Where There's Smoke, There's a Worried Val

I pulled into The Pony's driveway on Thursday, to pick up my little companion for Errand Day. Smoke was billowing around the back of the house! I tried not to jump to conclusions. No way could I run inside and carry The Pony out on my shoulders. I can barely carry myself from T-Hoe to convenience store.

Maybe The Pony was sitting in the Rogue, waiting for me, and had started up the engine. It was 37 degrees. Yeah. That must be it. Car exhaust in the cold air. But no. That car wasn't running. Nobody inside. The smoke came from the other side of The Pony's house. The kitchen side, next to the neighbors.

Well. Perhaps The Pony was doing laundry. I don't know where the dryer vent is, but my own dryer makes that billowy white smoke during the winter. That must be it. Heat from the dryer, condensing in the cold air. 

The Pony came trotting out. Whew!

"Is your house on fire?"

"No. I don't think so."

"Are you doing laundry?"

"Nope."

"What's all that smoke! Look at it!"

"Huh. I did not know it was doing that. But don't worry. It's probably just the sewer. The city sent out a notice. They're doing a smoke test of the sewers over three days. This is the middle day. I don't have any smoke coming up in my house. So I figure everything at my end must be okay."

When I backed out and then turned onto the street in front of The Pony's house, we saw a crew with two or three city trucks several houses away. So I believed that was the source of the smoke. I asked Hick the next day about why they would be doing that.

"Is it to see if the sewer is blocked? Or if any smoke goes up into houses? Should all that smoke have been pouring out beside The Pony's house, there by the kitchen?"

"That's where The Pony's sewer vent is. The smoke could have been coming out there. The trap keeps it from going into the house. So that's working. I don't know why they would be doing a test. Maybe to see if the smoke comes out of the storm drains. Drain water is not supposed to mix with sewer water. According to the EPA."

The more you know... the less you worry about The Pony's house burning down at the first sign of smoke.