Things are not Going My Way!

The last 48 hours have been adventurous around my house.  Two days ago our washing machine stopped working mid-cycle.  It would fill up with water and agitate for a while but it wouldn’t drain.  I thought maybe it was our incredible heat causing the washer to overheat and stop functioning. 

I also have one malfunctioning sprinkler zone in my front yard that needs to be repaired.  Because of the aforementioned heat, I have been hand watering the affected flower beds. Okay, “hand” watering is a stretch.  I’ve turned the hose on and let it run for a while.  I did that at lunch time yesterday, for example.  Unfortunately, when I cam home from work I instantly realized that I had not stopped hand-watering.  There was water everywhere.  Oops. 

This morning, while showering (when all the world's best ideas originate), it occurred to me that maybe the washing machine was fine and perhaps it was the outlet it was plugged into that was to blame.  The timer for my sprinkler system is plugged into the same outlet so I knew that if it was the outlet that my sprinklers wouldn't go off this morning.  So I was perplexed when I looked out the window and saw that the sprinklers had worked but I could also tell that the spray from them had not extended as far as they normally do.  I'll admit something here that will expose my electrical ignorance: I admit that my first thought was that there was some kind of "brown out" caused by the heat that was keeping that outlet from allowing things to work at full capacity.  Can I blame the early hour for my lack of clarity?  Anyway, after getting dressed and ready for the day I went outside to investigate and I’m glad I did.  

It turns out, the lack of water pressure from my regular sprinklers can be blamed on the geyser shooting out of the faucet on the side yard where a drip irrigation system had been installed until sometime last night when it was blasted off.   

There had to have been four inches of standing water in some of the lower spots in the back yard.  Apparently that is what happens after 12 hours of having a mini version of Old Faithful in your very own yard. 

I should have taken pictures but I was too scattered to think of it at the time.  You’ll just have to take me for my word.  All this has taught me is that my love/hate relationship with irrigation is destined to continue for the rest of my gardening life.