Arrived in the ‘country’ early evening and guess what! Again, Nooo water! Sooo, I checked all the usual things, levers, fuses, handle on the pump in the basement etc and everything fine. Took a breath, and then went out and moved the leaden lid on the pump house and as it is still daylight, saw the yellow lever was once again in the pushed down off position. This could only mean, said porcupine had been at work, and I could see a multitude of chewings and shavings. I went back inside, waiting for the caretaker-person to answer my text to tell me that indeed it was the yellow lever that needed to come up – but no answer from him forthcoming after waiting an hour. So taking my luck in hand as well as a swifter, which has a long handle and a circle at the end of the handle – most likely for hanging up, moved the incredibly heavy lid even farther away from the top ledge of the cement housing just to make certain there were no other levers or choices for turning on and off. It was then I saw him/her — all hunkered down in the bottom of the pump house. Thank god it was too deep for me to have instinctively jumped down into or he/she and I would have been side by side and me adorned with some ankle ornamentation. I put circle at the top of the swifter handle, around the yellow lever and pulled up. Returned to the kitchen to see if water was available from the faucet, or was now the whole thing going to blow. Had water. I once again went outside because the housing needed to be recovered to protect the exposed wires from rain. But he/she is in the bottom on the floor. I cover the pump side, as all the electrical boxes and wire are fastened to the east wall and left the other side -a jar. Propped up the lid with two logs from the wood pile, so that when he/she decides to come out, he/she won’t stand on the lever and cut off my water. [Googled to find out if the beast in nachturnal but have no answer.] The joys, once again of country living. At least I am not having to be vigilant as the two prison escapees have been accounted for and the latest one from Mexico, should he decide to cross the border, is going to pay a visit to The Donald, before he wends his way upstate.
The Pump House Resident