When the Homily is about Immunology

Soil, wood, and water

All are playing significant roles in my life lately, or at least a much more obvious role. Of course these items are fairly critical to the quality of life we are used to these days, but often overlook in our mad suburban rush. The skeletal wood of our homes are unseen by most residents therein, fresh veggies come from Safeway not soil, and water comes from a reservoir somewhere behind barbed wire and armed guards. Soil is only seen during that brief period of construction before it is hidden underneath pristine and heavily chemistried lawns worthy of Tiger Woods' playing. Wood is a material we use to provide some semblance of privacy from our neighbors who are stacked up us. Water...it's what keeps our lawns...ummm well...lawns.

Anyway, I took the day off of work - amidst sick kids - in order to have someone come out and dig large trenches on my property to look into the soil. It seems the key issue is what depth of soil (and the type) exists above the level of the historic presence of the water table. In other words, the water isn't there now, but via some iron deposits they can see how far up the water table can get. The depth of the soil is a dominant factor in determining what type of septic systems you may legally have and it seems as regulations change it is getting more and more difficult for people in Kitsap county to install the least expensive and most simple gravity septic system. As for us, our soil depth is quite low, we may not be able to simply expand our existing system. However there are always complex details to consider that may in fact allow us to have the more simple system (e.g. the fact that our well is over 275 feet from the drainfield). We shall see what options the designers offers us.

But the thing that struck me is that when you are both exporting and importing from the soil directly underneath you, you simply MUST concern yourself with environmental issues - very local environmental issues. Your septic tank is a sort of eco-system in and of itself and what goes down the drain can mess up that biological balance, damage the actual system, or end up in your soil from which you are deriving water and food. Biodegradable and "eco-safe" products suddenly find their way to the top of your shopping list. Yes, I am definitely feeling much more apart of my environment.

I also set out and whacked away at some blackberry bushes in order to repair a drainage pipe that moves water collected from the roof far away from the foundation of the home - an important thing because our home is built on a small slab and has a permanent wood foundation - which while resistant to water is none-the-less best kept as dry as possible to retain its "permanency." The pipes run northward a ways and dumps the water out onto the slope where it runs down into the 700 acres of forested nothingness. One section of pipe had come loose and I set about reconnecting it - hopefully it will stay without more in depth repairs.

I spent the afternoon in the woods to collect some more firewood. Killick came along with me and provided a good deal of entertainment chasing squirrels. At one point, a particularly feisty squirrel turned round from his safe vantage point in the tree and flipped Killick the squirrel equivalent of "the bird"...chattering away at him as if laughing. Killick was unmoved by it all - apparently not understanding - but kept vigil at the trunk while I finished loading the wheelbarrow. I still don't have enough wood to last the winter at this point and I've not decided how I am going to make up the deficit. There is one large section of a felled tree that remains and I hope to try and haul that out this weekend. I'll do everything I can to avoid using electric heat...as if it were Hugo Chavez's generator.

And in keeping with my redneck, hillbilly, boondock, hick lifestyle, I ran over to Walmart and bought my shotgun and ammo. Took my wife out in the backyard and had her fire a few rounds at a bottle, which she seemed to enjoy despite the bruising. I had her throw mine and I managed to nick two out of three...not bad for not having shot skeet in nearly 20 years. I used my Walmart shopping bag to bring my lunch into work and I received a snide remark, to which I happily responded: "Oh, don't worry I just bought ammo there."

Rural life certainly changes your priorities and perspectives. While looking at and digging through soil, a bald eagle did a flyby. The county keeps a map of known nesting pairs, but I didn't see any near our home. Not sure of their range before they have to refuel. And last, but not least, I got the grill set up.