Shutdown: Day 3

Washington Post photograph 

Still Ridiculous!

Although it is way too hot here for October -- a high of 83 today with a forecast of 88 predicted for the weekend -- the leaves are falling off our pin oak near the pond.  We've had to net the water and today marked the first leaf raking of the season.

With talk of the shutdown continuing well into the month and uncertainty about whether Ben will be paid, I was very happy that Ben was able to troubleshoot a problem with the pump in our pond.  When I went out to clean the filter I realized that water was flowing very slowly.  Clearly something was wrong.  I poked around the filter, but it was clever Ben who figured out that the pump's intake valve was clogged by a piece of the old filter which I hadn't thrown out when I put the new filter in a few months ago.  Oops; won't do that again.  So glad to save the cost of calling out the pond guys for a repair.