Getting Water in the Summer

In the summer we get our water from the lake by pumping, no more pails on the snowmachine. We have a black plastic line from our 'swimming' pool down to the beach. 660 ft long. The vertical rise is 80 ft. The pool stores over 4,000 Canadian gallons, probably around 5,000 US ones (a Canadian gallon is 140 fl. ounces). Depending on the weather this chore is done as often as every third day or as long as every third week. Needless to say, when I am running the show I pray for lots of rain!

First you have to load the wheelbarrow with the pump, however much hose you need to connect from the water level to the black pipe, preassure valve so the back preassure doesn't blow out the footvalve, the intake hose with the footvalve, a bucket for the intake hose, misc tools and last but not least your waders. I also bring hearing protecters, bug dope, tea when it is cold, a book or some knitting and my watch. When there is lots of water to pump you also have to bring a can of gas. Then you get to push all this down the hill. there is one part that is so steep you have to put the back of the wheelbarrow down on the ground and slide down. When you get to the lake you push the wheelbarrow into the lake, string the hose, lock in the intake hose, prime the pump and away you go. This new Honda pump almost always starts with the first pull, not like some of the others we've had over the years.

Now the boring part-sitting there for a couple of hours. One day two years ago I was sitting there staring into space when I thought I saw a log with a couple of branches on one end floating around the White Rock, a huge Glacial erratic just off the shore. Then it turned around and I saw that it was a moose. It zeroed in on the pump sound and started swimming right toward me. Great. I called my dog and told her to lay down and quiet. When the moose was hauling out I stood up and yelled at it, luckily it ran off down the shore. They like to stomp on dogs so I was glad she left!

Once the pool is full you get to do the worst part, getting back up that hill. I usually rest twice, hey, I'm not in a hurry. When you come to the steep part you have to go up as far as you can then turn the wheelbarrow around and pull it up in spurts. I always am happy when I get back and put all my gear away and see I have lots of water for my garden.

These photos were taken on Friday, the first calm day in about a month. It was drizzling rain and cold. Not nice!!