Disappointment

Coldest morning of the year this morning. 25 degrees when I got to the farm at 5:30, so of course all the water troughs were frozen.

This picture is from about 6:45, not 5:30.

We’ve been having issues with this particular frost-free hydrant, one of the oldest ones I think, that the previous owner put in. The lever has been getting stiffer and stiffer, but this morning when I went to lift it, it wouldn’t budge. I should immediately have realized this meant that there was water in the valve at the bottom of the rod, probably frozen, and should have just left it alone to thaw.

Instead I lifted harder.

Snapped the cast iron right off.

So that was silly, and inconvenient. I could twist the head off and replace just the head, but the fact that it is a frost free hydrant that is not frost free… may as well dig and replace the whole thing.

In my spare time.

Seppi was very excited to get on that this morning. He’s always down for digging a hole.. He fueled up with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I made it with three layers of cheese and two layers of ham, but apparently this wasn’t manly enough. He added a layer of bacon.

So we drove to the hardware store, picked up a new hydrant and our order of chicken feed (get it when it’s on sale!) and headed back to the farm which by this time was glittering and brilliant.

The first thing I heard was the rain barrel pump running.

It should not be running with the water turned off.

We have noticed the pump leaking at the seam between the black and the yellow plastic since we installed it, but now the leak is a spray.

Adam has been concerned about “water hammer” effect damaging the pump. I need to consult with an actual plumber and see if this is a possibility, and if it is, what I can do about it.

Some days are like this. “God has a reason,” as my Dad would say.