Friday, January 11, 2013
Water Woes are Over!!
Things have gone kind of haywire and I am very slow to get this posted over here on the blog. Our fundraiser is finished and we were able to meet our goal.
Thanks to everyone who supported our fundraiser. We have raised enough funds and our water meter is installed and we have constant rural water.
I am so thankful for all the amazing and generous people who helped to make this happen. The drought continues, and winter is here so I would still be without water months later, and facing even more serious issues with freezing temperatures.
I will be forever grateful!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Fund Raiser for a Water Meter
There are a few updates to the water situation (not good) and I have edited the post below to reflect the new issues rather than add a new post.
We have started a fund raising campaign for a rural water meter. We only have well water and the last two years of extreme weather here has left us with a frozen pump or dried up well most of the time (7 months out of the last 12) We have had temperatures over 100 degrees in about 25 of the last 30 days so this increases the water use severely considering consumption as well as evaporation. Hauling water is getting really expensive with the current gas prices (most of the cost is the gas) and the weather problems are hard on the equipment so the pump has gone out several times and now we have other problems with the pipes down inside the well that we can't fix ourselves anymore, and we no longer have running water again. We have been waiting fifteen days for someone to come out and try to fix what we can't fix ourselves and in the mean time, its back to five gallon buckets and working out of the water tank rather than from the pump or faucets. This is not just for our stock tanks, this is for running water in our house as well. Its something we all take for granted until its not working. Since 75% of my income is from dyed wool and fiber, the lack of running water and the time involved in hauling and carrying it in, severely inhibits my ability to make a living and sustain the ranch.
You can easily and safely donate through paypal from the donation box at the top of the blog at http://www.wooliebullie.blogspot.com/ or if you would like to help us spread the word click on the "Add to Site" link in the donation box and you can share our donation box with your friends on your own blog or website and all proceeds will go directly to our water meter fund. You will also show up as a supporter and anyone that donates through your box will show under your name as a supporter.
For those that are unable to view the box you can just go to paypal at http://www.paypal.com/ and click on send money, then chose personal gift and send to wool@natchwoolie.com and it will go into the fund, but it won't show up on the ticker.
Ipad users that are unable to view the donation box because its flash, can get an app called Photon (not free) that is supposed to be able to work with flash - I believe its a kind of browser and you click the lightning bolt (these are instructions from someone else so hopefully I haven't messed them up). But of course that is up to whether you might want the app, otherwise you can just donate through paypal as above.
The first picture shows our creek bed and dried up pasture in its current state, the second pix shows what it is supposed to look like. Both pictures are standing in the same spot, one is looking up the creek to the left and normal one is looking straight across the creek.
Since the well is what you would call dried up now (as well as the creeks and most of the ponds) we have to haul water from town a couple of times a day and since the well system is broken, we can't even use the well as a holding area or the pump to get the water running at all now.
While we don't pay a monthly fee for water now like we would if we were to get rural water, the hauling of the water costs between $70-150 per week now depending on how many trips into town we have to make per day and how much the price of gas is on any given day (that would be the equivalent of your water bill being $280-$600 a month.) Crazy right? The water fee is minimal, the gas is the major part of this expense. If we were able to hook up to rural water, we would no longer have the continual freezing problems in winter and would not run out of water unless the whole town did during these horrible droughts. And would not have to spend hours upon hours hauling water and working on the pump system as well as exhorbitant utility prices for space heaters to keep the wellhouse heated on those below freezing days which even fails at subzero conditions. A monthly bill of $50-150 (closer to what we are spending per week now) would be doable and would be nothing compared to the costs we are currently piling up that we really can't afford.
The rural water meter cost is $5500 just for the meter (quite shocking for me!!), thats just to put the meter in--the water is already going across my front yard underground (I know because when we were digging fence poles, we had to call to check the lines) then another $75 for the engineers to see if the system can take another customer or if they have to add stuff, I thought it was a deposit but its just another fee. We would need to hire a plumber and trencher to get from the meter to the house as well so I have estimated this cost at about $1500, not sure if this is enough but I hope it will be in the neighborhood, but we should be able to do most of it for that. These costs are way out of our reach and with the other increased costs resulting from higher feed and fuel costs as well as the current drought situation and the soon to come price increases for hay which we will need about twice the normal amount of this year and everything farm related. I don't know how else to come up with this much money other than to start a fundraiser. Its a really good cause!!
These two pictures show one of my neighbors dried up corn crop and is typical of all the fields around here. This is a scary sight for anyone.
Thanks to any and all for your support. No contribution is too small and any contribution is greatly appreciated.
We have started a fund raising campaign for a rural water meter. We only have well water and the last two years of extreme weather here has left us with a frozen pump or dried up well most of the time (7 months out of the last 12) We have had temperatures over 100 degrees in about 25 of the last 30 days so this increases the water use severely considering consumption as well as evaporation. Hauling water is getting really expensive with the current gas prices (most of the cost is the gas) and the weather problems are hard on the equipment so the pump has gone out several times and now we have other problems with the pipes down inside the well that we can't fix ourselves anymore, and we no longer have running water again. We have been waiting fifteen days for someone to come out and try to fix what we can't fix ourselves and in the mean time, its back to five gallon buckets and working out of the water tank rather than from the pump or faucets. This is not just for our stock tanks, this is for running water in our house as well. Its something we all take for granted until its not working. Since 75% of my income is from dyed wool and fiber, the lack of running water and the time involved in hauling and carrying it in, severely inhibits my ability to make a living and sustain the ranch.
You can easily and safely donate through paypal from the donation box at the top of the blog at http://www.wooliebullie.blogspot.com/ or if you would like to help us spread the word click on the "Add to Site" link in the donation box and you can share our donation box with your friends on your own blog or website and all proceeds will go directly to our water meter fund. You will also show up as a supporter and anyone that donates through your box will show under your name as a supporter.
