Grace: Life lessons in septic systems, Part 3

In the midst of our doubts, we continued to look and learn. 

We visited this far-flung, wooded property in Franconia, skipped under the sugar maples, and fell in love.  We paid for five different inspectors to come- permaculture farming, dome doctor, plumbing, housing, and of course, well/septic.  Like new parents, we were delighted to find out that despite the frozen pipes, the place had good bones, a healthy well, a large modern septic system, and beautiful dirt.  

Giddy, we offered.  Shelley and Larry accepted, the banks signed off, and our dream began.

The wonderful attention to detail Larry and Shelley lavished on this place, which has a blog all its own, blessed us again.  Without having even enough foresight to know to ask, we learned at closing that they sold us a house with a fabulous, state-of-the-art, Eco-Smart Water Purification System which purifies the water for the whole house without using salt or any nasty chemicals.  Water is still minerally but tastes great.  

It is exactly what I would have chosen for myself if I had known then what I know now.  

Isn't that sheer grace?

There is no Away: Life lessons in septic systems, Part 2

When we took the University of Minnesota Extension's Living on the Land class two years ago this spring, the topic that I found most deeply disorienting was the one on wells and septic systems.  

Twenty plus years ago, I attended a motivational speech I'll never forget when my college first introduced recycling bins on campus.  Aside from returning glass bottles for change and smashing a few tin cans for my Grampa, I had never recycled.  I remember the professor talking about how we shouldn't mindlessly throw things away because there is no magical place named Away to throw them.  We should not simply pile them out of sight and hope they go Away.  

Nice speech.  I learned to recycle and reuse.  Heck, I lived in Minneapolis where we sorted into eight different groups of recycling at the alley.  There were always at least two containers in every public building- one for recycling and one for garbage.  Our neighborhood sorted and collected food for compost, too, so my kids and I knew to look for three cans and instructions before throwing anything Away.  There could be up to 5 different cans in some 'green' restaurants and more at the Wedge or Whole Foods for plastic bags, corks, plastic yogurt containers, etc.  

However, I still turned on the tap every day and the water magically appeared and then went Away.  Except now I dreamed of living in the country where, I was informed in class, I would be in charge of my own well and my own septic system. I received a septic system packet.  No one had given me a "Welcome to Minneapolis- here's how you operate city sewer and water" packet.  Now I got a packet plus I got an hour long lecture with slides and science.  

Suddenly and unwittingly, I as a home-owner was going to be a lot more involved in my own water cycle.  Cleaning and flushing safely required training.  I invite you to take a look on the U of M site dedicated to septic system education and get a glimpse for yourself.  Or take a look at a five minute video about it. 

We left that night's class wide-eyed and subdued.  This whole "learning to take responsibility and doing for ourselves" thing was a lot less shiny in practice than I'd first imagined.  A well and septic system cost $20,000+ to install and if we should break, contaminate, or kill it (yes, the septic bacteria are alive) we would be responsible to pay to fix it as well as live with the consequences of poisoning ourselves and our land. Routine maintenance would also be our responsibility to schedule and pay for or calamity might ensue.  We definitely were leaving the world we knew and the new one looked frightening and daunting.  

Then there was the well water- hard water, water softening, salt, lime and calcium build-up- all of which I knew nothing about except for the one hour class.  To top it all off, I am fussy about my water.  I have had a water filter for most of my adult life because city water tastes chloriney and well water tastes worse.  



 


We, the previously intrepid homesteaders, drove home after water night at class asking each other,"Do we still want to go through with it?  What else might we not know that we don't know?  What other costs and responsibilities might be lurking?  If our relationship to water can change so profoundly, what else might change without warning?" 



I felt like gravity had shifted under me, that my nice neat world of resources coming and going without a thought was gone forever. 

Listening: Life lessons in septic systems, Part 1

Of all the possible topics I pondered writing about after our first year of homesteading, the one which kept popping up at odd moments was a humble topic- septic systems.

Odd.  
Even for me.
But I've learned to pay attention to those odd unrelenting ideas because they usually lead me somewhere unexpected and significant.

I've written and waited and pondered and then reorganized and written some more for over a month.

This is going somewhere whether you have a septic system or not, so hang in there with me.

Salute to Shelley and Larry

Larry and Shelley built this Natural Spaces Domes home with their own hands over the course of ten years.  This was their dream home and the last home they planned to live in until the economy crashed and they both lost their jobs.
  
Despite their heartbreak, they were gracious to us in the selling process, offering advice and giving us their contact info so we could ask questions after we moved in.  


The wonderful attention to detail Larry and Shelley lavished on this place and their goodness to us blesses us over and over again.  

Thanks, Larry and Shelley for all your goodness!

How many basic skills do you have?

In response to a previous blog,

Angela sent this list.

How many basic skills do you have?

Thanks, Ang!

Nice one.

Best friends

Mark and Brownie bring out the best in each other

More goat photos

Meet the boys:

 Dandy, a buck

Max, a wether (neutered male)

inside their PVC pipe and tarp shelter

They've been together since birth and are stalwart companions.

Welcome to R Farm, boys!