Water - So Taken for Granted....

Last night, a bitterly cold night again, there was a knock on our door. We are the last place at the end of a dead end road way out of town and we don't get anyone knocking at our door at night! Tramp 1 was outside somewhere tending to chores and I thought it must be him, locked out. But when I got to the door I found a representative of the water company that maintains the wells in our area and provides us with water. She was out going door to door - and the doors on homes out here are pretty far apart - to hand out a notice telling us that there was a problem with the pump on the main well that serves our area. They are asking us all to conserve water until further notice. It was a good reminder about what a luxury water is and how so many of us take it for granted. Being the last place and uphill, we have learned to adjust to occasional times when there is no water for a short period of time. It can be inconvenient if you are in the shower... Otherwise, we always keep some water in plastic containers so we are prepared if our water should cease running. (But how much is enough?) And last night, I thought to myself about what would really matter - water for a shower or for dishes? Maybe water for laundry? At that moment, my thoughts turned to water for coffee in the morning! And now, as I ponder it more deeply, how about water to flush toilets?! With the plummeting temperatures, icy wind and more snow on the way, I would not relish going outside for that purpose! No icy outhouse for me - I would rather go in a plastic bag with some kitty litter tossed in it! Sure, I would survive an outhouse and I don't mind using one but I have memories of being out snowmobiling and trying to pull off all the layers to get to the point where I could use an outhouse.... And that would be only after someone dug down and found the outhouse buried in the snow. So as you sit in your warm homes tonight, be sure to think about those hearty souls that came before us and settled the northwest, braving all kinds of weather and conditions. And as you turn on that tap to get a drink or brush your teeth, please think of those people whose work it is to make certain you have the luxury of running water. Holidays are about blessings and apparently water is one that we could easily forget to be thankful for....