Flush!

It was 20 degrees this morning. I decided I would not be working on the septic drain, splashing around in a ditch of freezing water.

We are doing chores a bit later now, going out around 7:00 in the mornings. The temperature was up to 25 when the children and I went out, but it had climbed to 32 by the time we came in. The sun’s rays felt much warmer, though.

I told the children if they would run, their toes would warm up. So they walked their goats out to the field, then ran back to the barn. That way they stay pretty roasty in their wraps.

After milking, I ran three liters of hot water into a bucket and added a kilo of soda cáustica, which is some acid-like product for opening blocked drains. I’d gotten it from Rafael. I took the bucket out to the milking pen to pour down the drain.

A couple days ago that drain had shoved up a plug of dirt several inches long. Last night we’d used the tub. After letting the tub water out, the same drain pushed out another plug of dirt, some plastic bags, assorted rags or hankies, a six-inch piece of wood, and sundry other items.

Unfortunately, that hadn’t opened up the drain out to the ditch. I wanted to pour the soda cáustica in to help break down whatever was left so it would be primed for breaking up with the pipes later.

Walking the bucket of water out to the pen, I could hear the potion bubbling slightly. The mixture gives off a terrible odor, caustic really. I had a stick to mix the stuff up before pouring it. I barely got a single stir in when the stuff fairly exploded!

Apparently, it reacts to water and maybe to air and possibly to agitation. That’s my scientific conclusion. The temperature of the water rose incredibly. Some sloshed and flew into the air and onto my hand. Ouch.

It felt like I literally had boiling acid on my hand! I told a friend that, but they apparently didn’t believe me. They said it sounded like a lye to them.

I did some office work after devotions, allowing the sun to do his work. Dane and I went out to the ditch before lunch. I added a fifteen-foot pipe to the three already in the drain. No obstruction met in the drain pipe.

So I added another section of pipe. Nothing. I added my third and last stick of pipe. I met no blockage until I had just a few feet left. I shoved and shoved and shoved and–Whoosh!

I could hear the air rushing the hundred feet down the drain ahead of the water. Then the air was filled with the smell of success! We have a functioning septic again.

Now we need to do a thorough cleaning of the downstairs bathroom. There have been several… incidents… in the past week, incidents in which the waste water that belonged out in the septic drain decided to sneak out of the shower and toilet in an attempt to explore our house.

No visitors for Bear!