For those of you city folks who don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s a tank, usually underground, that collects and holds rainwater. My house is a century home. In the old part of the cellar – the part with the dirt floor – is my cistern – a very deep tank. Our guess is that it holds about 3000 gallons, maybe more. Considering that the ground is heavily stoned, I can’t imagine how this amazing tank was dug. It must have been dug by hand. It was, after all, at the turn of the last century – not this one. Yet, it is perfectly plumb and square – the sides smooth and clean. I have to climb up the side in order to look in the tank. Then, with a flashlight, I can almost make out the bottom. In the old days it held the sole supply of household water.
That got me thinking. What if a person accidentally fell in. There would be no way out. That person could scream and there would be nobody to hear him or her. Unless you knew the layout of the cellar, you would not even know a cistern was there. It’s that inconspicuous.
Alfred Hitchcock came to mind. What a horror story he could weave around that very tank.
Our household water comes from a drilled well. It gets pumped into the house where it gets filtered, softened and sterilized with UV lamp. It tastes wonderful and I’ll bet it’s cleaner than bottled water.
But I digress.
We did not want to use our expensive water for watering the garden. I had rain barrels but if it didn’t rain for a while they were empty and I had to go to the kitchen, fill up my watering can and water by hand. During dry spells, that used to take me two hours or more. We needed to connect the cistern and fill that beautiful tank with rain water.
Several thousand dollars later, we got our connection. The reason for the expense, three trades – plumber, electrician, roofer. Then we waited for rain. Finally, only this morning, the rains came. As I write, it is a slow and steady rain – the kind that soaks into the ground and makes our flowers smile. It’s been raining for at least 5 hours and looking in the tank, it hardly covered the bottom. It will be a long time before this tank is full.
Because our property is so large, we have three hoses connected to each other so as to get 150 feet of hose to water one side of the house. When that side is done, I roll up the hoses and move to the other side of the house to water.
Now I know why country properties with no town water usually don’t have elaborate gardens, either.
The next thing I’m planning to do is installing the drip system so I’ll never have to water again. I wonder what that costs? Well, that’s for another day. Right now, I’m happy with the way it is.
June 20th, 2012
Posted by
Lugatz |
Environment, Life In Small Town Ontario |
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We’d heard so many horror stories about the lack of doctors in the country. I don’t know where the stories originated. There was even a Canadian woman on an American commercial that the Republicans ran over and over. She claimed she had to go to the US to get medical treatment for something. I can’t remember what. Maybe her heart? She claimed her doctor said there was a two year waiting list for the treatment she needed. I wonder how much she was paid for that commercial? She’s a liar of the first order. Read more…
January 25th, 2010
Posted by
Lugatz |
Life In Small Town Ontario, Socialized Medicine |
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Let’s face it, Can We Talk, is a general blog about so many things. It was the first one I ever had and I really needed to focus but I didn’t. Now, looking back and reading some of the entries, I see where posts were all over the map. I’m trying to change that so, I have begun a new blog http://countrygarden.ceconn.com . It is primarily a gardening blog. After all, that’s where my focus will be during the warm months. Well, gardening and taking pictures of my garden.
I hope you’ll visit and add to the conversation. I’m hoping it will be a site for gardeners who want to exchange ideas. For a greenhorn like me, any input is good input. All input is appreciated.
Wish me luck as we sit here in sub zero temperatures, dreaming of wildly wonderful gardens, admired by all. Well, I can dream, can’t I?
One thing I’d like to mention before I go, I will still keep this blog up but I’m going back to my ranting days when I let off steam about anything that bugged me. After all, it’s a good, safe venue for this sort of thing.
January 19th, 2010
Posted by
Lugatz |
Life In Small Town Ontario |
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Both Christmas and New Years are over now. I have to say, it was the best Christmas I’ve had in years. My son and daughter-in-law spent five days with us. We planned for weeks ahead. Menus and shopping lists, Christmas tree and decorations. Well, you know the drill. My son gave me a new camera (Canon Rebel T1i)and new cordless phones. Oh, it was all so exciting. We ate and drank, spent evenings in front of the fire. Bliss.
On Boxing Day, we had a “Nog ‘n Nosh”, invited about 20 neighbours to join us and meet my son and daughter-in-law. We had a great time. The next day, we took them to our new favourite restaurant, namely Elmirst’s Resort. Food was great.
We took them around the area to Peterborough, Warkworth and Campbellford and stopped at Indian Trading Post where they shopped for dream catchers and a lot of other stuff to take back as presents. Next, we stopped at the “Red Barn”, also run by aboriginals. (This is a great reserve). The owner is a great guy, so cheerful and hospitable. Charlie can never pass the place without stopping for their cherry pie. Arnold bought subs for all of us. Gee, that was the best sub I ever had. (Note to myself: when wanting a snack while in the area, stop for a sub).
Before we knew it, it was over. They headed out back to Toronto, then to visit Mother in the nursing home, then on to Miami and eventually back to Jamaica. The time sure flew. I try not to be sad but I am. 🙁
January 4th, 2010
Posted by
Lugatz |
Life In Small Town Ontario |
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