Big deterioration in the last few days!

[Chuggalug]

Still upright and moving, Chuggalug, still upright and moving! How are you?

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Not too bad, thanks for asking

 

[LadyA]

Argh!! Is there no end?? Now it looks as though our well might be running dry!! We've never had problems with it before, but the water is all brown and sedimenty, not a good sign. Have to call the well people tomorrow. :-(

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[garnuft]

I am such an urban, cloistered person...so does that mean you have no fresh water?

eek...here's an eek sign to show how eeky I feel.

You have 'Well' people?

 

[Butter]

Would a bore hole help?

 

[geo]

So sorry to hear of your struggles. Mine pale to insignificance. I truly feel for you and hope you get the help you so badly need. X geo girl

 

[LadyA]

Isn't the well a bore hole? It's certainly bored rather than dug, although it's not very deep - only 80 feet or so. I discovered I was a numpty last night. After watering the vegetable garden ( which is bigger than the average whole urban garden - I don't water the rest, just the veg!) I had turned the hose off at the water end, then got distracted (as you do) and forgot to turn the tap off!

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Ha - hate typing on my phone! Especially when I have my computer glasses on - the whole thing keeps shifting around and gives me vertigo! And it takes me ages to type anything on those tiny keys!

Anyway - so hopefully it is my silly fault, and if I use water very, very sparingly for a couple of days, the well will fill up again. There are springs all over the place here underground - the lawn grows extra thick and lush in a few places, where there's obviously water running underneath. It's a pain, because the lawnmower always clogs and cuts out at those points!

Yes, Garnuft, there are "Well" people - who dig, line, install pumps, sterilising units, service & maintain etc. Having a well doesn't mean the water comes free! But it does mean no chlorine or fluoride!

Geo, no-one's problems pale into insignificance beside any else's! They are just different. I equally gasp at what other people are coping with, and think "Never, could I cope with what they are dealing with." And I look at parents with disabled children, and think - "I wouldn't even know where to begin coping." - not even with all the emotional stuff, but with the sheer work involved sometimes. Maybe "coping" is a muscle, that developes with exercise?

 

[garnuft]

and forgot to turn the tap off!

Is there a song about what you do when the well runs dry?

I feel sure there is but when I try to recall it, it gets mixed up in my humming with 'Donald, where's your troosers'. :/

 

[LadyA]

Is there a song about what you do when the well runs dry?

I feel sure there is but when I try to recall it, it gets mixed up in my humming with 'Donald, where's your troosers'. :/

There's one called "You never miss the water 'til the well runs dry."

Tomorrow, I have got to try and pick plums, the birds are starting to eat them on the trees! Don't know how/when I'll get them bottled, but at least picking would be a start! I had been hoping William would be safely settled in a nursing home before harvest time! Or that magically, I'd have help this year!

We are off to see William's doctor tomorrow. Partly because William has been sleeping a lot the last week or so and not eating very much - though typically, he ate his dinner this evening, and stayed awake for a few hours! And partly because his GP wants to see him once a month now. Because, if William dies, and has not seen his GP in the month before his death, then a post mortem might have to be done as it would be regarded as an "unexpected death". Whereas if he had seen his GP - and given his age and condition - the GP can certify his death.

 

[truth24]

Gosh, your GP likes to be on top of things. Sensible really, I suppose. I think it's 2 weeks here but gather that after a certain age it's a formality - unless there's any sign of suspicious circumstances, of course.

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[2jays]

Wish I could remember what bear grylls does when he can't get water

I can remember one thing he did.. "out put" and drinking it hope it doesn't get to that stage....

It was something to do with a plastic bag and a jar.... Or was it a t shirt....

Ahh here are some ideas....

http://www.thecityedition.com/2012/Wilderness_Survival_2.html

Let us know if you find a camel....

I hasten to say I'm not a great bear grylls fan.... Son watches it when trying to get his 7month daughter to sleep....


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[garnuft]

Peter and oldest son had a Bear Grylls thing on yesterday p.m. that they drifted into on the trillion channels available.
He was tormenting a boar before he killed it.

If I ever meet him, he will feel like a pig in a poke.

 

[2jays]

Peter and oldest son had a Bear Grylls thing on yesterday p.m. that they drifted into on the trillion channels available.
He was tormenting a boar before he killed it.

If I ever meet him, he will feel like a pig in a poke.

It's not real.

I hope it's not real....

I sure it's not real... It's all stage managed......

Fingers crossed xx


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[LadyA]

I've never seen it.

I suspect (hope!) the well will be well! When it's had a chance to refill. Thankfully, my laundry basket is all but empty. The care assistant will have to just use the bath-in-bed wipes on William tomorrow - William probably will be just as glad! Especially as he will be tired, from being out and about in the morning. I always keep a few 5 litre bottles of water on hand in case of power cuts, so I shall heat some water in the kettle for a wash down at the bathroom washbasin!

 

[garnuft]

I dig it totally and am not bored at all.

I have been spoilt.

I thought you turned on a tap and water came out, sans bacteria avec fluoride and chlorine.

Rain is good then? or does it not matter? Is there generally enough?

I remember me Dad talking about being down the coal mine and him saying the water was a constant flow.

I used to worry about him when it rained but as the seam was under the North Sea, it was pretty pointless.

 

[bemused1]

Gwen you have a very dry sense of humour! (Inspired at 2.30am!!!)

 

[truth24]

Love it Garnuft

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[LadyA]

I dig it totally and am not bored at all.

I have been spoilt.

