Washing my clothes with my "semi-automatic" washing machine

So...I purchased my washing machine...opened up the box...and had NO idea what to do.  The instructions, as rudimentary as they were didn't offer that great of information - so I had  to go ask my team mate to give me a lesson on doing my wash.  Here is what is involved:

The well (in the foreground) has water pumped up to the tower (in the back ground) - that is of course only when we have electricity.  The water is then gravity fed to the water source at my house...

This is where I tap into the water with my hose...

Then I run the hose to my washing machine to fill..

This is assuming we have electricity, or water in the well.  If neither is the case, then I have to take my very large bucket and walk down to the end of the property...













To this well - where I lower a bucket, and fill my very large bucket (takes about 4 times of lowering the bucket to fill enough water for a wash cycle...















THEN...I add my clothing...














 
Set the timer...

 Set my other dial to wash...

 when the timer goes off, I select the switch to drain - and the water drains out of the tub...

Then I refill the tub for the rinse cycle...



Set the tub to rinse...



re-set the timer...let it run it's cycle...



then set the knob to drain again...



then I wring out my clothes, and put them in the spin container....

After all that is done - I have semi-clean clothes.  Water coming from a well is tainted with dirt afterall, so you are washing clothes in dirty water...As you can see, this process does not allow me to go very far from my washing machine as it requires constant attention.  I guess I can now see how the machine is labeled "semi-automatic" - still not so sure what part is the automatic part!  HA!

Goes without saying, this is all assuming we have electricity - no electricity, no washing machine, no dryer - all our clothes go in our dryer so we don't get those pesky bot flies in our clothing, and then into our bodies...(and this was the LEAST  offensive picture of a bot fly larvae emerging from someone)



So...next time you throw your clothes in your washing machine and return 45 minutes later, think of us, say a prayer for our ministry, and add your Downy dryer sheets to the dryer.