Chapter 15: Getting comfortable

The next morning we called a meeting of all members of the village. Since the population of the village has almost doubled overnight new strategies had to be implemented.

Introductions were firstly in order, Ine and Fraewaru were introduced as husband and wife and the others as single unattached women there was Eorman, who most knew, and Ethel, Hygd and Fritho.

It was decided amongst us that we would first build a home for Ine and Fraewaru, then a house for the single women. Also we would erect small attachments to all the homes as additional rooms to be used for a nursery or spare room. The reason for this was both Sae and Eastorhyld thought they were pregnant.

The cabin then was going to be used as our community room. There was lighting in there and we would make a table and benches sufficient for everyone to sit. Also if a bunk bed was made the old bedroom could accommodate visitors.

Since the ground was thawing out the water supply was going to be connected, and the trench dug for the pipes to be buried. A communal bathhouse was to be erected and a leach drain dug to take away the wastewater. These were the primary targets for our community in the coming days.

Eastorhyld will continue her task as horse minder, which she loves; most of the other women don't like the horses at all.

Stigand was going to take Wiferth, Ine, Fraewaru and Ethel and get the timber cut to build the structures. Sae Eadburg and Hild were our foragers for vegetables. Eorman, Hygd and Fritho and myself had the job of fitting the water supply and digging the leach drain. Marjorie was going to do the hunting and be the soap maker.

We all had our tasks and we set about them. The first task our group had to do was erect the water windmill. So we collected the windmill from the Semi whose load was slowly diminishing. The complete unit only weighed 143 pounds and unassembled was easily transported on two shoulders with the brass bump body carried in a carton, also all the fittings and screws and bolts were included.

Some tools and an axe plus the four spikes were all we needed for the present time.

By following the instructions the structure was erected in well under an hour. I didn't need the steel spikes, a notch was cut in the stumps and the guy ropes fitted into it. The guy was brought round on to itself and the cables clamped. Since we had no spirit level I had to use a piece of string with a bolt tied to the end to use as a plum line to get the main pole straight, then the guys were tightened and thoroughly clamped. A length of Polyurethane pipe with filter was connected to the suction side and placed in the deep portion on the stream. The pump primed, the clutch engaged for the pump and then hi presto we had water gushing out of the three quarter inch supply pipe and the windmill was only slowly turning in the light wind. All my female helpers were jumping with joy; they thought it was fantastic the way the water was gushing out.

It was obvious that I would have to create a small damming of the stream to be on the safe side, but a load of rocks will soon sort that problem. Anyway there was no rush for the present. I disengaged the clutch and let the windmill turn freely.

The next task was to cut a trench and connect the pipes to the water tower. It was better to follow the slight embankment and then make a left hand bend up to the tower but at the northerly side of the soak pit. This distance would take about five lengths of copper pipe I had twelve left. The connectors were no problem I have sufficient of those.

We started digging the trench and found that it wasn't going to be so difficult a task as first imagined and we went down a good thirty six inches, which should be below the frost depth.

Whilst I was having my break from digging I went back to our house and completely removed the fire embers. I didn't want to connect the water to the built in hot water tank whilst it was hot.

The connection of the connectors was simplicity itself. The first little bit though was tricky, as we had to leave a length of the pipe exposed due to the large rock where the windmill was sitting. But it was just a matter of slipping on the nut first, sliding on the clamp ring and then tightening it to the connector. The portion of pipe that was exposed to the elements I used the jute packing I had for the range, cut it in strips and lagged the pipe nice and thick. I also wrapped the lagging around the pump body itself.

The pipe was then run up the wall of the water tower and connected to the inlet of the water tank. I had to do a bit of cutting for the next bit, as I had to connect the pipes I had exposed on our home, one for the cold water supply and the other from the small hot water tank on the roof. The outlet pipe had been run down the inside wall and out through the wall under the floorboards, down in a small trench, across and up the side of the tower to the shower unit and the cold further up to the tank outlet. The length of piping was not great it was all the short lengths that were the problem.

To the outlet at the opposite side of the tank I connected a 'T' junction and brought a length of pipe to a tap connected to the outside wall of the tower this was to be the communal water tap, and on the other outlet a short length with a tap so that I can extend the water supply for the communal bathhouse. When all the connections were made, we engaged the pump. Surprise upon surprise we had no visible leaks. We walked the whole length of the trench; we could hear the water filling the tank.

We all took a well-earned rest while the tank was filling. We chatted and I got to know the women a lot more, we were joking and in general feeling quite happy in each others company. I thought that Eorman had turned man-hater after her remark about Ine and she saying she would rather be on her own, but to the contrary that is not the case, she would like to have a man again, as she says to keep her warm and satisfied.

Once the tank was full we re-checked the line, as now there would be some pressure on the water as the pump was still pumping. I read in the instructions that there is a build in mechanism than automatically turns off the pumping action when a resistance to flow is met and resumes when it once again decreases. Too complicated for me all I want to see if it works or not, and so far it is working.

