Restored Miracle Pump
You may be wondering at the strange title for this posting, "Restored Miracle Pump".
That is because of the interesting story associated with this water pump that took place about thirty years ago.
I was out on my own, clearing a residential block of land and I saw, protruding out of the long grass, a very rusty water pump and the remains of a fence post.
As I approached it, the ground suddenly gave way beneath me and I was suspended by the armpits over the mouth of a deep disguised, forgotten and long-disused, water-filled well.
The timber cover of the well, carpeted in matted grass and weeds, had rotted away and, suspended in mid-air with my gumboots beginning to fill with water dragging me down, I prayed to God that this would not be the end of my earthly life.
Instantly, inexplicably and obviously supernaturally, the next moment I was sitting securely and safe on solid ground next to this water pump with well water running out of my gumboots onto my trousers.
I later restored the pump: replacing bolts, removing rust, polishing the brass interior, and turning a new handle on the lathe, for use as as a garden ornament.
So that is why I refer to this garden feature as the "Miracle Pump".
This post was also published with Lionel's permission by the Friends of Lionel Hartley on their blog, friendsoflionel.blogspot.com.