For those that are unable to view the box you can just go to paypal at http://www.paypal.com/ and click on send money, then chose personal gift and send to wool@natchwoolie.com and it will go into the fund, but it won't show up on the ticker.
Ipad users that are unable to view the donation box because its flash, can get an app called Photon (not free) that is supposed to be able to work with flash - I believe its a kind of browser and you click the lightning bolt (these are instructions from someone else so hopefully I haven't messed them up). But of course that is up to whether you might want the app, otherwise you can just donate through paypal as above.
The first picture shows our creek bed and dried up pasture in its current state, the second pix shows what it is supposed to look like. Both pictures are standing in the same spot, one is looking up the creek to the left and normal one is looking straight across the creek.
Since the well is what you would call dried up now (as well as the creeks and most of the ponds) we have to haul water from town a couple of times a day and since the well system is broken, we can't even use the well as a holding area or the pump to get the water running at all now.
While we don't pay a monthly fee for water now like we would if we were to get rural water, the hauling of the water costs between $70-150 per week now depending on how many trips into town we have to make per day and how much the price of gas is on any given day (that would be the equivalent of your water bill being $280-$600 a month.) Crazy right? The water fee is minimal, the gas is the major part of this expense. If we were able to hook up to rural water, we would no longer have the continual freezing problems in winter and would not run out of water unless the whole town did during these horrible droughts. And would not have to spend hours upon hours hauling water and working on the pump system as well as exhorbitant utility prices for space heaters to keep the wellhouse heated on those below freezing days which even fails at subzero conditions. A monthly bill of $50-150 (closer to what we are spending per week now) would be doable and would be nothing compared to the costs we are currently piling up that we really can't afford.
The rural water meter cost is $5500 just for the meter (quite shocking for me!!), thats just to put the meter in--the water is already going across my front yard underground (I know because when we were digging fence poles, we had to call to check the lines) then another $75 for the engineers to see if the system can take another customer or if they have to add stuff, I thought it was a deposit but its just another fee. We would need to hire a plumber and trencher to get from the meter to the house as well so I have estimated this cost at about $1500, not sure if this is enough but I hope it will be in the neighborhood, but we should be able to do most of it for that. These costs are way out of our reach and with the other increased costs resulting from higher feed and fuel costs as well as the current drought situation and the soon to come price increases for hay which we will need about twice the normal amount of this year and everything farm related. I don't know how else to come up with this much money other than to start a fundraiser. Its a really good cause!!
These two pictures show one of my neighbors dried up corn crop and is typical of all the fields around here. This is a scary sight for anyone.
Thanks to any and all for your support. No contribution is too small and any contribution is greatly appreciated.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
TIFFANY - Supreme Silk Sliver for our PhatFiber July Feature
Check out the July Phat Fiber Feature - Tiffany, handpainted supreme silk sliver, this was inspired by my grandmother't Tiffany lamp for the Art Nouveau theme.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Pirates and Twitter
Somehow the Fiber Artist webring that I belonged to had some bad code and everytime someone would visit my blog, it would send them off to the webring and you couldn't come back either. Unfortunately I have just had to eliminate all links to the webring so we will no longer be a part of it, but you should be able to access the blog again - YAY!
In that same vein, I have been unable to access my twitter account for over a year and finally have it back so be sure to follow me on twitter for instant information and maybe a little fun. Also here on the sidebar you can see the latest tweets for instant gratification.
In that same vein, I have been unable to access my twitter account for over a year and finally have it back so be sure to follow me on twitter for instant information and maybe a little fun. Also here on the sidebar you can see the latest tweets for instant gratification.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Mawata Hankies back in Stock!
Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have lots of mawata silk hankies back in stock and I finally have enough to release some new colorways before I am sold out. Pix shows a little bit of "Poppy" of the silk garden series knitted up. You can purchase straight from the blog lightning FAST now with my Artfire Rapid Cart mini on the left or a larger version below - no signup required. Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wow this blog is sleepy....
So ashamed that I haven't posted since June - I was supposed to be better about this but I guess too busy to blog is a good thing.
Tonight it will be about 5 below zero - I have several ewes ready to lamb and am praying they don't do it tonight. Dangerous temperatures just drive me insane with worry. Everyone is snuggly in the barns and all the baby monitors are echoing throughout my bedroom. Sleep is light but I do sleep a little.
8 lambs so far born when it was a little warmer and they are all doing great. Did I mention the triplets - I have to get a pix up here with the triplets - they are spotted and adorable.
Back to work in the kitchen trying to make sure my pipes don't freeze up again.....wish me luck.
Tonight it will be about 5 below zero - I have several ewes ready to lamb and am praying they don't do it tonight. Dangerous temperatures just drive me insane with worry. Everyone is snuggly in the barns and all the baby monitors are echoing throughout my bedroom. Sleep is light but I do sleep a little.
8 lambs so far born when it was a little warmer and they are all doing great. Did I mention the triplets - I have to get a pix up here with the triplets - they are spotted and adorable.
Back to work in the kitchen trying to make sure my pipes don't freeze up again.....wish me luck.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Etsy Treasury
i love etsy treasuries - my rainbow sherbert was captured in one today by KandiceinWonderland. This is a gorgeous treasury!
The treasury was also featured in Tuesday Treasury - the Elite Eight at S and O Productions here
http://sandoproductions.blogspot.com/2010/06/treasury-tuesday-elite-eight_15.html
Another Etsy Treasury
See our POMEGRANATE Columbia in this stunning Etsy treasury by jademishell - Hey it matches the blog!
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