Water and other disasters

Hmm. A little backfill here. Yesterday was one of those days. It started in smallish hours when, just after I filled the kettle the pipe bringing water to the house burst. It is an old house and the demon rust at ground level had eaten through the steel pipe.

Now this is Australia, you're supposed to squall for a plumber. But um... it was Sunday and he wasn't answering. And the next nearest is a LONG flight away, assuming you get him on a plane, plus the cost of moving the tools. I do wonder at the people who make these rules. Should be that the silly bastards have to suffer the worst consequences they could inflict on the people whose lives they make difficult. I can just imagine some little politician sitting his house in some major city saying "What do you mean I can't have any water for two weeks and then it'll cost me a month's salary!" "Well, Sir, that's the time and cost to fly someone to Gogga-ping-pong Station." And him saying "But they fix it themselves." "You said they weren't allowed to, Sir. Oh and we must insist you drive 570km to fetch any water. Oh and as that would be their summer supply draining away, you'll have to do that for six months."
"That's ridiculous! Just stupid!"
"Yes Sir. That's what the people at Gogga-ping-pong think of your rule too."
Which is why the further you get from the cities the more people quietly ignore most of what is utterly without relevance outside those cities anyway. I did patch it up with some ag fittings and hot poly-pipe and hose clamps, and it is barely damp. It's not perfect and might lose oh... 5 ml a day into the ground - compared to no water in the house and 20 000 liters wasted. The plumber has promised he will come and do a proper job, really soon. And he may. Possibly in the next few weeks even. It did take the better part of the morning though. It was a hot humid day, and I really wanted a few more crayfish or at least an excuse to get wet, so Jamie got the boat trailer out... and it had a flat. So he tried to pump it up and the valve took off for Mars. So much surgery followed. Tire valve transplant... and we could have used anasthetic. Still, it got us there, we dived. I had a day of evasive crays, and tried to get 3 and caught one. I did find a cave I can find again, which is always good. I am scared of of them, but this is quite big.
And then we got back and had a flat tire again.

Today I drained the pond so the bird fountain could work properly - with a bucket. It must be about 1500 litres. Stupid obstinacy triumphs, and it is clean and refilled and Wednesday has her favorite summer swimming pool back, and the green Rosellas are washing their beaks and then their bottoms. (really. It's bizarre. And really really important to be first Rosella). I then carried a good 50kg of wallaby from the woolshed fridge to cut up. This is about 150 yards. And the trouble is there is nowhere to put them down to rest your hands. Did a bit of excercise today.


Barbs had hard day at the Surgery too, so we're both tired... And still need to prep for tomorrow.

We've had leftover pig for our Tea.

Turkey is thawing.

A merry and blessed Christmas to you all!