I thought the shower head had become really clogged with deposits from our hard water. Thank heavens I hadn’t gotten my hair wet! I shouted to John, and he found there was no running water anywhere in the house. Neighbor Bob came over immediately, and the two men checked under the house. Bob suspected the pump had failed. He was able to suggest a company to call, warning us that it could be expensive. A new pump would be bad enough, but if we needed to drill for a new source of water, we should brace ourselves.
There was no telling how long it would take for the repairmen to respond. Shawn and Bob offered us their facilities and water. What would we do without our fantastic neighbors? David and John filled four gallon milk jugs at their house, as well as two five-gallon containers. The jugs went to the kitchen counter, and the big containers to bathrooms. In the photo, you can see the big water holder. Can you also see the small plastic container on the floor? That was for dipping water to pour into the toilet or for washing hands in the sink.
Two men came within six hours! The pump was at fault, and they installed a new one before dark. We had water again!! We could use it, even though we needed a new bladder for the pressure tank. They had already used the one they keep on the truck, so they returned the next morning to finish the job.
The photo shows the well cover near our driveway, with the tire marks from the large truck. We are very thankful we got off as lightly as we did.
The well cover is supposed to look like a large rock. After I added this photo, I’ve decided it looks like a friendly little alien. Does anyone have a name to suggest?
Mehrling Muse 
Call it “Moai Man” Anne. That’s what the statues on Easter island are called.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai
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That name is interesting. My pseudo-rock doesn’t look as sophisticated as those in your link. Given time, it might get more character.
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Looks like a melting snowman
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It has more staying power than NC snowmen. Since I like snow, there’s a lot to be said for that.
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E.T., of course for the name. Whew. Dodged a bullet!
Love, Janet
Sent from my iPad
>
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E.T. Nice!
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What an experience. I know what its like to haul water and wait for repairmen. That kind of surprise is not welcome. We live in the very far corner of our city, and we are on the city water lines, but not on the city sewer. We won’t be any time soon. Glad you got it fixed…now you can write about your experience as a pioneer wife 🙂
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Thank heavens we didn’t have to use an outhouse!! Been there, done that in my childhood.
Like you, on Long Island we had city water, but not city sewer. That worked well for us.
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We do have a relatively new arrogation system, which I had put in when the new house was built in 2002,) a pump for ground water, etc. We had an outhouse when we first moved to the country when I was a young teenager. Plus a hand-pump in the kitchen to get well water. The novelty wore off REAL fast. 🙂
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The only time I used an outhouse was when I went with my best friend to visit her grandfather in the country. You lived it!!
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When my Mom married my step-dad and moved to his house we used the primitive facilities for a very short time…it was sort of a novelty for about three minutes. He got right on the modernize plumbing. LOL
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I laughed that it was a novelty for three minutes.
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I think my Mom got right on it when we moved in…I only vaguely recall the inside pump. I may have already been “gone” from home, too, I moved into Cleveland soon after I graduated high school in 1953.
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I used the wrong word, it is actually an arriation system. Sometimes my brain fails me.
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Either word would do for me. I had never seen either of them.
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actually it’s aeration … in our immediate area residents have had septic systems; when we built the new house they put in an aeration system instead, I don’t know the difference. That spelling bothers me…I don’t know why I didn’t look it up earlier.
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Spellings don’t bother me, because I’m so good at getting them wrong. I’m glad your water works well, both coming and going.
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Wow, this sounded all too familiar! Your rock reminds me of “the Blob” or the Sandman. I am glad it was not more serious!
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Glad it got repaired quickly and wasn’t a major expense. These things usually happen at the worst of times. Like when mom and dad’s water pump on the farm stopped on Christmas Day with the house full of guests. Yikes. At least the neighbour was a plumber and was able to fix it quickly. He didn’t mind coming out on Christmas day!
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Ah, the joys of country living. We sent dry a few years ago, new well did the trick, $$$$. Put one in while in CT, as well an engineered Septic system just prior to moving to MD. Oh, the joy of it all!
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It broke and it wasn’t a holiday? You are indeed lucky!
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Golly! I hadn’t thought about the pump waiting to break on a holiday! Yes, I am lucky.
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My friends with wells have faced similar challenges!
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Neighbor Bob has lived here a long time, and I think he said they’ve had water failures twice. It was a first for this house, and it’s about 14 years old. We’ve lived here as long as the first owners.
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You are very lucky, your neighbor is so helpful. Your water pump repaired. It’s like snowman.
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We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors, and we are grateful that the pump was repaired quickly.
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Glad neighbors and fix-it guys came to the rescue! It’s the little things in life that mean so much, but in this case it was big help that saved the day. I’m glad it wasn’t a major ordeal or expense. Now you can rock along again!!
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We don’t know the full cost of the pump replacement yet, but it’s better than drilling a new well. The appliances that came with the house have failed, one by one. Right now the time bomb is the heating system, which will set us back a lot. I’m hoping it will be replaced in the summer and not in cold weather.
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Glad you got by so lucky!
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I think it is does look like an alien – I would name it Burke! We need water and this experience highlights the difficulties people in the third world face every day – access to clean fresh water. Things we take so much for granted. Something to truly be grateful for.
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I like the name Burke. We have a fresh appreciation for water after being without it.
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Burke it is. This comes from a children’s show – from the UK, maybe 25 years ago now. Some kind of blog monster like creature that looked just like that and the name has to be vocalized with a deep voice….lol.
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Thanks for the background about Burke. I didn’t know that character.
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Bob and Shawn to the rescue again for a water issue – you just had a recent issue with hearing water. You lucked out! As to the rock, it looked as round as a Buddha to me, or the Michelin Man.
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The rock could be Michelin Mehrling.
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Yes – it has a ring to it doesn’t it?
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How about Meribah (Numbers 20)
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I’ll have to look that up. Phone is charging across the room right now. Two women of my mother’s generation were given names from the Bible. They were Havilah and Meridah. I always wondered if they misspelled Meribah.
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I am so glad you solved the water problem quickly. Water is our biggest concern and even though I am so smug about our whole house generator you have reminded me that equipment like water pumps and wells can just give out anyway.
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We’ve benefited from a generator to keep our water pumping, but we found out quickly that the pump also has to work!!
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Oh the joys of living with a well!
(Actual pumps were a thrill over drawing water with a bucket….you could always get a new bucket if a kid let go of the rope! Not with newer drilled narrow wells now though – no back up bucket brigade.)
Glad it all worked again so quickly (thank goodness for neighbors!)
How about calling the grey visitor “Mo”? …no Mo problems please!
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I like Mo as the name of the fake rock. No-Mo would be good, too.
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