October haunts

Big dig

October has been a more eventful month than anyone would ever wish.

On Oct. 14, I tripped on a rumpled runner rug and lurched into the adjacent grandfather clock’s glass door panel, which shattered causing serious cuts to my face. Hosptial. Stitches. Then, the friend who volunteered so kindly to fetch me home from the hospital, was involved in a terrible vehicle crash. She remains in the hospital with multiple injuries.

I returned home, with a lift from other friends, in time to witness the excavation and rebuilding of a septic system. For the first 11-plus years we lived in Pinesol, the household effluvient was managed by a system that turned out to be antique and well off code requirements. (Hey, this is Pinesol.) It consisted of a cess pool buried in the east yard with a natural gravity trickle through the soil. No pipes or regular drain field. The laundry water went via underground pipe into the right-of-way ditch.

This summer, the sysem became a problem. The more-than-verdant drainage area became mushy, a haven for frogs during the dry weather. Then, flushing became problematical. Pumping the stuff out helped for a few months, but the tank filled up again. The verdict – the system was worn out.

So, a new system was in order. An engineer came out, made soil borings and found a nice sandy area for a new drain field, albeit upland from where the septic tank had to go. Hence, an electric pump to give stuff a boost.

Last Monday, Sparky and company arrived with a crew and major digging gear to remove to old cess pool tank, put in a new septic tank and grade and gravel a drain field. The crew accomplished the project in one day, including spreading the excess gravel on the driveway. The septic system was Doug and my 43rd anniversary present to each other – not very romantic, but something we’ll enjoy every day.

Meanwhile, I bought a new car at Dondalinger’s to replace the wrecked 2000 Dodge van. It’s a 2006 Chev. Uplander van. Very nice. The dog is still getting used to the seat configuration.

Let’s hope November is uneventful.