First thing I noticed when I got up this morning and started opening blinds and got ready to feed the fish in the fishtanks is that the 10-gallon tank was leaking and probably 2 gallons of water was soaked into the carpet. This meant netting the 4 fish in there and putting them in the 30-gallon loach tank pronto, then rearranging the living room to get easy access to the side slider in order to both walk out and empty the bucket once full and then to carry the tank outside once it was emptied. This is sort of a dumb accident but in this case I didn’t do anything dumb other than trust a chain pet store in buying a 10-gallon tank that has started leaking after less than a year of use. This tank has suffered no trauma, has not been moved, and yet there it now sits out in the yard, useless.
Next I had to burrow into one hoarders pile to reach the wet-dry vac to suck up that nasty fish water. Here comes the dumb part. I didn’t look inside of the vac, just started picking up the nasty water. Carried it outside to empty into the lawn and realized i hadn’t put that spongy filter thing over whatever part it was supposed to go over. Further, there was already some dirt and other items from a time I used it as a regular vacuum, so now it had a hideous sludge of detritus in it that is now lying in the grass. I hosed out the vaccuum then tried to hose off the spongy thing. They’re drying in the sun now.
Some critter has learned how to open the metal garbage cans I keep the bird seed and suet cakes in. There is no suet in them now because it’s hot weather, but each morning, I find the one can with seeds in it open and seeds eaten. It must be a raccoon, although I have never seen a raccoon around here. Possum maybe? Squirrels and chipmunks wouldn’t be strong enough.
I looked out back today and see my new birdbath top has been knocked off and is laying in pieces out there. Irritating! We had a big cloudburst type of storm yesterday which may have knocked it off.
There you have it. Vent session over.
Tao Talk 
Sorry it’s been a day, love. Tomorrow will be better!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh frustrating!
LikeLiked by 1 person
For sure, Paula. It was one of those days where you’re forced to do things you don’t want to do and see things you don’t want to see :(
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ouch! It’s quite irritating when so many unwanted accidents pile up. One thing we can deal with but a series of them is bound to rattle. Hugs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, my friend. <3 Hoping tomorrow is better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope that it will be. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, no. Is the angel with the broken wing your birdbath top? She’s beautiful.
LikeLike
No, but both were bought on the same day. I dropped the angel out of the wheelbarrow, and the bird bath had a crack on it that I saw once I looked at it more closely. I guess that place sells cheap goods. I won’t be going back there! Thanks on the angel. I have an epoxy kit I am going to try to fix her with but it will take some thought on logistics to make it happen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck with it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not a good day. That is a nightmare about the fish tank. I have that fear with our 55 gallon turtle tank. Do you have any foxes around? It does sounds like a raccoon or a fox.
Hopefully today will be better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve had various fish tanks over the years of all sizes. Never had one go bad before, and in less than a year?? Makes me wonder where the store gets their supplies and how little they paid for them. Or it could just be a fluke? I pulled the can with seeds into the “mud room” for now until I can find a brick. Never seen raccoons or foxes near here. Plenty of possums. Yes, I hope it will be. Older son and I are driving over to GR to see younger son, DIL, and grandbaby in about an hour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hate to sound like THAT guy…”Get off my lawn!” but now things are made so cheap. Maybe it was just a lemon. Those tanks can cause a lot of damage…what a bad day you had! Today will be better because of family….I hope you have a wonderful time Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fear you’re right about shoddy products made to fail. Thank goodness *only* a couple gallons leaked out. It could have been much worse.
I know it will be fun times. The grandbaby is talking up a storm now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool! They are fun at that age.
Bailey and I are going to venture out and go grocery shopping.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have fun shopping. TTYL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
grrr what a mess to wake up to. Hopefully the day improved some after that.
LikeLike
The day was not a good one. Today is doing much better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
glad to hear it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
:)
LikeLike
I don’t see raccoons often – when I do they are usually going in or out of the storm sewers at night. When I walk the dogs for my daughter and roommate, Bailey is always very interested in the storm sewer grates. I’m guessing the raccoon aroma is strong – and I have occasionally seen eyes looking out from those openings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I have seen them disappear into the storm drain at my old house as there was a drain in front of the house next door. They nested in the hollow of one of the big oak trees in the front yard for years — until one got into the attic and tore everything apart. Had to have the critter trapped and relocated. The raccoon is gone, and after I sold the house, the first thing they did was cut down the 2 OLD trees in the front yard and the humongous oak tree in the back yard :(
LikeLike
You had quite the day. I hope today’s a little better for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I did. Glad that one is over. Today was much better, thanks for the positive thoughts, Fandango <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no! Not fun to start the day with needing to fix stuff as soon as you get up. Glad you caught it before the fish were in trouble.
Hope you had fun though today visiting grandbaby! :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Barbara, exactly. I didn’t even think the fish could have been in danger. Thank goodness it worked out the way it did. We had a great time this afternoon. Went for a bite to eat then walked out at the nature center. I think she is going to be a naturalist or a musician when she grows up and maybe both :)
LikeLike
So good to hear of your fun day out, after the mess earlier. It’s fun to speculate on what our grands might be interested in later on, isn’t it. :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I’m reading, I’m thinking… dumb accident? Nope… and then I got to the shop-vac part… ugh. Not fun. As for the critters opening the can? They are an industrious lot, aren’t they?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got through it, one step at a time. As televangelist Robert Schuler (the only televangelist I believed in and learned from) said, “inch by inch anything’s a cinch.” Funny they know the empty one is empty, they haven’t touched it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the best way. One step at a time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry, sounds like you had a really bad day. I hope it’s largely history by now. I also feel nothing you did was “dumb”. It was really bad luck, and it easily could happen to any of us. There was no way for you to foresee your fish tank would leak. My wife also is into fish and has a large tank – I don’t even know how many gallons. A leak could certainly cause significant flooding.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Christian. The leak was totally unexpected and thank goodness I have the other tank so easy to move them over. Very cool your wife has fish. Has she ever watched the YouTube channel Ohio Fish Rescue?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frances (my wife) used to breed guppies. At our previous house (we rented), most of the basement was her fish room with some 20-30 tanks – not kidding! No idea whether she knows of Ohio Fish Rescue. I have to ask her! :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
What the !?!? 20-30 tanks!? She could run her own fish rescue! That’s really cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person