November 9, 2009

Let There Be Light...And Water!

We've officially had electricity at The Ranch for a couple of weeks now. Neal was the first to test out our lighting when he stayed overnight.

This is our $20 bathroom light fixture that Neal found brand new (he's such a bargain hunter!). I think it adds a bit of rustic charm to the room.

Although we had electricity, we couldn't generate water until we got a well pump. We decided on a Grundfos Smartflo from Denmark, which had to be special ordered. After waiting over a month, it finally arrived and we had it installed right next to our Rheem on-demand water heater.

To our surprise, the well pump installers did not connect the pump to the electricity source, so the Jack-of-all-trades jumped right in and began testing voltage and splicing wires. Within no time, he had it all connected so we could see if everything "flowed" as it should.

Hallelujah, it worked! We have running water. Really clear, pure, running water with great pressure.

Neal and I hugged each other and danced a little jig. OK, well maybe not the jig part! But, we were ecstatic about the fact that we now have electricity and running water. Several times during the night Neal would blurt out in amazement, "We have ranch water!"


And, to add to our creature comforts of ranch living, we also have a wood stove! Isn't it just the cutest thing?

The next order of business is to get the venting kit for the stove so that we can actually use it. Neal and our neighbor have decided to tackle the task of cutting through the ceiling and roof and installing the vent kit themselves, thereby saving us at least $500 in installation costs. Have I mentioned how much I love being married to a handy guy?

Our plan is to spend this Christmas at The Ranch, in front of our wood stove. Guess someone better get busy chopping wood to fill that stove. Oh, honey????

8 comments:

frugalmom said...

I am SO excited for you!!! Electricity and Water. That has to be a great feeling. I love that first pic of your porch lights on in amidst all that darkness. It has to be so very dark out there in the night.....

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

How exciting! The Ranch now has all the comforts of home. Nothing beats clear, cool water from a well. Love your little wood stove!

Have you spent the weekend yet?

Anonymous said...

yay!!! very exciting!! congratulations on running water!

Lilla said...

Marcee...yes, it is a great feeling to have some modern conveniences at The Ranch! It is very dark out at night, which makes seeing the stars so much easier than in the big city. The town even has a group called Dark Skies whose goal is to educate people on the proper lighting that doesn't pollute those beautiful skies. Pretty cool!

SVB...this is our first experience with wells and well water, but it is very exciting. Now that all the upfront expense has been paid, we won't ever have to pay for water again, hopefully! That's an amazing thought. I haven't spent a night in the cabin yet, but Neal has and it was a bit too cold for his comfort, even with all our insulation. As soon as we get the wood stove operational, that is our goal.

Daune...thanks! It's amazing what we take for granted living in the city and just pushing a button or turning a knob, isn't it?

basicliving@backtobasicliving.com said...

What an exciting post! I vividly remember the feeling of turning on a facet and seeing water for the first time, and flipping a light switch that resulted in light. Such a wonderful, wonderful thing! I love your wood burner! I can only imagine how wonderful and cozy y'all are going to be this Christmas. Things are really coming along!!!!! And your place there is so beautiful!

Lilla said...

Penny....it IS very exciting! Neither of us city slickers has ever taken on such a project before and we had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, we've only had a few minor snags to overcome throughout the process. Can't wait to warm my bum in front of that cute little stove!

LiveWorkDream said...

Sweet!!! It looks great guys. Awesome job!!! We can't wait to come see you in the springtime and warm our bums too.

Lilla said...

Rene....there will be a place reserved for your bums in front of the wood stove. See you next year!

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