Last week,
the tank that holds the water that the pump pumps from the well over
at the shop failed. Meaning that some seal at the bottom of the
upright tank gave way and was spewing water out into the yard.
The shop
is on city water, having converted over at the same time as our house
did (before we bought it) when the city was putting in water pipes
for hydrants of which there is one across the street from our
driveway. There might be one more house on city water on the street
but everyone else relies on their well. The well and the pump and
the water tank were still there and, as far as we knew, functional,
so we turned the pump back on thinking we would use the water for the
garden and it has held for a year.
We have no
idea how long it was spewing water, couldn't have been more than a
day or two, but now the pump is off again. It's an old well and all
kinds of things go wrong or deteriorate or erode so I'm not sure we
will do anything about it. We'll see.
Anyway, I
was working in the shop and Marc walked back there to check it out
now that the standing water had soaked in. Next thing he was back
bent over, pale, hand on heart; just call the ambulance now, he says.
He had a close encounter with a 'brightly' colored snake about 20”
long, slithered over his sandal clad foot. First snake sighting of
the year! When I quizzed him about it he said he and it were going
in opposite directions as fast as they could so he didn't get a good
look. It was probably a coral snake, very venomous (but little bitty
mouths) and very shy, they would rather run away. They feed during
the day as opposed to other snakes that mostly hunt at night. He
liked to have had a heart attack.
Needless
to say he never made it back to the tank for a look.
oh, close call! after your copperhead encounter a year ago, YIKES!
ReplyDeleteHeart stopping, I agree. We're limited to copperheads and rattlesnakes, and that's enough. When we were growing up the rule was leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Sounds like both the coral snake and Marc were attempting to put that into action.
ReplyDeleteI guess there are those times in our lives when a near-heart attack would be welcomed when balanced against a snake bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they both went their separate ways.
I have a live and let live policy with snakes; I leave them alone and they leave me alone.
ReplyDeleteThe closest I ever came to stepping on a coral snake was in Mexico in the Yucatan at the Coba site. Luckily, I did not step on it which would have given it permission to bite me.
ReplyDeleteWater.
Snakes.
We live parallel lives.
Yikes! Could it have been a king snake? Yeah, I'd just leave that pump turned off if that's an option!
ReplyDeleteI have went from rural back to the well.The expense made it more reasonable.
ReplyDeleteJust reading about it gave me a start. Glad there was no need for the ambulance. Maybe he can check out the tank once the ground is fully dry.
ReplyDeleteOh my, a venomous snake in the yard. I would sell the house and move.
ReplyDeletewhen we first moved here a decade ago, we switched over to city water. We kept well water for watering. It worked out well cuz it tasted horrible.
ReplyDeleteOh stars.....just reading this gave me the willys
ReplyDeleteYEAH --Just seeing it and I would have been a goner.
ReplyDeleteI would move immediately...
ReplyDeleteExcitement can be rather terrifying. Oh my goodness in short parts and open-toe shoes! I cringed so hard when you described the slithering bit, that my Piano Man had to read what I was reading!
ReplyDeleteI've never even seen a poisonous snake here, and Peggy has only seen one--a rattler--although we've spend a lot of time in the woods and desert.
ReplyDelete