We get started

So now we had a property that we own and no one can take away from us (well, except for non payment of the $2.31 property tax). We realized when we bought it that there would be work to be done, but it was so cheap it left us with money to be able to do the work. We both put our notices in to work. Ray's last day was set for January 4 and mine for New Year's Eve (I just wanted to finish out 2007 at the clinic). January 5 we headed south.

The man we bought it from told us that he had just put a "new" pump in. It might have been a DIFFERENT pump but it has been decades since it was NEW. We connected power to the pump and watched the smoke pour out. It was fried.

Off Ray and his brother Jim go to the nearest Menard's 25 miles away to buy a new pump and while they were at it, a new tank. After much discussion they had the new stuff installed. Connected the power, and it immediately powered up and started pumping water - right onto the ground under the trailer through broken pipes. Another day of work got the pipes connected, but not until after Ray had one of the waste pipes break open on top of him. Wouldn't have been a problem except it was from the toilet we had been using and flushing with water we hauled in from Jim's house. YUK.

Finally we have running water. It's still COLD running water, though. Time to get the water heater going. Turns out the circuit marked WATER HEATER doesn't go to the water heater. Ray had to tear down the inside walls surrounding the water heater to get to it. We though we were going to have to buy a new heater but figured out that there was an unmarked 220 circuit that actually went to the water heater. It's a small one, 30 gallons, but at least we now have HOT running water! We can shower!