Well that didn't turn out well (pun intended)

We planned our annual trip to Lehmans this weekend. We like to go once a year, usually for our anniversary or Tanya's birthday. I have been planning since I moved back to this old farm to replace the leathers in the old hand pump out in front of the house.

The pump worked when I was a kid and I miss the old days of drinking the cold black sulfur water. I also wanted another backup water supply. My dad said he remembered changing them out when he was young. They used a rope on a tripod and another rope wrapped around the pipe to keep it from falling back into the well casing. I called him and asked if he would help after work on Friday. And I had planned on taking pics to put on here. But he came over early and he was working on it already with my mom and Tanya.

When I got here they had the old ford tractor backed up to the pump and they were using the 3pt lift to raise the pump and then wrapping a chain around the pipe to stop it from falling back down the well. They had just broken the pipe at a junction about 3 feet below the pump when I pulled up. We decided to continue since the cylinder was "only 10 or so feet down".

After the pipe broke we unhooked the pump rod and lifted the heavy pump up and off the rod. (that was an adventure in itself) Then we started pull up the pipe with the lift on the tractor. we'd get about 3 feet every lift and then rewrap the chain to keep it up. after several times we had about 20 feet of pipe sticking up in the air and no cylinder in sight. A few more lifts and there was the cylinder right at the top of the casing. we rewrapped the pipe and started to lift and...shhhhhhhhhhhsplash... the cylinder broke off at the threads and the 30 foot pump rod still hooked to the cylinder dropped to the bottom of the well. BUMMER...

Well at least I got a 30 foot section of rusty pipe out of the deal. I dropped a fishing line with a sinker down to see how deep it is and the nearest I can figure is that the rod is a good 6 feet below the top of the casing.

 We ended up going to Lehmans anyway. If you go they have move their close out section into an outlet store across the parking lot. Be sure to hit it first so you can save some $$$ if they happen to have what you are looking for there. Then we ate at a Chinese Buffet in Wooster since Tanya was craving lo mien.(it was eh...)

Still clinging to my God and my guns, Randy