If That Ain't Country . . .

Snow is insulating.  A good layer of snow keeps ground temps from getting too far below freezing.  This winter we had an early hard freeze (several nights at around 24 below) before there was enough snow on the ground.  On New Year's Eve, my septic system froze, requiring me to make like a bear for a couple of days.

Before we could dig, we had to start a fire to warm up the frozen ground.  It takes time to thaw, so we made it a campfire outing on the septic tank.  Very rustic.  Fires are cheerful, and the pine smoke would partially mask the aroma of the septic system.

My landlord called a neighbor to dig up the soil on top of the tank.  This guy was the Charlie Daniels of the backhoe.

Lift off.

What's that smell? 

Everybody has dogs in the Bitterroot, and they go everywhere, even to a septic party.

About an inch of ice on top.  My landlord called Sweet Pea to come pump out the tank.  I thought Sweet Pea was a guy's nickname.

You have to appreciate the irony.

Pumping.  With the tank empty, the pipe from the house still didn't drain.  They tried to snake it, but the pipe was full of solid ice.

Then Sweet Pea sent out the pressure washer.  Ice can't hold up to 3,000 psi.  It was slow going, eating through the ice in about twenty feet of pipe.  It was dark before he finished.

With the pipe from the house to the tank open, all the plumbing in the house worked like normal.  They think the leach field may be frozen, too, so Sweet Pea is coming back out today to presure spray that.