No water

Cliff was heading out yesterday afternoon to do some man-type shopping.  Even though I have cabin fever and haven't been out of the house for awhile, I decided not to go along.  
"This way, you can take your time and won't have to worry about me being bored."  
"Yeah," he said, "I'll cruise all the tractor lots while I'm out!"  

Half-an-hour later, I went to the kitchen sink to fill a little bucket with warm water for the chickens.  The stream of water coming from the faucet wasn't very big, and was getting smaller.  My past experience with our well told me to grab a container and save what water I could.  I managed to squeeze out a gallon before it stopped coming.  

My first thought was to let Cliff have his fun, and I'd tell him when he returned.  That way his whole day wouldn't be ruined.  But then I realized that we would need to get started on the problem as soon as possible, so I called him.  

Man, I hated to have to tell him the well was acting up.  It is the most depressing feeling in the world to have problems like that, especially in winter.  If it were summer, we could, with help from a few relatives, pull the pump and perhaps find the problem ourselves.  Winter makes things SO much more difficult.  Even as I type this, a cloud of depression takes hold of me anew.  

He was in Orscheln's when I called, and said he'd head home.  He checked the switch, which is about the only trouble-shooting we can do without pulling the pump.  Cliff said we'd have to pull the pump today, and I mentioned that the oldest grandson has Fridays off work.  

Then I said, "You know what?  It'll cost us a fortune, but let's call Bruce."  Bruce being the only person we know who tackles this kind of problem.  He has the equipment to pull the pump and the knowledge to fix any problem with a well.  We won't talk about the hundreds of dollars it's going to cost.I'm thankful we have a rainy-day fund, even though it's shrinking little by little.  Bruce does have to pay for his equipment, after all.  He's the one that will be out in the drizzle and cold.  He's the one who always gives priority to people with well problems, and reschedules other jobs to try and get someone's water running from the faucets again.  

I'm pretty sure the pump is good, because it isn't that old.  We're thinking the wiring may be the problem, because it wasn't looking so good when we put the new pump in; but it was Sunday and not convenient to go buy wire.  

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get along without water.  Rather than dirty up dishes, I opened a pint jar of home-canned applesauce.  We used paper plates, and each had two pieces of toast with a cup of applesauce.  For dinner, I got a freezer bag full of Thanksgiving turkey from the freezer.  I'll make turkey salad for sandwiches.  

The applesauce was a day-brightener:  There's just a good feeling I get when eating food in winter than I "put up" last summer.  I don't think a day goes by that we don't eat something I canned or froze from the garden and fruit trees:  Peaches or strawberries on our cereal, or as a dessert with a half-cup of ice cream.  Green beans at least once a week.  Canned tomatoes are a key ingredient in so many of my recipes.  We often have my home-processed tomato juice as a mid-morning refreshment.  

No matter what goes awry on the property, we'll have plenty to eat.