Being new to this ancient backhoe combo, I managed to dig a couple buckets full before getting the coordinated moves in the direction I wanted to go. I did kinda notice the ground looked moist where I'd put holes, but again, probably very localized from the overflow hose.
I got myself in better position, turned around and noticed a little mud around the front tire. Hmmmm, this really is still pretty damp in this spot. Kinda lush foliage, too.... Seems the plants here are doing well -- and for quite a distance around, too. Must be the overflow......
Ready to dig, but the tractor engine died righ then. Murphy's law. Out of fuel in that small tank. And actually I'd emptied my fuel can into it to get the tractor here in the first place, so I needed to drive all the way to town to fill all the gas cans -- a half hour operation, minimum.
It had been a hot sunny day in the 80's but I noticed it was getting kinda gray and even dark towards the south. I hopped off the tractor and landed in squishy ground. I looked at a bucket hole I'd dug. Was that water in the bottom? A little bit.
Well off to town. Drfiving down the mountain. It's getting darker. And darker. And the wind is picking up. Trees are bending along the road side. Oh yeah, sure, I'm thinking, it did this plenty of times during the last drought. Threatened to rain and never did.
I fill up the gas cans. Tie them into the truck and head back home. About half way there it begins to rain. Bet it just rains in his spot for ten minutes. Another trick, last drought. I'd drive through a thunderstorm only to find the road dry 500 yards from the house.
But it was raining when I got home this time. I waited in the truck for a few minutes to let it stop, but it only slowed, so I grabbed an old umbrella I keep aboard, and started to carry a gas can back toward the house -- it's a 600 foot hike across my bridge on Broad brook, along a field and then up through woods. I just got off the bridge when lightning hit a thousand yards away, which caused me to ponder whether holding a pointed metal object up in the air with one hand and 5 gallons of gasoline in the other hand while crossing a field was a good idea!