December Flashback

What an afternoon! I have some updates.

I tried to go for a walk in the snow today, but the biting wind and falling snow kept my walk short. I didn't even make it to the local coffee shop.

Later, I went back out to snap some scenic photos and while standing on the sidewalk in front of my house, I noticed water pooling on the sidewalk in front of the neighbor's garage. Hmmm. Within seconds, a flashback of December a few years ago ran through my head.

About two years ago (or maybe three, post traumatic stress syndrome will do that to you) we had a bad round of weather around here. A plethora of rain saturated the ground with run-off. Then we had snow and a freeze, then it began to unthaw. And one morning Pony Girl stepped into the living room at 6:30 a.m. before work and her socks went squish, squish on the carpet.

The lower part of my apartment was filling up with water. Even after furniture was moved and carpet was torn up, they couldn't pump it out without it filling back up. Where was the water coming from? Later that afternoon, my upstairs neighbor and I discovered water gushing out of the exterior wall of the house next door. A-ha! A broken water pipe. Nobody was at the house so we called the water company and they came out and turned the water off at the street. But not before I had my flooring torn up and place in disarray. I spent that Christmas living on concrete, giant dryers in my house, furniture moved all over and up on blocks. It was a month before I got new drywall and carpet.

So this time, I knew exactly where to look first. I ran around to the neighbor's fence and peered at the backside of their house. Sure enough, water was pouring out of the wall of the house, in the exact same spot as two years ago!!! I mean, really? I ran and knocked on the door of the house. No answer, and it looked abandoned. I then ran and knocked on my landlord's door (she lives above me.) She promptly called the water company, who said they'd be there in an hour. An hour? I was wringing my hands and already donning my wading galoshes. Lo and behold they showed up in 20 minutes. Even on snowy roads. I practically hugged them and baked them a batch of cookies I was so relieved. They shut off the water with a simple wrench and screwdriver. They showed me how to do it. Not that I'll remember. I'll probably turn it the wrong way and turn the water pressure up or something.

Then it became a waiting game. Was there already enough groundwater saturation to cause this flooding problem in my place again? It has only happened that one time previously, in the nearly five years I've lived here. That was a particularly wet year and combined with the broken pipe, kind of a freak occurrence.

So far tonight, my carpet is dry. I have spent the afternoon moving things that could get damaged up off the floor, just in case. And walking around in socks, waiting to feel water. And let me tell you, an angel must have been watching out for me. If I hadn't randomly stepped out to take a few pictures, I never would have seen that water on the sidewalk and not discovered the broken pipe, until possibly my place flooded again! I definitely owe the big man upstairs something for this one!

Now, why is this pipe breaking? Well. Well. apparently, the man who lives there is out of the country most of the year. At times, someone appears to be staying there, perhaps friends or family. Strange situation. Currently it seems the home is empty again. Maybe the heat is turned off in the house. There was no outside water spigot where the pipe burst. It was an interior pipe in the kitchen wall. The water ran down the wall and cement back porch steps, into the basement, out the garage door, as well as into our yard, since my house is the lowest point on the hill sloping from that house. My landlord and I tried to get in contact with the owner, his number is disconnected. At this point, whomever ever shows up there next will simply discover the water has been shut-off. But I can't live in fear of my apartment flooding again. If nobody is going to be there in the winter, the home at least needs to be winter-proofed!

In other news, Paint Girl sent me more pictures of My Boy in the snow. Look at the snow on his hitching post!

They are feeding him right by the water tough now. They want to keep all of the horses close to their water as they travel less in this kind of weather. We all do, come to think of it!

My mom sent me pictures of the snowman my papa and my cousin H built. Personally, I think he has the same freaked out expression on his face that I had when I realized the pipe was busted and my place could fill with water again. And where are his stick arms? He just has little stumpies!

Little man G had fun in the snow, too! Is it wrong of me to say it's kind of endearing when little kid's feet turn out slightly like that? Kind of like when they speak with cute speech impediments until they are seven? I'm a teacher, I can say these things, right?

Here are Sadie's legs after an afternoon romp in the snow at horsey feeding time last night.

Is this for real? She looks loaded and ready for the canine snowball fight of the century! Amazing how they formed in nearly perfectly round balls.

Poor Sadie Girl. It must be tough to to be an Aussie and have all that fur hanging down your legs, dragging in nearly 15 inches of snow. And she wasn't even outside very long! Paint Girl, maybe you can put a small long-sleeved sweatshirt on her to keep her leg protected from the snow. Any other ideas out there?

Hang in there, Sadie! I have some bad news for you though. Winter hasn't even officially started yet!