Hummingbirds, Salamanders, and the Reality of Rural Living

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we personally use, have purchased, or believe provide value.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Today started quietly at Memory Lane.

Before I even got out of bed, the hummingbirds were already having breakfast.

Looking out the camper window, I watched one of the ruby throated hummingbirds feeding from the window feeder just a few feet away. One of the things I've really enjoyed about these feeders is how close the birds are willing to get. Sitting inside and watching hummingbirds hover outside the window is a pretty nice way to start the day.

When I finally made it outside, I found a tent caterpillar crawling around near the camper.

It seems like every day lately brings a new wildlife sighting.

Buy the feeder on Amazon https://amzn.to/3POCxVy

Checking on the Garden 🌱

Before heading out for the day, I watered the garden and checked on all the plants.

The recent rain has done wonders.

Everything looked healthy, green, and full of life. The tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, fruit trees, and other plants were standing tall and looking better than ever.

For the first time, the garden is really starting to feel like a garden.

While working in the area, I also checked on a small asparagus plant I decided to try saving.

While tilling the garden over the last few days, I found a piece of asparagus growing in an area that was being worked under. Rather than let it get destroyed, I put it into a cup of water and am hoping it develops roots.

If it does, I'll transplant it into the garden and see what happens.

Sometimes half the fun around here is experimenting.

Wyatt's Social Calendar 🐾

One thing I've been thinking about lately is Wyatt's social life.

Since adopting him last November, I really don't know how much interaction he had with other dogs before coming home with us.

The last time I took him to a dog park was a few weeks ago. He met a couple of dogs, but the interactions were brief.

Today I decided to take him to the Stamford Dog Park.

Unfortunately, nobody else showed up.

The dog park itself is a nice little fenced area, but without any other dogs there wasn't much opportunity for socializing.

My hope is that being a Saturday tomorrow, there may be more activity if we try again.

Back to the Bunkhouse 🚰

After leaving the dog park, Wyatt and I headed back to Memory Lane.

I made some lunch and then crawled back underneath the bunkhouse to continue investigating the plumbing leak.

This time I finally located the source of the problem.

At some point either the polybutylene pipe disconnected from a fitting or the fitting itself failed. I didn't investigate further because everything underneath the house was wet and muddy, and honestly there wasn't much point until I had repair materials on hand anyway.

At this stage, the smarter move seemed to be letting the area dry out while gathering everything I might need for the repair.

Since the plumbing system has likely been sitting for years, I fully expect there may be additional leaks once I repressurize the system again.

That meant I needed parts.

So I headed into town.

Buy a PEX crimp tool on Amazon https://amzn.to/49qEy0S

The Amazon Problem 📦

My experience seems to be the same no matter where I am.

Whether it's here at Memory Lane, my property in Florida, or almost anywhere else, the story always seems to go the same way:

You need something.

The local store doesn't have it.

Or they only have one.

Or the price is significantly higher than it should be.

Today was no different.

I was trying to gather enough fittings and repair materials to make multiple plumbing repairs because once I repressurize the system, I fully expect to discover additional leaks.

Unfortunately, the store only had a single fitting.

One.

At that point I decided it made more sense to order everything online and have it delivered.

This is why so many of us have a love hate relationship with Amazon.

We want to support local businesses.

But when fuel is expensive, stores are far apart, inventory is limited, and the prices are higher, convenience usually wins.

If I were actively living in the bunkhouse and needed water restored immediately, I would have gone to every store I could find until I got what I needed.

But for this project there is no emergency.

The repair can wait a few days.

Looking Glass Pond 🏞️

After striking out on plumbing parts, Wyatt and I decided to salvage the afternoon and head over to Looking Glass Pond in Burnt Rossman Hills State Forest.

We are incredibly fortunate that this beautiful location is only about two miles from Memory Lane.

Before heading into the woods, I sprayed my clothes with Permethrin as usual and made sure Wyatt was fully protected as well.

Ticks are simply a fact of life around here, and prevention has become part of our routine whenever we're spending time outdoors.

Looking Glass Pond sits within more than 10,000 acres of state forest and offers hiking trails, fishing access, wildlife viewing, and some absolutely beautiful scenery.

We spent close to an hour there.

Wyatt ran off leash, played in the water, explored the shoreline, and followed me through part of the wooded trail system.

I think he enjoyed that far more than sitting inside a fenced dog park.

One thing that surprised me was the number of salamanders we spotted swimming near the shoreline.

Once I started looking closely, they seemed to be everywhere.

Between the pond, the woods, the wildlife, and the peaceful setting, it is easy to understand why people love this area.

The fact that it is practically in our backyard makes it even better.

