The "Nada" Farm Chronicles

***************************************(if this line is straight and fills the top, that's the best width for viewing )*************************************

What a freakin mess.

I can't believe I have done so much and gotten so little accomplished!

I'm pretty sure Tuesdays used to be" rig day", I only thought of it, as I spent an entire day messing around with cleaning and doing routine maintenance on all the road vehicles. The tractors and such, get what they need when they need it, because there are different reasons things have to be ready. For example, the Case tractor should have the oil changed but it takes about 30 gallons to do it, so it can wait. And it will probably get the oil from the motor home if i ever change it again, but I hate to even mention the situation there, sniff, sniff, sob. Anyway, as I was cleaning out the cars and changing the filters on the truck I happened to think it might be rig day somewhere, and as it's been 5 years oops, 7 years! Since I was around an official rig day, it made me wonder how things are going in the trenches I once walked. I get regular reports, they aren't making me regret getting retired without notice, just make me feel sorry for those I left behind.

Meanwhile back at the ranch! My grandson thinks the goat will only respond to his real name "goddammit Oscar" which is what I usually end up yelling, when he has been out of his pen for a period of about a half hour. He does okay for a while, but then his goatness takes over, and he nibbles something he shouldn't, or climbs somewhere that gets him in trouble or, well here's an example. He likes to climb, it's a goat thing, he's clumsy, weird because goats are supposed too be sure-footed, and if he doesn't fall and get caught poked stabbed or mangled, he sometimes climbs back up. Like on the old Volkswagen, he thinks it's neat to bounce on the roof. I chase him down and he survives the inglorious decent, knocks over stacks of buckets or the lawn spreader which usually has some kind of poison in it which he likes to sample, or just crashes into the side of the motor home parked next to it. And, as soon as I take my eyes off him, clippity clop back up on the bouncy douncy VW he goes. Okay the old VW isn't really hurt by this in any way. but then he wants to expand his climbing vistas and climbs Mugsy's new Mazda, and allegedly scratches the paint with his pointy little hooves. Now I'm sure he meant no harm and just wanted to bouncy douncy on her roof, but she didn't see it as a good action, fun though it might seem to be. So, he ended up in the pen, I'm sure, wondering what the big deal was? And again reinforced with his NADA name, which isn't just Oscar! Maybe Ryan's right...

But I digress, The mess I have going right now is more to do with trying to correct some long term problems with... YOU GUESSED IT HUH? WATER!!!!!

Again, with the water issues, actually, they are the same "water issues" we inherited with the place. Finally, time to get them corrected. SO here we go.

I rented a track hoe from the local rental place, which charges about twice what they get in Akron, for an equivalent machine, but when you are the only game in town, the ante is the ante. They were nice enough to deliver it, for an additional $75.00, because they got a look at my truck. I got both buckets, 12 and 24 inch, for only an additional $15.00. Now I thought I didn't have to pay for fuel, it came full, and lasted the entire 8 hours I used it, in fact it only used 1/2 the tank, I stopped in town to make sure everything was OK and found I had been charged an additional $46.00 for fuel. However, It was a great little machine, and I found after it was gone, it really digs great. I found this out while "hand digging" the 5 feet that was required to finish the trench around the house.

 

 

 

 

I couldn't reach this little stretch, with the machine, because of the flower garden outside Ruth's window. Somehow, it turns out, The "actual garden" (where the flowers are growing) was within the "5 feet" I required be kept clear so that I could create a "moat" around the house to control the waters affects on the house. The water when uncontrolled, causes the house to shift and heave in the winter, (the doors won't close or open or things squeak) and has a propensity to stay wet underneath all summer, which hasn't yet caused an odor, but it sure could. I made a 1 foot wide trench around the house and put a 4" perforated pipe about 24" inches down in a trench filled with gravel. I have already created a gravel area sloped away from the house to lead water away from the foundation, which has helped. But now it will be collected, and sent off into the field to the west. I was surprised to find, while digging the trench, how much water is produced by my A. C. system, it started a collapse of the edge of the trench in it's area almost immediately.

After I got the lines repaired, I ordered a load of bank run gravel, due to the size of the truck, weight limitations, it was not enough, but it was close, and the next load will finish this project, for now. I would like to put a cistern at the west end of the pipe to collect the water for use in the garden. Because it runs next to the downspout drain, a considerable amount of water should accumulate after a rain, and would be great for yard use.

 

 

 

I also dug a little hole so I could bury the cistern next to the well head. (7' x 9' x 8' deep) This is in an attempt to get back to having water to use when we want to, rather than when the water wants to do it's job. We have a good well , clean good tasting water, it just takes too long to get it when we want to use it. So I am going to collect it all day and use it when I want to. This isn't a new concept, in fact, most of the farms around here do this because the good water comes slowly, not generally as slowly as this one, but occasionally, it comes so slowly it must be collected to make it usable. And like everything else here, it's kind of expensive because there are so many parts required to make it work well, I have found the parts to do it, cost thousands of dollars. Beginning with the tank, the pump, a heavier wire to power everything so far from the house, because as always, everything is done to the absolute minimum required to make it work. Though I was surprised to find, (surprised on two fronts, which I will explain) that the wire to the well is in a conduit! Well mostly. The ends are exposed, so the conduit is full of water, and it didn't finish the trip through the wall to the crawl space under the house. It stopped outside the block, right at a pipe run through the cement block. Unfortunately, just exactly too small for both the water line and the conduit to fit.