The trench we had dug was then filled in. and I suppose in a few weeks it would be impossible to see where we had buried the pipe.

I tested the tap on our sink unit in the house and that worked too. The shower unit had water flow on both taps, but at this stage they were both cold. The tap on the other side when opened allowed the water to flow. So it appears that the water supply was working. We even heard the water running into the tank and then stop. So the pump mechanism and the ball-cock assembly on the tank were working.

I had insufficient pipe to install water to every home so it was decided to install a communal tap. This water would only be carried for cooking and domestic washing purposes, as we were going to erect a communal bathhouse.

The old water heater had been allowed to empty and the fire to die down during the night. So it was easy to carry it over to where the communal bathhouse was to be erected. The wheels were again brought over and the drum once again set on them. I extended the pipe from the tap and put a right angle connector on the end to direct the water flow into the tank. Turned on the tap, the water started to fill up the drum. Unfortunately I had no valve to shut the supply off so this would have to be manually filled. But at least there were no carrying large amounts of water to fill the drum. The pipe will eventually be attached to the bathroom structure.

Stigand had constructed a rough decking to cover the area of the bathroom some time before, as we had been toying with the idea previously. This we lay down, and positioned two baths on the boarding and a sink unit, which had to be fitted somehow.

Once we had the approximate position we started on the leach drain. This had to be at least three feet down and stretch for about twenty to twenty seven feet to get good drainage. This is one job that would take us a couple of days

So that hot water was available for the others I lit the fire under the drum, then went inside and relit the fire in the range. The flue piping that came with the fire was excellent it also had a cap on the top of the chimney to stop the rain getting in and dispersed the smoke and helped in the draught for the fire.

We called it a day and my co-workers returned to the cabin.

I got in the truck and drove to the wood site where Stigand was working. I was going to bring back a load of timber or rocks whichever he wanted. When I got there I was surprised just how much they had felled and cut to length in a day. There were three fires burning from the branches trimmed from the trees.

Stigand wanted a load of timber taken back so that he could start on the trimming. Tomorrow I would have to make several trips to collect rocks and more timber

Once loaded everyone piled in and on the truck and we returned to the village and stopped at the site for Ine's and the single women's new houses and unloaded the logs.

I told them that we now had water at the tap and that I would show everyone how to fill the drum when we had our meeting that evening.

I got back to our new house before the others and lifted one of the lids on the range and you could feel the heat right away. I placed the kettle on the ring to check how long it was to take to boil the kettle. Previously we had kept a small fire just to take the chill out of the air. Now we were using it to its full capacity. I tested the hot water tap and the water was running warm, it sure heats the water quick.

When the ladies arrived I got my usual welcoming kiss and hug from them both. The kettle started to boil just then, so of course we all had to go and check it out. With four ovens and four heating rings, plus the hot water heater we were really living in paradise. Marjorie had to test the hot tap and she was excited that at long last we had hot and cold running water that was the thing she missed most.

"The shower is working also Marjorie, but I hadn't done the base yet, so there is no decking or privacy screen."

"I can wait another day; at least I can wash at the sink and don't need to worry about the waste water no more."

"It wasn't a very successful hunt day" she said "only came back with six rabbits and one grouse. Plenty of sign, but no game."

So before we got started preparing our evening meal, we made a cup of coffee and sat down at our table, to have a chat. It was at this stage that the bomb was dropped.

"I am pregnant again, "said Hild

Marjorie leapt with joy, "Oh! Daaarlingg, I am so happy for you, this time you have to take things easy, we want a baby in this house." She declared in her happiness.

"Chally, I don't care what she or you say, NO more sex for you two until the child is born."

Hild tried to object, but got a "NO SEX!" from Marjorie.

"All the more for me," she said rubbing her hands, like an old witch and laughing.

Once our meal was over I wandered over to the semi as I remembered when I was installing the water system that I had purchased a box of joiner's tools and hadn't really looked in the large toolbox. After rummaging on the back for some time, as we still had a lot of items not opened yet, like the cot I had purchased for our baby, which I hope I will need soon and the sets of arrows and bundles of bows all in boxes. Not that the box was small in fact it was quite big.

At last I saw it and opened it up, it contained all the old fashioned wooden planes and all the chisels were wooden handled. There were old brace and bits like the one I had given to Stigand. With these tools Stigand could do some fine work. But in the mean time I wanted the large Jack Plane to smooth off my floor. I also wanted to do some woodwork of my own. Once I had completed my work I will give all these tools to Stigand.

Thinking of the devil, I looked up and he was standing looking up at me. I called him up on to the tray and showed him the box of tools, and told him that I was going to give them to him. Once I had done a few jobs around my home. He was so excited even although he didn't know what half the tools were, for he would soon find out by trial and error.