Faucet sounded a little higher pitched than usual, even though the flow seemed normal. So I unscrewed the aerator. All the brown grains are rust flakes that come from the inside of our old galvanized pipes. I'm pretty sure the light colored sandy stuff is just in the water supply that Arlington County delivers to us. I should install a whole house sediment filter or something. I end up replacing the valves in my fixtures every 5 years or so. They are being sand blasted.

Great shot....I'm affraid to look at mine now.

Just minerals, they're good for you, good for your gizzard.:3eye:

I've got no problem with the sand in the water, but the faucet and showers valves do. And I'm sick of replacing them every few years because the sand is blasting them on the insides.

I wonder if the sand is coming all the way from the water treatment place where they filter the river water through sand before adding chlorine, or if it's scale buildup on some pipes somewhere that's flaking off and into the supply. I guess it doesn't really matter.

I don't know anything about brands of filters and who makes good ones, but I've been looking around online for whole house inline sediment filters. I'd much rather spend 5 minutes and $50 replacing a filter in my basement once a year than redo fixtures every five years at a day and $200 each.

The rust could be in-house, but the sand is coming from outside, somewhere along the line. Since the water is under pressure, it's hard to believe a hole/crack in a water line would allow sand in, so I'm betting the source.

Whole house filters are cheap, readily available at home centers, and easy to replace the element once a year. My well kicks up an ultrafine silt, when disturbed, so fine I can't feel it between my fingers. I've changed the filter just because I thought it was time, and was shocked to find it loaded, crusted, with that silt, but no noticeable drop in water pressure or flow.

Just lick it and drink the tequila already.

Playing with the new macro lens attachment. A tripod is mandatory for success. Not just to hold the camera steady for the long exposure, but also the critical focusing.

Wow a tiny sprite bottle - ;)

A couple that weren't quite treasures...

(Yeah, I'm bored)

I like the Sacagawea coin.

What is that last picture? The "crystal", with the "carbon"? Is it salt and pepper?

No Bob, it's just a piece of quartz and something else I can't remember. My daughter is trying to claim its kryptonite but I think she's wrong.

well, it makes me weak when i touch it

Looks like tourmaline.