A Perfect Upstate New York Day ☀️

The weather today was about as close to perfect as you could ask for.

From the time I got up until late this afternoon, the skies stayed clear, the sun was out, and the temperature hovered around 64 degrees.

Not too hot.

Not too cold.

Just comfortable.

After several days of rain and cooler weather, it felt good to spend the day outside without constantly watching the sky or worrying about getting soaked.

Between the sunshine, Looking Glass Pond, the hummingbirds, and everything in the garden thriving, it was one of those days that reminds you why people love this part of New York.

Buy Wyatts harness on Amazon https://amzn.to/4dDGNjN

Bath Time 🛁

After spending time at Looking Glass Pond, Wyatt was definitely due for a bath.

He didn't hate it.

He didn't enjoy it either.

But he was a very good boy throughout the entire process.

Afterward, he spent the afternoon drying off in his robe and enjoying a well deserved nap.

Buy Wyatts robe on Amazon https://amzn.to/4ecLX6v

The Least Glamorous Part of Camping 🚽

With Wyatt cleaned up, it was time to tackle one of the least exciting parts of RV ownership.

The black tank needed to be emptied.

This is probably the least exciting part of camping.

When I first arrived at Memory Lane, I would dump into a portable waste tote and then pull the tote uphill with the truck before using a macerator pump to move the waste into the bunkhouse sewer line that feeds the septic system.

The septic is roughly 30 to 40 feet away and about 8 feet higher than the camper.

My hope was that a macerator pump would eliminate the need to use the tote entirely.

The pump claims it can pump up to 10 feet.

The question is whether that means 10 feet vertically or simply 10 feet of total lift.

Today I attempted once again to pump directly from the camper into the septic line.

It didn't go well.

I could hear liquid moving through the line, but it didn't appear to be moving enough waste to properly empty the tank.

After fighting with it for 20 to 30 minutes, I pulled the tote over and dumped into it instead.

A significant amount of waste and water came out immediately.

That pretty much confirmed my suspicion that the pump simply isn't capable of handling my particular setup.

At this point, I would rate the macerator pump a 3.5 out of 10.

If I didn't have the tote, the rating would probably be even lower.

The pump still has value because it helps me empty the tote into the septic system, but it absolutely does not perform the way I hoped it would.

Buy the macerator pump on Amazon https://amzn.to/4dQ1mIC

Well Maintenance Day 💧

After dealing with the black tank, I finally tackled another project that has been on my list since arriving at Memory Lane.

The well needed to be disinfected.

The well tested clean for bacteria, but there is some black slime buildup that is commonly associated with iron bacteria.

It isn't considered dangerous, but it can clog filters and create maintenance issues.

Normally I would use a full gallon of unscented bleach.

Today I only had about half a gallon available, so that's what I used.

I poured the bleach into the well and then circulated water back into the well casing using a garden hose to mix everything thoroughly.

While the well was cycling, I used the truck to pull the waste tote up the hill and then used the same macerator pump to empty the tote into the bunkhouse sewer line and ultimately into the septic system.

Ironically, the pump seems to work much better in that role than it does trying to pump directly from the camper.

Once the well had finished cycling, I connected the water system back to the motorhome and pushed the chlorinated water through all of the plumbing lines.

Unfortunately, by the end of the evening the water still wasn't completely clear.

That is actually one of the reasons I waited until my partner went downstate before treating the well.

Any man knows there are certain projects that are best tackled when they only inconvenience you.

Temporarily turning the water questionable and potentially affecting someone's ability to take a shower definitely falls into that category. 😄

I'll likely repeat the process again in a few weeks with a full gallon of bleach to make sure the iron slime is completely under control.

The Evening Patrol 🚶🐾

As always, Wyatt and I made our 7 PM patrol up Memory Lane.

The evening was quiet, the weather remained perfect, and the property looked beautiful in the fading light.

On our way back, we stopped by the main house and picked up an Amazon package that had arrived earlier in the day.

Inside was a new drive belt for the mower.

Assuming the water situation is resolved, the mower may become tomorrow's project.

Then again, my mower repair guy is scheduled to come out in a few days, so he may beat me to it.

Either way, progress is progress.

Wrapping Up the Day 🔥

By the end of the evening, the campfire had burned down, the well treatment was complete, the garden was watered, the plumbing problem had been identified, the repair parts were on the way, and Wyatt had enjoyed what was probably the highlight of his day at Looking Glass Pond.

Not every day is filled with major accomplishments.

Sometimes the wins are small.

A hummingbird at the window.

A salamander swimming along the shoreline.

A dog enjoying a pond.

A garden full of healthy plants.

Or simply figuring out what needs to be fixed next.

Today was one of those days.

And honestly, those are often the best days at Memory Lane.