 

 

 

 

So it would have been an ordeal, if even possible, to run the larger wire I bought, out to the well head. (Due to it scraping across the edge of the "too small" pipe to clear both the conduit and the water line). I fixed that with a chisel and used the removed pipe to cover the area where I repaired the water line. Yes, as alluded to above, I tore the waterline up, and the conduit that carries the power out to the well, which is where I discovered these shortcomings in the construction techniques, yet again. My assistant, seen above dismounting the track hoe, was watching my every move, and was vital to my being able to dig the hole properly, because below three feet I couldn't see what the bucket was doing. And neither could I rely upon my skills with a backhoe, as I had never used one before. But she directed me beautifully, the only lapses being when I was too tired to convert what she said, into the appropriate actions. I am not a game controller kind of guy, and the twin joystick configuration, was not a joy to conform to. But ultimately I got a little better, and even found myself running it without having to plan every move, of course when I realized it had happened, the next five moves where entirely wrong. I think I understand the requirement to learn enough to pilot a helicopter in 10 hours of assisted flight time or leave the program, ARMY WOC TRAINING, ten hours to solo or else. I think another 2 hours and I could have been relatively proficient, just a free pointer to those looking for a job, using machinery, if you can't do it fairly proficiently with 10 hours experience, give it up.... At least that's the militaries stand on the issue.. And who knows more about training knot heads than the military? OOps, there I go again, off subject. (actually this is the way my mind works, which makes the internet a dangerous place for me. Because I see so many connections I can get so lost, as to not even know why I started a particular search, some people are starting to talk about A.A.A.D.D.D.D.D.D.D. or something like that but I know they are wrong, hey let's go on a bike ride OK?)

So I had to make a run into town to get the parts to fix the damage to the waterline, and the well's power conduit, and I tried to get the controller I need for the pump in the well, but of course, they are sold out. I also found that what I thought was the local wholesale outlet, has higher prices on almost everything, than Carter Lumber. And they use the recent oil spill as an excuse, because all the plumbing and electrical supplies have plastic and we all know plastic comes from oil. But the things on their shelves surely have more than two months dust on them.

So I'm calling Bullshit on all the price gouging! And maybe I'll start buying at Walmart like everybody else and let the crooks stew in their own broth. Heck lets give our whole country to the chinese, before Barry Soetoro gives it to his Muslim Friends. Man! I can't stay on task anymore, too much insanity, even here on Nada Farm. What's the deal?

I was able to borrow a dump trailer, wow what a handy tool! I moved the dirt I dug up, from the place I dug it, as soon as I dug it, which is really helpful. What a great tool, did I say that already? Thanks Richard, I will bring it back really, but I did have a little problem while using it, totally unrelated. As I was turning a large circle after dumping, the front of the F150 quit turning, actually it was turning left and wouldn't straighten out. So I stopped and checked, and found a universal joint, (well the cross shaped portion of it), was caught in the steering mechanism. I turned the wheel farther to the left, and I could remove it, but the grinding and squeaking noises it has been making for the last two years was explained. And the explanation ain't cheap! I bought three replacement u joints, which is what it needs, but I ain't buying the shafts it tore the ends off of. I can't even find a price yet, but i know it isn't going to be a happy number.... So I'm glad I have a machine shop at my disposal, or at least in the garage. Speaking of which I have not been in the garage just to move heavy objects, for over a week, I need my ga-ga-rage time.. anyway I am going to measure that little trailer and start looking for parts to make one. What a great tool! I also had a local guy deliver 20 tons of gravel in the last week, 10 tons of pea gravel, to bury the tank in, and 10 tons to circle the house with, and I need 10 more tons to finish the "moat" but I can wait till next month I guess, at least I'm told I will wait till next month.. Something about rubber checks, my wife worries so.

