Ahhhh, Christmas Eve. Torrential downpours, thunder and lightning, trees blown down. A classic holiday.

A mechanically-inclined relative and I created a makeshift automated pump system for our guest house yesterday. Our infrequent big rains have tended to pool up in front of it and seep water into the foundation and carpet. We removed bricks from the front area, dug a hole, installed a sump pump and added a float switch to it. Then had a helluva time finding the right PVC parts to mate the pump with a garden hose. Two trips to the hardware store. But checked it this morning and it’s working perfectly. Score one for the mechanics and engineers.