A TURD of a Day, With a Pretty Good Ending

Some days are like that even on the farm where most days are happy days even when there is a lot of work.

Today started out fine… I woke up at 9:30a. That was a good start… Any day waking up is a blessing.

Then I laid in bed for a while and called the tractor service shop to see what they discovered about the regen issue. I probably should have waited until Monday.

Luckily my hummingbird friends were there to brighten my morning.

They said there is an issue with an injector not firing and the cost was pretty high. I called my cousin and we both agreed that this should have been disclosed by the seller. I spoke with the shop and they agreed that the computer says this has been an issue for some time. So I reached out to the seller and am waiting to see what he is willing to do.

Then I headed to town to get a belt for the mower. On my way back I checked the mail and the tensioner spring for the mower also came. That was a win I guess. But comparing the old spring to the new spring they look a bit different. The length is the same but the new spring is a bit thinner and the hooks on each end are smaller. I hope it works. I guess we will see.

Then I headed to the camper to dump the black tank. My partner may come on Monday with her cousin, so I wanted to make sure the tank was clear. When I dump the black tank I have to dump into a tote then use a macerator pump to pump into the septic.

Right away I had a problem. The wire for the pump stopped working the last time I dumped it. There is a little spring loaded connector on the end of the wire that failed.

Two weeks ago, I went to Tractor Supply and bought a replacement wire. Today I looked everywhere and could not find it. Not wanting to leave a full tote, I headed back to Tractor Supply for another wire.

I hooked it up and off to the races… for about a minute. Then nothing.

I pulled the fuse and it was blown. So, I headed back to the camper for a replacement. My huge box of fuses is nowhere to be found.

Now, frustrated and tired, I took the old, damaged wire and cut the damaged end off. I spliced the wire back together and connected it to the pump and a 12v battery. Off to the races again…

I headed into the bunkhouse to make sure the sewage wasn’t backing up into the house, causing the water damage to the floor. It wasn’t… I guess that was another win.

I put a test plug in the master bathroom toilet drain to keep anything from falling in or anything from coming out…

I went to put a plug in the second bathroom and that drain is smaller. Go figure.

The macerator pump was still pumping. Then nothing.

I checked everything and it seems the pump may be jammed or may be completely dead. I wasn’t sure and I didn’t have the energy to deal with it at the moment.

Then I headed to the little garden and noticed the hose for the garden was leaking, I tried tightening the connection, nothing. I tried adding some Teflon Tape, nothing. Then the whole connector came loose and water was just running out. Time to disconnect that. I can’t fix that today. I am not sure that is even repairable. Why would they make that plastic?

Done…

Not quite…

I headed back to the black waste tote at the back of the bunkhouse. I pulled the macerator pump off and inspected the impeller. Yep, there is something stuck in there. We only use Scott rapid dissolving paper, and this feels more like cloth. Could it be wipes? We don’t use them in the bathroom, and I certainly don’t put them in the toilet.

I tried pulling it out… Oh I guess this is a GREAT time to mention I always wear rubber gloves…. Whatever it was, it wasn’t budging. Then it ripped and yes, I wore it…

I am glad this is not something that triggers a gag reflex for me. But let’s be clear, plumbers deserve whatever they charge.

I fought with it a little more and it will not come out. I may have to disassemble the whole pump to free it.

Now I am wondering if the toilet paper is actually dissolving? I ran a test tonight. Some clean toilet paper in a cup of water. I may have to find another brand. Could the black tank treatments be causing the paper to hold up better? Maybe I need a control and a couple of cups with a few treatments?

Wait I think I saw this done before, yep here is the video...

Well now that the black tank was dumped and the tote was emptied, I took a well deserved shower (no photos for you), put on some fresh clothes and made a fire.

After sitting by the fire for some time, I set out to make dinner. Sadly, I forgot to pick up a tomato today and never made it down to the garden to see if any are ripe. So no salad for me tonight, maybe tomorrow. Luckily, after not eating anything all day, I had a real treat for dinner. My partner left me frozen chicken enchiladas. Boy did they hit the spot today.

Then I headed back out to the fire for about 2 hours, just sitting and decompressing, finally feeling a little better after a rough middle of the day.

While sitting by the fire, I started hearing some gunshots, pretty loud like a large caliber rifle. Surprisingly, Wyatt perked up but didn’t run to go inside. Instead, he just stood up, came to me and sat close while I pet and praised him.

Eventually he laid down next to me.

Finally, it was time to go inside and get some rest.

~ Make Memories