Water From The Well

I find myself waking up in the middle of the night thirsty sometimes. Get up, get something to drink, and back to bed.

Takes me back to life with Gram and Gramp:

They had a well. It had been dug by hand many years before. Walled with native stone, also by hand.

For much of its use it and the well box built over it had stood alone. But when Gramp built Gram her new kitchen, he extended the roofed front porch and raised the height of the well box so that water could now be drawn from it by pulley and bucket without having to venture out into the weather.

My brothers and I later helped Gramp install the first indoor plumbing Gram had ever had. We dug the trenches for the pipes - laid them deep enough so that they wouldn’t freeze up in the winter. And Gramp installed an electric water pump to draw water from the well on demand.

Built her a nice indoor bathroom where the small side porch had been, as well. He made sure it had a nice window, though. She had always enjoyed the pleasant view up the Trace.

My Brothers and I were tasked with digging the pit for the septic tank.

But that water! The house sat at the base of a steep rise of mountainside. That well never went dry. Drainage, I guess.

And the water had a particular quality that I’ve never encountered since. A strong but pleasing mineral taste, slightly sweet. Folks would bring along empty milk jugs when they came to visit just to take some home with them. There was none other like it.

Before the indoor plumbing was installed, we kept a bucket of that good well water on a small table just inside the kitchen from the doorway to the living room, with a metal dipper to drink from.

It might have been hours since it had last been filled, but if you got up in the middle of the night for a drink, it was somehow still cool and sweet.

Submitted August 20, 2022 at 10:46AM by itsallalittleblurry https://ift.tt/npPJVAy