tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post5069416107920428804..comments2023-05-02T12:33:58.182+01:00Comments on Perpetually In Transit: The joys of country livingPerpetuahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-62177552932600565082013-10-20T12:04:05.954+01:002013-10-20T12:04:05.954+01:00Rosemary, I sometimes think the chance of a dull l...Rosemary, I sometimes think the chance of a dull life would be a fine thing. :-) To be honest i take the water for granted too, until it isn't there.<br /><br />DH is doing very well now, thanks, and my cataract operation has been rescheduled for November 5th, which is only just over a fortnight away. Soon be done and (hopefully) dusted.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-46200946783330160592013-10-20T11:13:35.083+01:002013-10-20T11:13:35.083+01:00Dear Perpetua - there is never a dull moment for y...Dear Perpetua - there is never a dull moment for you - something usually crops up to keep you forever young. <br />Do hope that DH is making good progress, and that everything is now on course for your eye surgery.<br />I do realise now that I take my running water rather for granted.Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814070177137076757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-86387288560685838842013-10-19T16:14:44.888+01:002013-10-19T16:14:44.888+01:00LOL, Antoinette! Talk about a Freudian slip.... I...LOL, Antoinette! Talk about a Freudian slip.... I may keep that for the title of a future post. :-)<br /><br />We're on mains in France too, being not far outside the bourg, and I've yet to meet anyone in our area who relies on a private water supply. We have a well in the garden, but it was capped off when the mains came and now we couldn't use it anyway, because it's too close to the fosse septique. All that free water for the garden, Sigh....<br /><br />Because we're in France only in the summer, our electricity supply has always been OK except when we have the occasional thunderstorm, but I guess it could prove to be less reliable if we were there year-round.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-64813888688567890152013-10-19T15:09:39.127+01:002013-10-19T15:09:39.127+01:00Typo!
Though out in the country ....Typo!<br /><br />Though out in the country ....Niall & Antoinettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-88302732641843112852013-10-19T15:08:32.396+01:002013-10-19T15:08:32.396+01:00Tough out in the country we're on mains and so...Tough out in the country we're on mains and so far it has always flowed freely. there is a good well we could tap in times of utter emergencies but we'd have to get the kit to pump the water up.<br /><br />Our electric supply is a little more erratic! Every so often EDF/ERDF do switch it off for several hours at a time without telling us so you have to phone a number to check whether it is a planned 'rupture' or not. Niall & Antoinettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-13716766896425217382013-10-19T12:34:13.374+01:002013-10-19T12:34:13.374+01:00You're absolutely right, Annie. No-one would w...You're absolutely right, Annie. No-one would want the problems Ayak has had recently with water. At least we don't live in a hot climate and this time the difficulty was quickly solved. We're lucky to have a very stable electricity supply and I can't remember the last time we had a power cut here in Wales. Your problems when the power goes off make me grateful that our water tank is gravity-fed, even if it does mean horribly low water pressure.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-35412942009618533272013-10-19T00:08:03.413+01:002013-10-19T00:08:03.413+01:00Janice and Ayak beat me to it - but I too thought ...Janice and Ayak beat me to it - but I too thought of the difficulties Ayak had recently without water. I'm sure she wouldn't wish that on anyone! So glad yours came back quickly. If we lose electricity - which we do quite regularly but not for long - we lose the water too as it's pumped into the house. We do have a big tank but when the electric is off, we have to go outside with our buckets to bring it in manually. Luckily for us, the children are big enough to help! All makes for an unboring life...:-) AxxxArtyZenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12628693178003940118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-29407890090324208822013-10-18T18:21:27.514+01:002013-10-18T18:21:27.514+01:00I thought of Ayak when i watched the tap run dry, ...I thought of Ayak when i watched the tap run dry, Janice. :-) Luckily for us the water was only off for hours, not weeks. I love the thought of your local water board meetings, well lubricated with wine, making surte that your shared supply worked well for everyone. That's real local community co-operation.<br /><br />We're on an excellent mains supply in both Scotland and France and have only once had a short interruption to our supply in France, which was notified to everyone by letter, as our tiny commune doesn't run to a loudspeaker communication system and in any case our house is outside the bourg. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-83570839348125917712013-10-18T18:15:07.759+01:002013-10-18T18:15:07.759+01:00Not half as pleased as we are, Ayak.:-) We've ...Not half as pleased as we are, Ayak.:-) We've had long periods without water on two or three occasions in the past, once (in 1976) for literally months because of severe drought and a couple of times for a week or two because of frozen pipes in prolonged cold weather.<br /><br />It's good to see you safely back after your trip and yes, things are going much better for us, thanks.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-48913538027669014772013-10-18T18:11:02.508+01:002013-10-18T18:11:02.508+01:00We obviously share a sense of humour, Sally, and I...We obviously share a sense of humour, Sally, and I find it makes almost any problem easier to cope with if one can find something funny in it, even the water pipe running dry. Luckily DH and I are used to dealing with this after nearly 40 years here, and we're not alone as all our neighbours up in the hills here rely on their own water supply from well or borehole and we can always find help if we really need it.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-6139094484660996272013-10-18T09:55:48.535+01:002013-10-18T09:55:48.535+01:00I did think of Ayak when I stared to read this pos...I did think of Ayak when I stared to read this post P. Glad it is sorted. When we lived in Mankinholes, although we had a septic tank and were not on mains water, our supply was from a spring in the hills, and our water board ( made up of the 14 householders in the village) met regularly to discuss pipe maintenance and holding tank clearance. ( We also drank a considerable amount of wine at these so called board meetings ). Mains water, here in France, gets turned off periodically, and I can never understand the wind distorted village announcements warning us of these happenings.....but so far, unlike with Ayak, it has only ever been turned off for a few hours at a time. Hope DH is doing well. J.Janicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05449652020751269674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-32235554542456963382013-10-18T05:03:57.064+01:002013-10-18T05:03:57.064+01:00What a relief! I'm pleased you didn't hav...What a relief! I'm pleased you didn't have to go through my recent experience of being almost three weeks without water!<br /><br />Just catching up with blogs Perpetua, and hope you and your husband are doing well. Glad to see you have a rescheduled date for your op. xxAyakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16903896106779269050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-20859224007431942742013-10-17T23:42:18.244+01:002013-10-17T23:42:18.244+01:00I love this video too! I think you have a great s...I love this video too! I think you have a great sense of humor to add this. <br /><br />Lack of water is not laughing matter. I'm afraid I am very spoiled. I never have to worry about having a water supply. I would not like that at all if I suddenly had to haul water or even depend on a well. I hope things continue to flow...Sally Wesselyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06470453773515491625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-36598295647078085632013-10-17T23:02:30.642+01:002013-10-17T23:02:30.642+01:00So am I, Annie. I'm too old to be carrying wat...So am I, Annie. I'm too old to be carrying water. :-) We can go years together with the water coming merrily, if rather slowly, through the pipe and then something like this happens to remind us to be careful.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-85342590031054607102013-10-17T23:00:28.870+01:002013-10-17T23:00:28.870+01:00Glad you enjoyed it, Dee. It was new to me too, th...Glad you enjoyed it, Dee. It was new to me too, though I've liked Otis Redding for many years.<br /><br />It sounds like a lot of us who grew up in the country in the first half of the 20th century had this kind of local water supply, both in the UK and US. At least anything that lived in our well water wasn't visible to the naked eye and as your mother used to say, it gives you wonderful resistance to many microbes. We used to say that to our children too. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-14036486010977527752013-10-17T22:55:50.930+01:002013-10-17T22:55:50.930+01:00Oh wow, Molly, that doesn't sound wonderful. O...Oh wow, Molly, that doesn't sound wonderful. Our well water is high in manganese, as is most ground source water in North Powys, and turns the inside of the kettle black, but at least it doesn't smell and the water tastes fine. Perhaps we should stick to our well after all.....Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-33799530603941979342013-10-17T20:31:02.895+01:002013-10-17T20:31:02.895+01:00I spent a summer as a student in a place with a ve...I spent a summer as a student in a place with a very sketchy water supply and I was mighty glad to get back to a piped water supply. Needless to say I really don't take my ready access to water for granted. So glad things resolved themselves for you :)Annie Cholewahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608057589525908147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-4033881912553816122013-10-17T20:21:43.340+01:002013-10-17T20:21:43.340+01:00Dear Perpetua, thanks so much for the soul song. I...Dear Perpetua, thanks so much for the soul song. I'd never heard it before and the music makes me want to move my body to a beat that's like my own heart. <br /><br />As to water: I grew up on a farm and we had a cistern. We pumped all our water into buckets and carried them into the house for washing dishes and clothes and for drinking and cooking.<br /><br />When the water in the well got low, we'd know it because tiny eel-like creatures--iotas really--swam in the buckets. Then Mom called the water company and a man would come out in a vehicle that was tank shaped and he'd empty the water into the well until the next time it ran low.<br /><br />Mom used to say that she never worried about our immune systems after we'd grown up drining that water with all those "microbes" in it! Peace. Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-14197793749259934612013-10-17T19:11:51.045+01:002013-10-17T19:11:51.045+01:00We previously relied on a well in our neighbour...We previously relied on a well in our neighbour's field and then had a borehole sunk in our own garden in 1995, thinking it would be everything wonderful. With the first whoosh of water there was a strong smell of sulphur (rotten eggs). The man said that it would probably clear if we pumped continuously for several days. It didn't! It still hasn't. We have two filters which it passes through. We have to go up into the attic to clean the water tanks out four or five times during the year - they get a yuccy slimey white jelly-like substance on the top of the water (very off-putting). The pump works on electricity. Sometimes the trip (or power) goes off and you don't realise until the tank is empty. But saying all that - yes, it is good as a whole and I too am very grateful for water.Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08604864977387798470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-66326728821522884582013-10-17T12:36:26.710+01:002013-10-17T12:36:26.710+01:00Oh, we have one of those too, MM, though it has on...Oh, we have one of those too, MM, though it has only blocked once in recent years - very spectacularly. :-) I don't envy you repeated blockages. Isn't life complicated sometimes?Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-64383758181374550192013-10-17T12:03:26.273+01:002013-10-17T12:03:26.273+01:00I'll swap for the sewage pipe that gets blocke...I'll swap for the sewage pipe that gets blocked at my house, If you like :-) I'm glad that the well is well again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-65291570632362127432013-10-16T21:59:43.430+01:002013-10-16T21:59:43.430+01:00Thanks, DB. With not only a castle but almost an e...Thanks, DB. With not only a castle but almost an entire estate to keep supplied with water from springs and other natural sources, you must know intimately the problems that can occur. Mostly, of course, everything works as it should, but with frost or drought or mechanical failure always a potential threat in their turn, life is never dull or totally predictable. :-)Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-52209570304991099442013-10-16T21:01:54.894+01:002013-10-16T21:01:54.894+01:00I do feel for you, Perpetua. Thank goodness the pr...I do feel for you, Perpetua. Thank goodness the problem solved itself this time! We are responsible for the water supplies of many of our scattered neighbours on the estate, and I can confidently say that the biggest headaches for our hard-working clerk of works are almost inevitably caused by problems with water. Our own spring has been supplying the castle for over 6 centuries, as far as I know - but I never take it for granted...!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-43122387456441149482013-10-16T18:53:13.761+01:002013-10-16T18:53:13.761+01:00That had me chortling, Molly. :-) I'm interes...That had me chortling, Molly. :-) I'm interested to hear that your borehole can be temperamental too, as i always thought they were much more reliable than wells. We've sometimes thought of having a borehole sunk, but the cost is off-putting, so we're sticking with our well., as long as it keeps trickling - with help. Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3705825161954545710.post-29080541043439945642013-10-16T18:49:52.408+01:002013-10-16T18:49:52.408+01:00Gosh, well water so close to the city, Penny! That...Gosh, well water so close to the city, Penny! That does surprise me. You certainly qualify as a country girl in that case. :-) Yes, thankfully the water is trickling merrily into and out of the tank as usual. Glad you enjoyed the song.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.com