To the Lake

Very exciting news on the home front:  Our new septic tank and system is being installed today!  Okay, I didn't say it was going to be exciting for all but for us, wahoo!  After months of not being able to take showers one right after the other without seeing a puddle form in the backyard, we are very excited.  It hasn't been easy to get the approval from all the right "people".  Apparently, it is preferable to local government to let sewage seep into the creek rather than let homeowners repair and upgrade the system because they are to close to the creek into which said seepage is occurring.  I have had a difficult time understanding the viewpoint of those who said no since the new septic system is more environmentally friendly than the present system.  After treatment through the system, the final water is much cleaner than the raw sewage that runs through the city pipes to the treatment plant which, by the way, is located about 50 feet from the shores of the lake.  Hmm.  Enough about sewage . . .

Rather than watch men and large machinery dig a huge whole in our backyard, Quinn and I decided to spend part of the morning at the lake.

When we arrived home, Quinn spotted this little guy on the outside of our basement window.

After watching him for a minute, I realized that he was stuck and wouldn't be able to jump out of the hole.  He  needed our help.  The plan:  Bring a box outside and hope that he would jump into it after which I would bring him to the creek.  I asked Quinn if he wanted to come help me.  "Mom, he looks pretty gross."  That was a "no".  The plan was successful and the little guy is safely down by the creek.  This rescue mission was much less messier than last year's when I helped a rainbow trout who was stuck between some rocks in the creek.  I didn't realize the trout would be that slippery.