Hidden Treasure

There’s this manhole cover in front of our carport. We had never opened it until a few weeks ago, when we decided we can’t ignore it any longer: We’re in the middle of a drought, and we’ve got a cistern full of rainwater. Only, the people who originally built this house, never bothered to install a pump for it, so it could never be used. 

To get at the water without having to dig up our drive, we got a small submersible pump, and I use it once every couple of days to water the garden and fill up the watering cans. It’s not an ideal solution, but works for now. We have no idea how big the cistern is and how long the water will last. But I suppose we will find out soon, as the hot and dry weather continues. 35 degrees C today, and the only short shower of the afternoon lasted just a minute and evaporated as soon as it had hit the ground. The next days might be a little cooler, but the forecast 28 to 30 degrees aren’t quite what I’d call refreshing.