he's amazing

staal's always working hard making this place nicer for us.  he's got a lot of skills and a thoughtful mind (and a lot of energy) that he puts to good use everyday. 

so here's what he's been doing lately:

we got a 2500 gallon water storage tank delivered to us about a week and a half ago.  a storage tank is good insurance when all your water comes from a well.  staal did some shopping and research and got us a good quality tank.  

the tank is behind the garage where it will be near the well and protected from the sun.

tank inspector or too many beers?

the well drilling company that we got the tank from does installations but staal decided it'd be fun to design and plumb (instaal) the system himself---best way to get it exactly how he wants it and get it done well.

plotting and scheming

the last time staal lived in mariposa (20 years ago) he worked as a carpenter/contractor and collected a fair amount of plumbing goodies from various jobs including an assortment of valves and fittings and a booster pump that will be of use in the new system and will save several hundred dollars.

the tanks don't come with any holes in them other than the manhole/access hole at the top which is actually a good thing if you're doing your own custom system.  the tank has nice heavy walls and takes a powerful drill and a bit of muscle to get through.

using my papa's old drill

staal decided to plumb the tank with a drain in the bottom (just in case) and an access point for the fire department (also just in case).

the plumber and his apprentice

he's gotten a lot of work done including some of the electrical wiring for the floats (there are two floats inside the tank that monitor the water level and tell the well pump when to come on and shut off) and booster pump.

once he gets a few more pieces and parts from the local supplier and the rain stops (we're getting a decent rain today) he can finish getting things put together---and start working on my greenhouse.

doesn't seem to be anything the man can't do.  building, fixing, plumbing, electrical, cooking, pottery, art, poetry etc.

he grills a mean steak

i'm grateful for everything he does and grateful to have such a wonderful and loving person to share this life with.  he's amazing.