Weatherman says we’ve got one nice day, so I must use it for something not nice.

Yesterday actually wasn’t all that bad, but muddy as hell after Thursday and Friday. This afternoon the wind will come up – in fact that’s already started – and it’s supposed to get wet again. Tomorrow is scheduled for cool and epically windy – Tuesday through May is the return of Winter.

So today I dig and smear ABS cement all over everything.

A week or so ago I dug out most of the pipe trench, leaving just enough to stabilize the pipe. So it didn’t take long to finish getting the old pipe out. Back when I built the septic system I scrounged everything I possibly could – here I counted six unions in 26 feet of pipe.

Having decent tools is a big help. Can’t tell you how much extra time a lot of improvisation adds to a job like this, in the cold mud.

The pipe failed at that point where it intersected the drainage ditch. So we’re going to do something different, using a lot of the old pipe as a sort of culvert under the sewer pipe, allowing me to bury the whole thing. At least that’s the plan.

The only part of this that’s persnickety is the slope of the pipe between the cabin and the septic tank, which is really very important. Too little and the water won’t move the chunks along. Too much and the water will rush to the tank, leaving the chunks behind. Either way, you’ll end up with a lovely clogged pipe that’ll just be a joy to clean.

I’m happy to say nothing like that has happened in the almost seven years this system has been in service, and I’d like to keep it that way. Doesn’t pay to rush things.

I used to disdain tunes while I worked outside, and still won’t use earbuds. But this little MP3 player loaded with my favorite playlist has been getting a lot of use since I got it. Started doing that a few years ago with the tablet somebody sent me. The tablet has gone to meet Electronic Jesus, but its spirit lives on.

It’s far from the most time-consuming part, but it is the scariest. Did you measure the overall length right, or didn’t you? There’s no way to cheat at this test.

And then comes the part where you start putting allll that dirt back. Yay.

I can still do some filling but won’t finish today, there’s a very great deal of digging left to the job and my back is killing me. I have to dig out the drainage ditch and lay down faux-culvert before I can cover that section. I may be days away from total completion, but it’s filled enough to be stable and the toilet works.