Two Days Before Departure

Today, as well as the last several days has been  devoted to taking care of my "honey-do" list. I've been working hard to get everything around the house, and several rental properties ready for the summer. I mowed and raked the lawn; weeded the flower beds and prepared the spot along the garage where Jodie likes to plant tomatoes. I unwrapped the swamp cooler (we're still old-fashion - no AC) and powered up the water line, turned on the water to the sprinkler system and tested all the sprinkler heads. Testing the last  water station, no water issued forth from the heads, however, I noticed water pooling in the lawn. That meant only one thing - a broken water pipe, and not something I really wanted to deal with.

As I dug away the grass and rocky soil, I discovered that not only was a PVP pipe broken, but also a T joint was cut. Then I remembered that last Fall, I had been digging tree roots out of the lawn using an ax.  I hadn't realized that sprinkler pipes were so close to the surface. In my effort to cut out the tree roots, an ax swing severed a pipe and T joint at the same time.

I detest sprinkler systems. I've had to repair them my whole life. Someday, I want to move to a place where all yard work is part of the package deal. It was late at night when I finished repairing the broken sprinkler pipes.

 Jodie's Tomato beds are ready.

The vexing sprinkler system.