The Perils of Power Washing

Last week we had four days of sunshine and we decided to forge ahead with our plan to paint the house. The sun is really intense here and wreaks havoc on painted wood. And our house is old painted wood. So on to the first step which is hiring someone to power wash the house.

Out came this nice man with his powerful jet spray and chemicals and 7 hours later we had a pristine house. So pristine that I briefly thought we could hold off painting for another year but a closer inspection showed that we still needed the paint. But, I thought triumphantly, at least the roof is done.

The metal roof is covered with patches of lichen/mold (?) and a special  chemical spray is used to kill it. After a few months the patches just slide off, washed away by the ever present rains.

All was well for another few days and then I woke up feeling really, really punk. I thought I had some kind of stomach bug. But no! I'll spare you all we went through as Dan also succumbed to the 'bug'. But we finally figured it out. Petrhaps it was the bubbles and chemical scum that tipped us off. There had been a heavy rain, and all that lichen-killing chemical stuff had gotten into our water supply. I have a habit of not sleeping well and often make myself a cup of tea (or 2) in the small hours of the morning. I had done so that night but the water was full of some chemical and in the dark and my drowsy state, I hadn't noticed.

The rest of the family was due to head back to Auckland and I was to stay here on the farm. Great, except that I still need water. And Dan needed to drain our 3 huge water tanks. So here we are with 3 hoses spewing water into the paddock in front of our house in the middle of an all day deluge of heavy rains. That paddock is now one of New Zealand's larger swimming pools.

I am collecting water from the dehumidifiers (makes for a slightly metallic cup of tea) and rationing the bottled water we have on hand. For the first time I realize how lucky we have been. Our water is so clean and good that drinking it has been a positive pleasure. I am also running around every half hour checking to see that the tanks don't drain completely and burn out the pump. And of course, I check the hoses. These tanks are seriously huge and don't drain quickly.

Oh, and did I mention that it is still bucketing rain? Of course it is!