A few more steps forward, today – and the girls are still outside, working on cleaning up around the yard, so the progress continues even now.
The most exciting thing for me is, the septic guy came! Yay!
Oh, the things that excite me in my old age… LOL
Seriously, though… it’s one less worry, and I already talked to him about coming back in the fall, as part of his regular route in the area, as we go back to doing the regular routine cleaning in the fall.
I can’t help but admire someone who can back up a vehicle like this, through our gate into the yard, between the spruce grove and the flower garden along the East side of the house, and turn into the North side of the house – without hitting the downspout (which was screwed in place, unlike the others) or hitting the low hanging branches.
Dude’s got mad reversing skills.
While chatting with him, I learned he is not a fan of this type of septic tank.
Typically, a septic tank is a large reservoir with only one chamber. The solids naturally sink to the bottom and, once it reaches a certain level, the grey water drains out to the septic field. It’s all gravity based.
This system is much smaller and has two reservoirs. The one for the solids is smaller and has a smaller opening into it. The grey water eventually fills the second, larger, reservoir until an ejector pump sends it out to the septic field.
He needed to get that hose into the solids reservoir, which not only has a smaller opening, but the hoses from the pump (which is inside the basement) run over it.
He knew the place had been empty for the last couple of years, since he’s been servicing our tank for quite a long time, and had assured me it wouldn’t be a concern. Still, he was surprised by how much was in it. I did explain that, though empty, there were still people using the house. Add in 4 people and 6 months… I’m really glad we got it done.
All done!
The straw on the left is what covered the lid for the winter. I was going to pile it elsewhere, but I couldn’t find a pitch fork anywhere.
I checked the garage, the pump shack, the barn, the garden shed – even the basements. No pitch fork to be found.
What farm doesn’t have a pitch fork?
Like most of the lawn on the North side of the house, the grass here is pretty much all gone. Not even just dead, like in other parts of the lawn. It’s basically just dirt and weeds.
After the tank was done, I went back to working on the wood pile in the garden, but not before getting a picture of something that was a mystery to the girls. A mystery I actually knew the answer to, for a change!
It’s one thing to find extension cords all over the house, what with the lack of outlets, but an extension cord up a tree? The tree itself is probably 60 ft high, or close to it, and the cord runs almost all the way up.
I remember when it was run up there. My late brother, who was an agile climber, put it there. He also carried up a star shaped frame with Christmas lights in it, and installed it near the very top of the tree. The cord is to plug in the star.
I can’t see if the star is still up there, but I can’t imagine anyone climbing up there to take it down. Nor can I imagine it ever being replaced since it was first put up there, which means that is a very old extension cord.
We have no plans of ever using it again!
Meanwhile, back to the wood pile in the garden!
This is a pile of deadwood and prunings that had been put there before we moved out, and my family had wanted to burn in the winter. I didn’t want it burned, so we now have the job of cleaning it out of the garden area. Most of it will be used as fuel for the fire pit, but some I’m keeping for future crafting purposes. My mother is still adamant that she wants the garden plowed, as soon as the pile is cleared.
I’m glad we put our collective foot down about not burning this. Earlier, I’d already pulled out a bunch of fibre glass insulation that was buried in it. There are more bits and pieces we are still finding.
I also found this.
Apparently, no one had a problem with burning this, then plowing the remaining metal and glass bits, into the garden.
Nor with this…
I’d already pulled out a margarine container. Today, I found the two lids and some mystery plastic, along with the bits of insulation.
Lovely.
As I was writing this, my daughters called me out to see a discovery they made while cleaning around the yard.
That one is getting its own post. After I make supper.
Oh, the strange things we are finding!
The Re-Farmer
Wow! Okay!
