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BIG SIS, SHE WAS PRETTY THEN AND ALSO NOW..bmp)
BIG SIS (MOTHER WAS AS GOOD A PHOTOGRAPHER AS DAVID) LITTLE BROTHER AND KITTY You hear the phrase quite often and see emails with the captions "The Good Old Days".
Yes, there were plenty of good times but those good old days did not have indoor plumbing for this Kitty.
Those of you who have never had to toke a two gallon zinc bucket of water should have to go back and see how good you think those days were and carry some water.
My sister and I were the water girls and I do not ever recall little brother having to carry water to the house. Even when he was big enough it was still my duty to preform.
It was never a question "Do I need to go get water?" You knew what had to be done and you did it. I had to make sure we had water to drink, water to wash dishes, water to cook with, water for bath and lots of water to wash clothes. Next time you run water out of your faucet think of how many trips Kitty would have had to make.
So the good old days I had to make sure there was enough water for five people and enough to preform whatever task that needed to be done.
There were three options, the big spring which was over half a mile away, the spring by the Methodist Church or the outside water hydrant of one of the small stores in our little community. Even though it was farthest away, I liked going to the big spring. It was at the head of creek and it came flowing out of the rock cliffs. You had to go down highway 70 a little ways and then head up a dirt road to the Condit Hollar. After you crossed a wooden bridge over the creek and went over a cattle gap, you would turn right into a lush green meadow. I loved listen to the water tumble over the rocks and feel the cool breeze as I got closer to the spring. The rocky cliff was on my left and the rambling creek on my right.
There was a two feet by two feet opening at the bottom of the rocky cliffs and out poured the cold water. About three feet from the opening was a huge flat rock that you could take a big step and get upon and then if thirsty, get on your knee and lean over and drink a refreshing sip. Water has never tasted as good as that since I grew up. After quenching my thirst, I would take another big leap back to the bank of the creek. Lowering one and then the other pail I would fill two pails full of water. I would then walk back home and deposit the pails on the kitchen cupboards shelf for all to quench their thirst.
The Good old days as far as water goes is NOW.
The Kitty Justice is I truly appreciate turning a knob to see water flow.
Comments
There was only a short time in my childhood that we didn’t have an indoor toilet, but we did have water running to a sink inside the shack. (Ya we lived a summer in a shack.)
But I too carried many buckets of water, but the other way. In the winter when it would get below freezing I’d have to carry buck after bucket of hot water out to the cattle water troughs. There were two troughs and when you are trying to get water to cattle, horses and sheep it takes lots of trips. But the farthest trough was maybe 100 yards and the closer one was half that distance. The bad news both were up hill. I think is this one of the reason I don’t particularly care for horses.
I very much enjoyed reading this story!
I too carried water. At home, it was my job to see that drinking water was carried from Grandma's, which was across the field. We did have a cistern, so I didn't have to carry water for laundry etc at home. However, Grandma was frail all of her life and I had to do chores at her house. I carried water for drinking, laundry, cooking, and to the livestock. We had a little shack outback for doing our duty. LOL
I still look on those as the Good Old Days. It is a life that not many remember anymore, so I figure that we were lucky to experience it. Sure, it was hard work, but hard work gave us character.
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane.
Blessings,
Mary
I can see you heading up the hills with steaming pails just like little Jack. Hope you never fell down like he did.
Mary
I think both of us by growing up the way we did makes us more appreicative of the little things that others take for granted. Like running water.
Ah Susie, You were one of the lucky ones to have such luxory of running water when small. We did not have running water until I was in my second year of high school.
Peace to all