Matt McSpadden

I admit, it took me a second.

Jay Angler wrote:This is the issue with unreinforced in-ground swimming pools. They're fine if they're always filled with water, but when the water level is low while waiting for the next rainy season, they will collapse in due to the pressure of the ground outside.

Good point! I had not thought about the collapsing possibility when it was empty.

Jay Angler wrote:You need to buy special tanks rated for underground use and a) they tend to be much more expensive and b) you now need more electricity to pump the water out of the tank rather than using gravity.

On flat ground, you would lose gravity feed, so there would need to be a way to get the water out again. I have seen some bicycle powered pumps, and the old fashioned bucket and rope. These options are not as easy as an electric pump, but would be less costly. A stone/clay lined cistern style tank would not be as convenient... but neither are all the failed options that don't seem to hold any water right now.

This is an interesting problem.

My first thought is that if you can build a cob structure strong enough to support the plastic tank... could you make it a bit stronger and simply line it with clay? And not need the plastic at all?

Then I wondered if there is any rock in the area? Where I am from (which admittedly has good rainfall), there have been cisterns which were just big holes, lined with rocks and coated with either clay or lime. If it was submerged in the ground, you would not need to worry about the rain eroding the edges... nor would you need to worry about how much force is pushing out on the walls. You would need to devise some sort of cover for it, and place it so that contaminated water would not run in... but it could deal with a lot of the issues you are describing.

For that matter, could you dig a hole the size and shape of the plastic container and just drop it in?

No worries about oversharing :) Some people would put me on the spectrum. So please forgive me if this comes across as overly blunt.

Eileen Kirkland wrote:.... That said, I love my husband, but I don’t need him....

I think the question is, do you want him?

I would love to hear that things get better between you two, but it kind of sounds like you have made up your mind already.

If you do want him, then what are you willing to do to make the marriage work?

If you don't want him... well, as someone who is going through a divorce right now, I would entreat you to deal with things in a way that will make it the least hard on the kids.

Hi Eileen,
I'm going to come at this from a husband's perspective if I can. These are in no particular order. And of course it is always harder to give ideas or advice when you only have half the story.

- That is a rough place to be in, and I am sorry that you are going through it.
- Workman doing things wrong, or getting a wrong product, or work being done poorly can happen to anyone, anywhere on earth, no matter how careful they are. You are not alone, but things should be corrected :)
- I think your relationship with each other is more important than the projects.
- It sounds like your relationship is strained. I suspect the projects would be easier to deal with, if both of you were getting what you need from the relationship.
- Not speaking the same native language sounds really hard. If he does not speak your native language, and you do not speak his. I second the idea to take classes to improve your ability.
- You mention trying to stay grateful. Were you grateful to your husband for any of the work done on any of these projects? Telling a husband thank you, even when its not perfect, means a lot. Complaining about something, when it is not perfect, can hurt a lot. I'm not saying to never mention things that need fixing... but one path builds up while the other tears down.
- It sounds like you want this relationship to work. I think that is fantastic. It is easy for the husband to get busy and not build up his wife, and sometimes he needs reminders. But it is also the case, that it is easy for a wife to get busy and not build up her husband. I can't ask him this question, or I would. When was the last time you went to your husband and asked what you could do to support him or his projects?

If you want to make box wine a little more classy, just call it cardboardeaux!

As part of a major rebrand... all cowboys and cowgirls will now be referred to as cattle technicians!

I think it is interesting how words change. Back in the 1600's and 1700's, potash was a product produced from wood ash (hence the name) and was synonymous with lye. This material was potassium hydroxide and was used to manufacture all sorts of things, such as alum, saltpeter, soap, glass, tanned leather, gunpowder, paper, bleached cotton textiles, and various woolen goods.

Later in history, potash began to be used more frequently as a source of potassium for fertilizing gardens and fields.

In modern times, lye and potash are usually separated as sodium hydroxide (lye) and potassium hydroxide (potash) for making liquid soap and hard soap respectively.

Today, many people use the word potash to simply refer to any potassium rich mineral.

If you are making soap, using this material makes sense. If you are fertilizing a garden today, there are many options that are easier and more effective to get potassium into your garden. I always like to start by focusing on making the soil as alive as possible with microbes. These microbes interact with roots and help make the minerals in the soil available to plants.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Of course the birdies enjoy the seed.  I put out more than I need for the ice.  The birdies peck the surface (texture), poop, which is going to act as ice melt.  And the husks from the seed also function as anti slip.

It’s worth a try😁

That is a very good point :) I should let them help me out, haha

Thekla McDaniels wrote:And bird seed

Around my house, this would only work for about 10 minutes... until the chickadees found it :)