Outhouses and Wells

First, let me tell you what an outhouse is for those of you that don't know what one is. In the past years, some people did not have an indoor bath-room. So there was a hole dug in the back yard away from the main house. Then a building was built over the opening. This looked like a little house. When you opened the door there was a plank with a hole in it that you sat on and proceeded to do your business.

This wasn't a fun place to be in cold weather or rainy weather. My wise grandmother had a pot with a top on it for us to use at night. Then in the morning one of us would have to go to the outhouse and empty it.

I'm so thankful that my children didn't have to use them, but sometime when I ride around, I sometime find an old home that had an outhouse in the backyard. I take pictures of them just to be able to remember where I did come from.

The next great thing that gets my attention are wells. Before people had running water in the house, the water came from springs and wells. There was a bucked attached to a pulley and you would lower the bucket until you would hear a big splash. This was our drinking water, bath, cooking and clothes washing water.

My grandmother would try and have enough water on hand for all this, at all times. The children had a big wash tub to take baths in . We all thought it was great. My grandmother never rushed us, but we were clean when we got out.

When there was a rain storm the water would be a little muddy. We always had good drinking water because grandma was always thinking ahead. What a wonderful woman.

Things changed, later in years, there was running water install and an indoor bath room. Grandma was still concerned about using too much water. So we watched and made sure she did not worry about the well going dry.

Oh, my how each of our lives have been touched by the wings of this angel. We are so blessed.

Thanks for making me be aware of the things around me and conserve what god has given us.

All my love Dale
11-09-2009