Last Friday I posted a comment about a break in my water system and the quick repair. A follow up comment from Mr Robert inquired about the source of the water. So I decided to take everyone down a canyon to my spring. Behind the barn is an 8000 gallon tank into which water from the spring far below is pumped. Please note the sophisticated water-level checking device.
This field leads to the beginning of the canyon. There were power poles all the way across this field but a storm knocked some down so I decided to replace them all. While they were down I took the opportunity to down 3 big eucalyptus trees for firewood; I'm still working on them. The tips of the redwoods in the canyon are visible in the distance.
The wires are connected but on the ground. Not exactly following code for the moment.
Beginning the descent. A big oak from next door fell across the path which requires ducking under. It's on my to-do list. Now we have a vertical distance of 210 feet at about a 40 degree angle. Not only steep but I'm usually carrying tools; I have to hold onto trees as I descend.
Part way down. It is a beautiful forest, mostly Bay trees.
Near the bottom we have ferns in the (dry) stream bed and the sunlight is more filtered.
Here we are at the bottom. These are the redwoods which showed only their tips in a previous photo. It is isolated, no humans or dwellings for thousands of feet in all directions.
This is the collection tank which gathers the water from the spring. The break was in the small white pipe that goes into the pump.
This is the spring itself. The water is wonderful but I have to clean it out several times during the summer. I took the screen off to show the water. My kids found several Native American artifacts including grinders when we moved here. So this spring has been used for quite a while.
The previous pump, which I maintained for many years, is still here. How would I get a 100+ pound pump back up the hill?
So we climb back up. It takes me 10 minutes to descend and maybe 20 or more to get back up, depending how much I have to carry. I built a bench and planted a palm tree at the top to provide a rest area.
Well, it keeps me in shape, anyway. Thanks for accompanying me down in the canyon. In truth, very few people have been down there; only an occasional plumber, and now my Kossack friends.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of their evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, interesting videos, and so forth. We would also appreciate links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate.
Please note that pie fights will be unwelcome in this community, just as in most other series at DKos.
Finally, readers may notice that most who are posting diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but that definitely does not mean that newcomers will be excluded or unwelcome. We're happy to welcome guests to our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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