knew the opening was close. Then came the sound of water. Following this sound lead to lush green vegetation. A steamy mist was rising out of the dense growth into the cool morning air.

Hacking away the overgrowth revealed a dark opening with swirling vapors rising from the turbid waters within. The sound was louder now.

Wetsuit on, dive light in hand, I crawled down into the forbidding hole and into the steaming waters. The musty odor of decay fouled every breath.

With sucking mud dragging at me, I slithered into the dark opening.

Dante's words came to mind. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!".

Sharks? No. Salinity was far too low for sharks. Alligators, piranha, very unlikely.

On with the light, and a quick sweep revealed no eyes reflecting back. Good! Just floating debris on dark water. Overhead, every point dripped with condensation. The sides ran with green stains of copper and the red rust of iron.

Then I saw it! Through a curtain of steam was barely visible the source of the heat and sound.

I shouted "Found it!" and then it was gone.

A submerged mud bank afforded a place to lay back. A piece of floating debris for a pillow, and my short Rubbermaid tub holding the gear.

Although I knew what needed to be done, I sure did not want to do it. Oh God, please can't someone else be here in my stead?

With steel wool in hand, I burnished the copper tubing until it shown in the beam of light. No room for a tubing cutter. So out with the small hand saw. Soon the propane torch hissed it's blue breath as I soldered in a replacement copper hot water pipe under mom and dad's house.

Oh, what a mess!