More Adventures in Plumbing or Why No One Should Plant Trees Ever

I was doing a late-night snail check when I heard a strange hissing sound. Queue digging soggy clay instead of settling in for a quiet evening with The Mister. Digging revealed that tree roots had crushed this water pipe. We cut the tree down to whom those roots belonged well over a year ago. It was damaging the building it was planted right next to. (Why did they do that? sez the girl who planted fruit trees right next to the house.) After cutting away the roots, we patched it with duct tape and a car hose clamp, and The Mister replaced the pipe yesterday after I dug down to the elbow. We're both amazed that there are no further adventures to report. It's so rare for repairs to go just the way you expect.