill, solarjack or Bison hand pump, but PH believes that is a "STUPID" idea.  I'm not so sure.  If we had the windmill, it would still be turning, if we had the hand pump, we could take turns pumping it to fill the 1100 gallon water tank, and then we'd have a water supply.  (sigh)

So, for the next few weeks we will be using our travel toilet, and digging an outhouse.  Hauling water from the pond to flush with is no fun.  Been there, done that....NO FUN!

We have drinking water, and can bathe at the town house, or have a sponge bath.  I did get the solar shower bag out of the box in the kitchen, and will fill it and hang it up outside the door.  This will allow PH to rinse the dirt off and go to bed clean and ready for work on Monday.

Washing clothes will be in my Wonder Wash http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Wonderwash.html.  I received this for Christmas several years ago, and haven't had the opportunity to use it more than twice. 

This has caused me to look at my other preparations.  I noticed I am low on kerosene, and that I need new wicks for the oil lamps.  Burning oil lamps is necessary sometimes, candles don't give out a lot of light.  Candles are okay for washing dishes, but sometimes I need additional light to look for something, read, sew, etc.  An oil lamp is a poor substitute for a regular lamp, but I also have battery operated lanterns that I use on a regular basis.

Check back with us to see how we are doing, and if anyone has died from the "harsh" conditions LOL.  BTW our PDs (13 and 8) are staying with family, not because of the water situation, but because their PU (Prairie Uncle) is LOADS of fun, and likes to spoil them.