Outhouses

We always had an outhouse at the cabin. And we still have an outhouse at the cabin.

When we were kids, the outhouse at our river cabin was down a path that went just a little bit into the edge of the woods. It seemed like a long and chilly run to get to it when you got up in the morning, the dew wetting your feet and the bottom of your pajamas. It wasn’t scary to go to the outhouse in the daylight when you could see the insects and animals that might be lurking inside or out, but it felt a little weird at dusk, and was downright terrifying in the dark. Too afraid to go alone, we usually went two by two, flashlights scanning the area. We weren’t as anxious about what we might see as we were about what might be seeing us. One of us would go in as the other stood guard, off to one side with their back to the outhouse, because we sure as heck weren’t going to shut the door. Then we switched places.

When we visited one relative’s place we used “The Flamingo Room.” It was painted bright pink inside, and pictures clipped from magazines adorned the walls. Amongst the things stored there was a croquet set. It stood in one corner, if it wasn’t set up to play in the yard. This facility was right out in the open, not tucked back into the woods or discreetly placed on the corner of the lot. When you went in, everyone knew it. It was common for someone to talk to you through the door while you visited. And often someone would latch the door on the outside and lock you in for a while.  Very funny. Wait till the next time you need to use the outhouse! Luckily, there was enough space between the slats to wiggle something through if you had something skinny (the croquet hoops worked perfectly if the set was in there) to lift the latch.

At our lake cabin, our current location, the original outhouse was closer to the cabins. Still terrifying at night. This outhouse was a combo potty and storage shed. As gas cans were kept there over many winters it always smelled a bit like gasoline, which some may prefer to the alternative smell. In contrast, it was nicely decorated with a tapestry hung on the back wall by our grandma decades ago and a colorful toilet seat cover and rug. You just couldn’t look up. The ceiling was always a favorite hangout for large wolf spiders. That outhouse was retired many years ago and is only used for storage now.

The current outhouse is a two holer. We could not understand why anyone would ever want to sit right next to someone else to do this particular activity. Turns out usually one hole was a little smaller to accommodate children. And it seems if you had two or more children it would speed up the process to do double duty, especially handy in inclement weather. This outhouse is up the hill from the cabin a bit, away from all the yard lights, and it is very dark in the night. We try to be brave and go alone. After all, we’re adults now. But if we can find someone who will come with and stand guard so we don’t have to shut the door….