One heck of a day!

Even though I got up in plenty of time, I was late for meeting up with Kelly to go band hummingbirds in Lajitas. In my dither over that, I couldn't find my car keys, and dare not lock my vehicle until I found them. Luckily Kelly suggested I look in the ignition.

Then at Lajitas we only saw, and trapped, one hummer. A group of golfers stopped by to observe the banding process. Heck, it was probably the only birdie they saw all day.

Back at CMO, it was overcast and drizzly, but I determined to pump the remaining water from the upper dirt tank. Half of it had already seeped into the ground. The water in the settling pond had all disappeared, so I was keen to save as much of what water was left as possible. The lower dirt tank had lost enough water to make room for part of the water and the wildlife pond had gone way down, so I had places to put the water.

First off, the coupling my son had replaced the last time he was out here came apart. He didn't know that the rubber couplings have to be screwed to the line or they come off. I wasn't here when he did that, and later, it didn't occur to me to go check the line. When this one separated, it was no big deal. The water still ended up in the lower dirt tank, which was backed up to where the joint was anyway.

But he had also replaced an elbow that carries the water from the lower dirt tank to the stucco tank. That fitting was now under two feet of water, and it blew out the instant I started up that gas pump. Only thing to do was hook up my little electric pump and use that until the water goes down, but that meant turning off the three inch pump in the upper dirt tank and losing that water while making room in the lower dirt tank. Good thing I have lots of water to spare these days.

The mosquitoes were the hardest part of fixing the coupling. You might be able to see the screw I put in the right side. The screw on the other side is hidden from sight. (I have to put the screws in the slotted sides.)

This place is extremely tricky to maintain and only I know all its idiosyncrasies. Well, most of them. But I have to be ever vigilant.

When I cranked up the three-inch pump it forced enough water through the line before it blew out the elbow that even though I turned off the pump, some water is siphoning into the stucco tank. It's in danger of overflowing so I'm pumping out of it into the wildlife pond what I hope is at least an amount equal to that which is coming in. 

Dark clouds all around, and it turned cool and windy. Heck, maybe Odile isn't through here yet. 

The tower at Lajitas sure looked pretty against the sunrise this morning.