December 17th, 2006
for the “now i’ve seen everything” file
Today, while hiking at Foley Mountain, I came across something rather mysterious. Above, is a photo of a privy in the woods a short distance from a parking area. A couple of hiking trails lead off from the other side of the parking area.
I was confronted with this odd sight when I opened the door. Several wooden patches were nailed onto the inner walls of the privy. I haven’t been up to Foley Mountain in awhile, but I’m more than certain that these weren’t here before. I decided to do further research. What are these patches for???
It turns out that the patches cover some very small knotholes in the pine boards. I just happened to have my measuring tape in my pocket because I was measuring trees today, so I measured a couple of the holes The largest measured just a little more than 1/2 inch in diameter. Further, most of the knotholes were angled, so that they looked even smaller.
I have to wonder who would be worried about some 1/2 inch or less knotholes in a privy in the woods — one that it would be pretty hard for someone to sneak around without being seen. Seems kinda silly to me.
Tags: knotholes
December 17th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Thanks for the laugh this morning, Bev. Maybe they were just worried about getting cold, there in your arctic environment!
When they were putting up the siding on the house, the builders gathered us round and pointed out the inevitable knotholes in the siding. The foreman allowed as to how the wood in a knothole might break loose, leaving a hole just as you see there. “Go out in the woods and cut off a right-size branch of one of them cedars”, he said, and I suppressed the inevitable urge to tell him they weren’t really cedars, they were junipers. “Pound it into the hole. Then cut off the end with a saw”. Of course it works perfectly.
December 17th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Wayne – Since writing this, it did occur to me that perhaps the patches were to prevent insects from flying into the privy – except that there are gaps under the door and elsewhere, so I don’t think that’s the reason they were applied.
I like your builder’s solution for patching knotholes. Sounds much more practical and esthetically pleasing!
December 17th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
Unfortunately, people can be so nutty, that they will stoop and bend to watch others use the outhouse. Seems incredible, doesn’t it? Wasn’t there a story a while back about someone who… oh nevermind, it’s just to weird to write it. I like Wayne’s solution.
December 17th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
robin – Yes, quite true. I must admit that I give that more thought to such things when in public washrooms in airports or similar places. It seems there are kooks out there… well, not usually hanging around out in the forest… but they’re around.
December 18th, 2006 at 12:37 am
Ick. I’d forgotten that story until robin andrea reminded me. Weird doesn’t begin to cover that situation.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:09 am
Seems kind of thoughtful to me, Bev. But then I’m a prude.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:18 am
Cathy – I pay so little attention to the news that I probably haven’t heard the story. I guess there are plenty of weird people around in the world, so nothing should surprise me!
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Laura – I suppose it’s just that I’m used to roughing it in the bush, so that’s probably why I find it sort of humorous that anyone would be much worried about a few tiny knotholes.
December 21st, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Years ago when we lived in a house where all doors had little old fashioned locks where the key could go in from either side we had to remove the toilet paper from the bathroom keyhole after visits from my mother-in-law.
December 21st, 2006 at 1:26 pm
David – Really! I believe that takes the cake! (-: