Pump went out

I think I screwed up and ruined the pump in the stucco tank. Not knowing that, I went down to water today and couldn't. So I rushed right back to town with the old pump (in case my son can get it working) and ordered a new pump. What happened is that when I fixed the leak in the line to the pump I cut out the part that leaked. That shortened the line to where the tank needed more water in it in order for the pump to stay submersed. I didn't want to keep that much water in the tank. So the other day, Mac and I added a section of pipe to the line. Then I dragged the pump out into the deeper water. Mistake. I should have waded into the muddy water and lifted the pump to the deeper water and then set it on a rock to keep it out of the mud. It seemed to work fine the next time I watered, but today it didn't. I pulled it out and it was full of mud, so I assume it burned up the motor.

I think I can go a couple more days without watering, but if I don't have a working pump by then, I'll have to stick one of my little sump pumps into the big tank. Then with enough length of hoses, I can manage to water everything. It'll be slow going and take days, but at least I shouldn't lose any trees.

On a more pleasant subject, Mac got a photo of a fox in the very top of the apricot tree. Mac uses a big lens so he couldn't get the whole tree in the picture. I'd say the fox is about 12 or more feet above the ground.

And I love these photos Mac took of a Bell's Vireo taking food to the nest. It's a big stick insect of some kind. Appears the vireo removed the legs and antennae. Took one of the nestlings a long time to eat the whole thing.