Murphy's Grove...

When we were first setting up our grove we used to laughingly refer to it as 'Murphy's Grove' because it seemed to us that whatever could go wrong absolutely would.  We would run over equipment with the tractor, inevitably buy the wrong size fitting for whatever it was, inadvertently leave valves open that should be shut - it was a never ending litany of ineptitude.  I think we are getting better, or maybe it is just because we have settled into a routine.  But we had a little flash back this week.  The crows (or magpies, or galahs - anyway some creative and mischievous birds), have been assiduously picking at the wiring on one of the solonoids that controls the water to one of the zones, and that zone has not been working, meaning that the pump is under pressure and the water has no where to go.  I had to get a water sample for the Water Corporation (it is a condition of our bore licence that we have our water tested annually) and had to go into the pump shed where the controls for the system are located.  It was soaking!  Everything was wet, and any container which could hold water was full.  I turned the system on to manual to see what was going on and a flood of water squirted from an electronic control device which turns the flushing system on and off at timed intervals.  My heart sank.  We have not been lucky finding a local irrigation fixer who was comfortable with our size operation, most in our area being happier with domestic systems.  So I looked in the 'Local Link' directory and found someone promising who could come straight away.  When he arrived he inspired confidence.  He saw what the problem was immediately, took the part out, pointed out where it was broken and promised to be back as soon as he had the replacement. In the meantime the system had to be turned off.  I wasn't too happy - it is too soon to turn the irrigation off - that usually happens mid April - but accepted that we couldn't run the system with bits missing.  Anyway yesterday the confidence inspiring man said he would be there mid afternoon.  No show, so I rang again.  He said he was sending his son in law with the part and he'd be there any minute.  Well, he did turn up, but wasn't quite as confidence inspiring as the other chap.  Of course he had the wrong part.  And it will take days to get the right one.  In the mean time the irrigation stays off, and we have some very stressed looking heavily fruit laden trees.  Nothing will happen for over a week, because we are off to Canberra to go to a family wedding. (He did however fix the broken wires the birds had chewed. Let us be grateful.)
 Rain is forecast for the weekend.  Please let it happen!