Forever House #28

Jeff and Donna relaxing by candle light on the front deck

Saturday 28th September, 2013
Here we are Jeff and I, on the front verandah of the Forever House - both showered (of a fashion) and having eaten heated up vegetable lasagna brought from home. It's 7.45 pm. When we arrived at 1pm, Dave was here, almost finished re-attaching the guttering to the humpy. He hasn't been here for a while - very busy picking avocados locally. I am very glad Dave and Jeff are here this weekend to get the water collection situation sorted out. It's getting dry and the fire season is fast approaching if not already here. I have been wanting to sort the water out and this weekend is the moment.  

humpy guttering doing its job now

Tank placed at southern corner of roof - May 2009

The Forever House has a skillion roof - all the water running towards the one low edge. Some years ago my brother in law (at the time) Andy attached  guttering to that seventeen metre long edge. The guttering falls from the centre towards each end. In May 2009, we placed a tank at the southern end of the house. That is the main tank from which household water will eventually be pumped. Currently, half our precious rainfall is being collected in that existing tank and it is full, while the other half of the rainfall runs like a waterfall onto the ground just in front of where Jeff and I now sit. Hence the extremely out of control lantana that was growing there until recently when Dave pulled it out - giving us back our distant view.

location marked out for new tank at western corner of roof

This weekend is about placing another tank at the western end of the roof - out of the line of sight when looking through the windows of the house, and set back from the verandah view. A pathway will run between tank and house and along the high side of the tank towards the mosaic shed. There will be room for a vehicle to pass down the other side of the tank. The newly placed tank will sit higher up the block than the existing tank so that a transfer pipe will allow water to gravity feed across when needed. The tap outlet will be close to the pathway beside the house.

By 4.30 this afternoon, Jeff, Dave and I impressed ourselves with our achievements - but all credit goes to darling Stan, and Daphne for releasing him for about an hour. After Jeff and I had marked out the 3400mm circle on the ground and started to pick, crowbar, hoe and shovel the ground - it took us a very short time, in the afternoon sun, to realise that digging the tank pad by hand was going to take forever if it didn't kill one of us first.

If looks could kill!

Stan had agreed to come put us out of our misery

Level pad ready for sand and finally tank

Jeff was huffing and puffing whilst periodically glaring at me. I was blood red in the face, willing the western sun to drop behind the tree, and trying to convince him and myself that we'd have it done in no time. We both knew Stan and his four-in-one tractor were just across the river and would be able to knock the job over in a very short time... But, I hadn't forewarned Stan and I know he and Daphne have so much work of their own to do... Eventually though, I could see that if we wanted to get the job done over the weekend we really did have to go and ask Stan if he would help. And thank you from the bottom of our hearts Stan (and Daph and that flash red tractor) for dropping everything and coming to our rescue. By 4,38pm we had worked that pad into a level stamped hard base ready for Sunday morning. Dave and Jeff earned their icy cold Coopers Pale Ales.