Water, moths and mending

Weekend went fast. It always does, right? This one I think felt shorter as it was midafternoon Saturday before I got to my parents', and Monday morning when I left.

Sunday was all about water. It hasn't rained properly in weeks, so Mom is watering the gardens. But since they're on a well, even though it's a very good one, that meant that laundry got done only when watering wasn't in progress. And water from washing dishes or fleece, scalding or rinsing vegetables, etc., is collected and put on the gardens also. I do that with the shower water and dish rinse water at the apartment also - no sense in wasting.

I got to see exactly what overdoing it with the well water at one time could mean on Sunday afternoon.  Mom's friend Chantal hasn't been home much in the last week or so. Her husband had a heart attack and is in the hospital, so she is mostly there instead. Consequently, although someone has been taking care of Chantal's animals, her gardens were neglected, and Mom volunteered us to go do some watering and picking veg Sunday afternoon. The old dug well there is still in use for watering outside, and we had it going most of the time, doing the tomatoes and peppers and other vegetables, and the pots of flowers. By the time that was done, we must have nearly gotten to the bottom, as the sediment was coming up and the water was brown, so it needed time to refill and settle. Then we got back home, and our pump was running but not bringing up any water, and had to be switched off for a while to cool and then checked out. Fortunately it was just an air pocket in the aquifer, apparently, and after a few hours, spent planning in case it was a serious problem, we had water again, and were not reduced to throwing buckets down the old well or something.

I was rather amused one evening at home. Mom is a great one for decorating and color-coordinating things. I did not realize, however, that the insect population was aware of this. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and in the yellow/ecru/brown bathroom, I found a color-coordinated moth.

Today it is overcast, hopefully going to rain. I sat down and did some mending this morning, so I will feel justified in doing something less prosaic later. And my linen garden shirt is in one piece again - even if my attempts at invisible darning are rather visible.