Water, Winter, Wonderland

I live in a Water, Winter, Wonderland. In fact, that used to be on the Official License Plate of the Great State of Michigan: “Water, Winter, Wonderland.” The turbid, stormy waters of the current financial, stock market crisis in the world parallels my own crisis here somewhat. There just aren’t enough people willing to swim with the tide and they panic and sell and on an on and what fools we are…

I however, have been swimming in well water and mudd. My geothermal heat pump guys told me that there were wide fluctuations in my water pressure and that over time that would wear on the pumps, heat pump and well pump. I have never been satisfied with my water flow here---despite being on one of the world’s most incredible aquifers---my outflow was about 5 gallons/minute at the spigot. My neighbor has about 60 gallons a minute of fresh clear 50 degree water, no lie. In fact, the well people told me they didn’t want to go deeper with my well because of the possibility of finding “catastrophic flows.” They showed me pictures of rivers they have created out here, by tapping into mother lodes of water. They have had to call in special teams that go around the world capping off heavy flow water wells.

Anyway, the geothermal guys were able to adjust the furnace to obtain adequate flows and I still had enough water for living, showering, brushing teeth, etc. However, guests have commented on how you have good flow in the shower for a couple minutes, and then it sort of trickles for awhile. So I went back to my well driller friends and told them my predicament. They told me I need another pressure tank to balance the flows. I had a 6 gallon pressure tank buried by the well and they put in a 10 gallon tank in the crawl space yesterday while I worked. I came home at lunch and they were gone. I went to the sink and had but a trickle of water. I now had about 3 gallons/minute and as the evening progressed, I didn’t have ANY water, nothing. I played with the shut off valve at the well, I went into the crawl space and checked all the fittings---having to dig thru a foot of pea gravel under flashlight, my fingers are still numb. I’m thinking this isn’t going to be good for Jeffy in the morning, needing to shower and smell good for homecoming and his girlfriend. However, I found a gallon of distilled water and put it by the bathroom sink for him and he managed to get ready.

Now, imagine, next to my house is a stream from the aquifer running at about 50 gallons/minute. Out front of my house is Lake Michigan. Less than a mile from the house is a heavily flowing RIVER and I have NOTHING. This can’t be right, I called the well people several times and got the answering machine. I called them at 1300, 1600, 2200 and again at 2400 as I emerged from the crawl space covered in mudd, but no response. At some point, I gave up and went to bed. In the morning I played with the curbside shut off valve some more and was able to get a trickle to clean up Abby’s piddle and make some coffee and brush my teeth. The well guy called, they would be out about 1500 and will work as long as it takes to get my water back. I went into town to the diner and had breakfast and watched their T.V. chronicle all of our losses, flowing like the neighbors well, into the pit. I went back home and busted butt all day finishing the insulation in the garage. The plumbing and heating guys came out to re-check my propane furnace in the big garage and diagnosed it as terminal, more bad news. Heat exchanger shot, not worth repairing, new furnace next week out there.

Anyway, the well guys did show up and dug out my shut off valve down into five feet of earth and found a very frozen ancient shut off valve that was leaking like a sieve. It has probably been leaking for years, just like my mutual funds. That would explain why I never had the water the guy who sunk the well told me I have. He said I should have 12 gallons a minute after the filter in the kitchen sink for crying out loud. But alas, I have only had 5. Now, with my two pressure tanks and new shut off valve, I can supply water to the city of Chicago. I can’t believe it---I have enough pressure to pressure wash old paint away. I only wish in my little microcosm of life that I could do the same for the world’s financial market, just replace a leaky old valve and get the flow back, but I can’t. However, it doesn’t matter, I am surrounded and infused with the best of living water. I can drink it, shower in it, fish in it, console my soul with it. This is a very good thing as I realize I will be the greeter at Wal-Mart in a few years. I can give medical advice as I give people their carts. But, I’ll be a happy man, going home to my little slice of heaven, my little piece of earth on the water.