I thought you turned on a tap and water came out, sans bacteria avec fluoride and chlorine.

Rain is good then? or does it not matter? Is there generally enough?

I remember me Dad talking about being down the coal mine and him saying the water was a constant flow.

I used to worry about him when it rained but as the seam was under the North Sea, it was pretty pointless.

Rain is good. Too much rain is bad. Because if you get flooding, it contaminates the water supply.Thankfully, we don't get flooding.

Yes, mines would have water flowing in them constantly - because of underground water courses. Where I lived in New Mexico years ago, it was very hard for anyone to get water from a well, because we lived within four miles of one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, Santa Rita (called after a town that had been swallowed up by the mine). Huge, ugly hole in the ground, getting bigger every day! And all the water for miles just drained into the mine, because it was the lowest point around. We bored down 4,000 feet for water - and got a measly 4 gallons per 24 hours!! A neighbour went down 10,000 feet and got no water at all!! We all had to have huge storage tanks, and buy in water by tanker truck, which came every three weeks to fill the tank - and had to buy our drinking water separately. A very precious resourse.

Rather typically, having told William's GP how much he is sleeping - he was up most of the night!! No way would he go back to bed. He was "working in his office" - shuffling books and photographs about on his desk! Thankfully, I collared him as he was heading back to bed at 8.15 and got him dressed. If he got back into bed and went to sleep, I'd have a hard job waking him up again.

ps. Have talked to the Well Man. All, it seems, will be well! He said it will just take a day or so to refresh the well, and told me to turn the pump to half-pressure meanwhile, so it doesn't pump the water out so fast. It seems to be fine already. However, as the pump would be due servicing in another month or so anyway, I have booked them to come and do it next week - another job to have ticked off my list of "things to be done". Over here at the moment, there is incensed outrage because those on public water supplies have to start paying for water now - a new measure brought in by the Govt. to raise money to pay for the supply and upkeep of the water infrastructure. Meters are being installed. People are protesting, and indeed camping out on the footpaths to prevent the installation of the meters. Even though they are told this will not prevent them being billed - without a meter, they will get a bill for the estimated cost of the water they would use. Town & City water has always been free, so of course, no-one wants to start paying for it now. But when you pay for the upkeep of a well, you realise just how much it costs to get good, clean water! Of course, some people do have legitimate complaints - in some areas the water is not fit for consumption, and people have to buy bottled water. I do feel these people should not be charged until the water is brought up to standard. Ho hum. Off on a tangent.

William has not, as I thought he would, fallen asleep yet! He is still paper-shuffling busily!

 

[LadyA]

What a day!! I'm so tired here, that my eyes keep going out of focus!

The Well. All was not, after all, well! Turned out that the well had not after all run dry. I had phoned a guy this morning, and he had told me what to do to get the brown "turbidity" (caused by red sandstone at a deeper level than our water normally is pumped from, apparently) out of the water, so it would run clear. Once an hour, I had to turn the pump to half-pressure and run the tap for a short while. I did it once. I did it twice. The third time, the pump cut out, and the water stopped completely!! So we went from brownish water to no water at all! Called the guy back and explained. We established that the well had not run dry because I could see the water when I looked in it - at 80 or more feet deep, apparently I wouldn't be able to see water if it was running low. (Turns out, the water is only about ten feet down!!) So, I explained about William's condition, his incontinence etc. and he said he'd see what he could do but he didn't think they could get to me today or tomorrow - this firm are over an hour away from us. Now - how many businesses would do this,?? He called a firm that is much nearer to me, and had them get in touch - and they were over in half an hour and had the thing fixed!! So the first firm I had called basically gave up 100 euro call out fee, to get us sorted out immediately. Hats off to them! So that's that problem sorted.

William's GP couldn't find anything actually wrong with him - I knew there wouldn't be. But he has lost about 9 lbs in three weeks. Stands to reason - he isn't eating very much. He is also dehydrated. Also stands to reason - he won't drink enough. I did manage to get 2 1/2 small glasses of juice into him today plus 1 dish of ice cream and a cornetto. And he ate a reasonable dinner and his usual banana for breakfast, so today was a good day for him, intake wise. He never took a nap all day - having been awake since 4 am!! Too much going on around him. Anyway, the GP is a bit concerned about the dehydration, and about his circulation - although he said that that is a bit of congestive heart failure, and there isn't really much to be done at this stage. He is going to come to the house tomorrow evening and see William again.

Daughter and son in law came this evening - son in law to check his bees (good thing he did, as he had to put more frames in the hive) and daughter because the plums are ripe and she wanted to learn how to bottle them - so I had picked a load this afternoon, and we spent the evening stoning and bottling them. Ten jars of plums so far- we share them between us, although she will get most of them as they use more than I would.

I am off to bed my dears! I am fed up. You know the way I have been told all along that this whole thing with processing/getting funding for nursing home support here was going to take 14 weeks from when they received the application? I took out my calendar today. This is the 15th week! But of course, they then said it would take "approximately" eight weeks from when we got approval. This is the 7th week. Everything is crossed!

 

[Jinx]

Glad the well is now well, at least that's one less thing to worry about. As for the funding it's just ridiculous that it can take so long, can't we on TP petition someone on your behalf?!


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[LadyA]

Glad the well is now well, at least that's one less thing to worry about. As for the funding it's just ridiculous that it can take so long, can't we on TP petition someone on your behalf?!


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I wish - but thank you for the thought, dear Jinx! Well, it surely can't be much longer, can it?