Due to having two pumps at a distance from the house the bare minimal wire that was installed was to be replaced. I was happily surprised to find the original wire in conduit. How I found out, I wasn't so happy about, but I fixed a situation that would have required my digging it up anyway, well maybe. But guess what? I had to dig it up anyway..... Really, I had to dig the gravel out of the way and dig up the conduit I replaced and "break it" and finish pulling the new wires the last 8 inches! Because the rope I purchased specially to pull the wire with, (" Hey this rope is rated at 250 pounds man, you can lift yourself off the floor with this before it will break.") well it broke! 8 inches back in the pipe, yep, right outside the wall! Now I was unhappy about this occurrence, particularly after Chris sat under the house for the first hour pulling the wire through the conduit, and I sat under the house pulling the wire through the conduit until the rope started snapping on every pull, and soon I realized, though I could pull one more time, it was just going to break, and I couldn't see the wire end from where I was. Because I was, first blind, and next, not able to get into a position to see in the conduit. Couldn't bend like that, when I was healthy. So I went out and started digging up the last 6 feet of conduit I had so carefully buried 3 days ago. And if that isn't bad enough, of course there is no water unless this sucker gets connected. Because I pulled the original wire out and straightened it and ran it back through with the new wire. So now I have a 12 three with ground and an 10 three with ground in a conduit from the house to the well and cistern, which will eventually be in a faux - pump house. And what should have realistically taken about two hours took 6, and now I have to repair the new drain pipe I had to cut, dig up ,dig under, find the power conduit, pull it apart, finish threading the wire through, reconnect the conduit, rebury it in the sand I dug out, then re-bury everything in layers, and shovel the gravel back in the right places, and order, for it all to work and not cross contaminate. But I got it done, and I got a much needed shower, after.

I also hate being unable to see, while I was under the house I was so sweaty that my glasses kept fogging up and there was no dry spot anywhere I could wipe them off without making them worse, Except the top of my right sock, no sh*t! I had to pull up my pant leg, and wipe my glasses off with the top of my right sock, it was the only thing I could find, not too wet or greasy, or sandy / dirt covered, to wipe the steam and grease off my glasses. The last time I was under there changing the wiring to the pump, after the track hoe incident, I didn't have my glasses at all, left them somewhere, so I wired the pump without them and it quit working soon there after, probably because I didn't have the wires exactly in the right places when I tightened them down, but later I found out it was a toilet flushing frenzy that had run the well dry.... I am considering putting in a monitoring system just for the East bathrooms water usage, I'm sure it is the real cause of all the water issues, here .

Update, I modified the tank, cut a hole in it, and drilled two holes in it, which I was loathe to do, because I hate having holes all over when things don't work out. So I'm hoping they are in the correct places. The first hole was a 6" diameter hole for the schedule 40 pipe that simulates a regular well casing then i mounted a pittless connector, just like in a regular well. I cut into the pipe running from the well to the house, and used the original wiring, so that now the house gets it's water from the cistern, with all the same systems that were the well. The weird part is getting the well to supply the cistern, the cistern needs to tell the well it needs water, has water, and not take the water so fast that the well runs dry. I have a plan..... I am using a float valve, and a pressure operated switch, just like on the pressure tank under the house, to tell the well to pump water. It pumps the water about 110 feet through a 1" line, into the tank. The first hundred feet is bringing the water up from 97 feet, which is where the well pump hangs in the well casing. According to one source I found, the one inch pipe should be able to carry, 211 gallons a minute at 50 pounds pressure. I'm pretty sure the pressure doesn't get that high, it is an "open butt" pipe essentially, but I have no way of knowing what amount of water it provides. I do know it really pumped the water for a couple minutes the first time, but I don't know how long it was. I do know the second time was 33.88 seconds, before it ran dry... I timed it with a stop watch. And the PENTEK unit I installed seems to be doing it's job perfectly. Of course I can't access the information it collects, (it is also a data logger), without an additional unit with an IR reader, so I only know what I witness standing around the tank.... (Until I get the INFORMER unit I finally found, and ordered). They just look at you funny around here, if you ask about the adjunct equipment that is available, because it isn't. "If you want to know what the system is doing, you stand a man there and have him to watch it. Or better yet do it yourself". Again, the well drillers think it's fine to run the well dry, over and over, and the engineers say it's bad for the well. So I'm taking the midline approach, letting it run dry till the rest of the parts are available, and setting it not to do that after. Best I can do! I'm also trying to remember that it will be 50 below zero out there this winter and everything needs to be thermally protected. But I got a shower last night. And the water is 19 inches below the rim today, (Sunday July 25th) I'll check it again tomorrow at 5:30 and then I'll know if I'm winning or losing. I think I'm winning, as the float ball is touching the water today, and according to a picture taken yesterday, it wasn't then. As the system gets the bugs worked out of it, I will begin burying and protecting the parts in sealed containers. Because I know nothing is ever completely done, or infallible, and as it is the water, I'm going to want it fixed fast...

The main problem I see with all this, is the time required to get things done. I need to get three roofs replaced, and one of them requires tearing down half a house. I'm still fighting with water issues though I have water everywhere and I can't get time to finish the mini bike I started two years ago, what the hell would I do if I had a job????? I'm going to end it here for now and get this posted. and maybe go watch Swordfish again, I love Travolta as a good/bad guy. Most of the rest of what he's done is fluff , but in Swordfish he's great. I'd join his little team. OH well .. on to fantasy, I liked AVATAR too but I don't expect to be going BLUE soon, either... Okay maybe there's something to the ADHD thing, but I can't add many more drugs to my day and function at all. So maybe" spinning in place" isn't as bad as some folks think, I'll ask the doctor this month when I go to get my new scripts, OK, MUGS?

 

About Me | Site Map | Contact Me | ©2010 Ray McCune