Well the old out house is in shape now & ready if we need it. We live on a farm & the out house is still standing & in excellent shape, but hasn't been used for years. Hubby spent the day, cleaning the inside...sprayed it well with bleach water, put on a new toilet seat & put a hook up for the kerosene lantern. I had to laugh at our daughter who is grown, but still living at home. She thinks we have gone over the deep end anyway, & when her dad showed her what he did to the out house, her response was YUK! She said she sure wasn't going to be using that. We have been putting up corn all week, & Rick is saving the cobbs to dry out for smoking meat in the smoker. (He read where they are excellent for that) Anyway, she saw them laying out back drying, & had the funniest look on her face when she asked what they were for. Rick told her that was what she is going to be using when our stash of toilet paper runs out. She told her dad he is taking this y2k thing a little too far. It was funny!! He didn't tell her any different either. Well, this weekend we canned 68 jars of veggies. We did corn relish, creamed corn, Jalapeno jelly, delicious vegatable soup (all fresh veggies). This is the 4th weekend we have spent canning. Last week we did 2 bushels of green beans. I don't speak out much, but for the last year I have been lurking on the other forum. That is when I got it, & have been preparing ever since. There have been lulls, when we didn't hear much, but we didn't quit. One question I do have....I have seen all the posts on canning butter, & I would love to have butter put away, but is it really safe? Shouldn't you process in pressure canner, since it is low acid? Appreciate any info.

-- Carol Ann (JCclass69@aol.com), July 18, 1999

Answers

Don't forget to store some lime for the outhouse.

I gave up on the idea of storing butter when someone pointed out that butter-flavored Crisco tastes like butter (if you add salt) and lasts a long time.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), July 19, 1999.

First, Carol Ann - LOO about the corn cobs and your daughter.

Second, we used to have an outhouse, but it's been gone just over 10 years now. We do have a mound system, and theoretically if we wanted to carry water for flushing, we could keep using it-- but during the winter we could have freezing pipes problem.

However, one suggestion I read somewhere that cheered me greatly was the idea that if necessary, one could more or less build your outhouse over one of the cement openings to the mound system.

Now, what I don't know is which one or whether it matters-- does anyone familiar with mound systems know? Or is there some 'flaw' with this idea? (I like it so much, there has to be a flaw...! ;-)).

The cement openings of which I speak are approx. 2 feet in diameter (no I didn't measure). One sticks up above the ground about a foot. The other one is about 5 feet closer to the house and about a foot underground, we have to dig it up every 3 years when we get the sytem pumped. These are the two openings they pump from.

A couple of other asides: When they do pump out the system, it goes into their truck and then is spread on the nearest recently cut hayfield. ... But I guess that's okay with the sanitation regulations.

And the last aside-- if you're rural, and you can burn trash outdoors. A possible idea for extending the amount of room in the pit is to put the 'used' t.p. into a trash bag and burn it later.

Am really hoping it doesn't come to needing outhouses and the like, but keeping contingencies in mind, never the less. So, again, anyone familiar with Mound systems-- please do respond to the questions above. Thanks much.

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 19, 1999.

Winter Wondering; If the "mound system" is what we know as a septic tank then is the absence of air that allows the anerobic bacteria to digest the contents of the tank and makes the system work. Keeping the system open by installing an outhouse over one of the cleanouts would stop the anerobic action and clog the system. We plan to continue using the indoor facilities and flushing with water carried in from the well.

-- Lumber Jack (johnsellis@webtv.net), July 19, 1999.

Well, I believe there are some differences between a mound system and a septic tank, as we used to have a septic tank and when it failed we could not put in another one-- instead had to replace it with a mound system. It may be possible though that both types of systems need to remain closed. I don't know.

Anyone out there who does?

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 19, 1999.

Excellent book covering outhouses and all else (pumps, plumbing, water purifying, etc) for back-country lodging:

Cottage Water Systems
Max Burns
Cottage Life Books
1995

Think I got from Real Goods, but can't remember.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), July 19, 1999.

oops - LOO was supposed to be LOL for laughing out loud. Guess I had other things on my mind (like the 'loo!) .

Big Dog-- thanks for the book ref. It's in the pub. lib and I've put a hold on it.

Lumber Jack -- I'm doing some further looking into the subject based on your comments. Hauling water is an option, but if there is an extended power outage, then we may have a freezing problem. Also, we may have yet another problem, but will have to check with the one who installed the mound. Looking at some plans on the net, there are two different types of mounds. Both start with a septic tank and then the liquid effluent passes into another tank. But from there, either it is gravity flow into the mound itself (the drainage field) or it is pumped. I don't think we have a pump there. On the other hand, given the "lay of the land" I'd be surprised if it's gravity flow from the second tank to the mound.

Thanks all

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 19, 1999.

winter wondering- actually- you still do have a septic tank with your mound system. the difference is in the disposal field. a mound system is required by local regs if the groundwater depth is too high- or very rarely- if the soil drains too fast.

You must have had an old system that the septic field failed in- and either there wasn't anyplace avaialble with adequate depth to groundwater to replace it in, or the regs had been changed over the years, and you couldn't comply without a mound.

The problem with some mound systems though- is that they require a pump to bring the effluent from the tank to the disposal field- a problem if no power.

Re: outhouses. If adequate hole depth not available due to high gw or rocks- separate out the tp and burn- will prolong use of that hole- also- if those who can easily do so (guys), pee elsewhere when possible(good deer deterent in summer btw), also prolongs hole life. stock up on lime though- helps with odors, and flies......

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), July 20, 1999.