No one likes an empty tank

• Natalie Pitfield

I’m sure I’m not the only lifestyler who wakes up every morning, and the first thing they do is check the header tank.

And I’m sure I’m not the only one who knows their day is pretty much cancelled once they see the tank is empty.

During winter, it’s not quite so essential to fix a broken line immediately. Stock will be drinking less, so you have a few hours’ grace before things get urgent. But in summer, a problem needs to be fixed as quickly as possible.

Recently, I awoke to an empty header tank. I make it a rule to check the top troughs first, as that’s the smartest thing to do. But it was a busy day, so I turned the water off in the morning and went to check the troughs in the afternoon. They all seemed fine.

So began the ritual of checking all the troughs on a sixteen-acre property that’s mostly a ridge. I checked the usual suspects. You always know where the most likely places a break will happen, as you’re the person who’s fixed all the problems historically. But everything looked fine.

I came back up top and realised that because I’d turned the water off earlier in the day and it was particularly hot, the leaked water had dried up, so I couldn’t see where the problem lay. I turned the water back on and went back down. Still no luck. By this stage, I’d walked so much of our hilly property that my smart watch was jumping for joy. I was about to give up when I saw the top trough gushing water down the hill. Luckily, it was simply a joint that had disconnected, and it was an easy fix. I wished I’d checked that trough first the second time around. But sometimes you’re so caught up in what you’re doing, you change the routine without even thinking.

Messing about unnecessarily on a hot day isn’t fun. But no matter how long you’ve been fixing troughs, it’s still possible to absent-mindedly forget to check the nearest troughs first.

RECIPE: Burgers

Ingredients
500g mince (more if you like chunkier patties)
½ lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Sliced beetroot, drained on paper towel
Dash of oil
4 eggs
4 rashers of bacon
4 burger buns
4 slices of cheese (tasty, gruyere, Swiss)
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp smoked hickory sauce

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Feel free to add any other spices you might like such as chilli, steak seasoning, mixed herbs etc. Divide into 4 balls and press balls into patties. Put onto a plate and refrigerate until needed.
2. Heat a fry pan to medium and add a dash of oil. Add sliced onions and cook until onions are soft. Move to the edge of the pan.
3. Add patties and fry until they are cooked but still slightly pink in the centre. This will take around 4 minutes per side, depending on how thick they are.
4. Remove patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Cook bacon rashers in fry pan until desired crispness. Remove and keep warm on plate with patties.
5. Heat a grill. Cut buns in half and place on a tray. Put a slice of cheese on the bottom half. Grill till cheese is bubbling. Remove.
6. Cook eggs in fry pan while buns are toasting.
7. Assemble buns. Place the bottom half on a plate. Add lettuce, sliced tomato and beetroot slices if using. Add a patty and some sauteed onion. Cut bacon in half to fit on burger and add. Then top with the fried egg.
8. Mix mayo and smoked hickory sauce and spread on top half of bun. Place top on burger.

Enjoy with fries and play around with combinations of fillings. Omit anything you don’t like. Add things like mushrooms, haloumi, fancy cheeses and other sauces. Vary your mince (pork, lamb). Use a crumbed or fried chicken breast or fish fillet instead of a patty.