Tanks for the memories

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

W. H. Auden

Now that the gardening season is up and running, our thoughts turn to watering.  When we purchased this house we were amazed at the three giant 20000 litre tanks under the house, connected by a maze of pipes and with three pumps servicing the house.  We were assured about how well designed the whole thing was, and how wonderful the water security for house, garden and firefighting.  In fact, the system was very poorly designed (or implemented) and subsequent investigations revealed the following weirdness:

Some obvious problems here!

1. The bore water and rain water are not separated but mixed.  Consequences include a rusty hydronic heating system and mineralised water being used for human consumption.
2. All domestic water from only a single tank, no access to any other tank.
3. Garden being fed by rainwater mixed with bore water!
4. Bore pump had no feedback loop and thus needed to be manually turned on until overflow of mixed tank was detected.

Crazy crazy stuff.  So $6000 later and here is the new system:

So now rainwater fills two tanks, both of which are accessible for domestic supply.  The bore pump is on a feedback loop that means the pump only turns on when the bore tank is low.  Bore water supplies the garden and firefighting only.  Rainwater supplies domestic and can supply firefighting together with bore water if required.  An extra pump ensures the garden is fed from the bore water tank.

Next on the list is to check out the quality of the bore water.  It is from 300m below the surface so that should be most interesting.  The final system should be up and running later this week so we'll let you know how it all runs!

Take care and enjoy a nice glass of pure water as we hope to soon...

Peas release me - legu me go...

Gardening requires lots of water — most of it in the form of perspiration.

Lou Erickson

From tiny acorns do mighty oaks grow...well, peas in this case...

Another rambling visit to Bunnings sees a few more gardening projects underway.  Some digging, some weeding and the worm farm delivers it first worm tea for the plants.

We also took in another load of wood today.  The electricity bill arrived to gasps of horror this week, particularly as we have hot water from a heat exchanger and a solar collector, as well as power from solar cells.  Also, we are only two peeps now, not four.  So we need to track down what is causing the erg leak.  Of course Aurora Energy were very unhelpful - it's in their interests that we spend up big time - someone should sit them down to watch Star Wars:

Governor Tarkin: Princess Leia, before your execution, I'd like you to join me for a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now.

Princess Leia: The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.

Y'all take good care...

Polling day?

The pollen count, now that's a difficult job. Especially if you've got hay fever.

Milton Jones

Spring is springing we think - or maybe just wishful thinking.  Oskar has decided that it is definitely spring, and he is hilariously moulting from around his ruff, making him look like a seedy old man wearing a shabby coat way past its use-by date.

Its lighter in the morning and even after school now we get time to chop wood, walk dogs and start a fire all by daylight - not the case a few weeks ago.

There are more buds about - and we are thinking about having our first official day in the garden.  To be honest we really enjoy reading gardening books...er, as opposed to actually gardening.  That's gotta change soon.

Counting pollen with Jess for company

The darling buds of...August?

Misty Sunday

“Trying to remember a dream from a decade ago is like trying to catch fog in a coffee filter. I could subsist on morning mist.” 

Jarod Kintz

On the way to church this morning I snapped an industrious arachnid who greeted the misty morning with a pretty good web too lovely to pass by without recording its beauty.  I don't like spiders, but this one does good work!

Nice geometry for a tiny brain to make!

Kym didn't make it this morning as she is still riding the coughing wave that has plagued this home for five weeks now (!).  The locals say it is our "Welcome to Tasmania" virus.  Really a gift basket or scratchie would have been fine.

Due to this induced and unwelcome lethargy no gardening has been done.  It will need to be soon because we see buds and wattle everywhere.  The weather has turned at last and indeed the Italian Princess went out for a light thrashing down the mountain yesterday - she's a beaut that thing.  Five weeks off and still fits like a glove.

Maybe next weekend for the green thumbs to get going?  We'll keep you in the loop...