Digging that hole....

Boy am I glad that is over with. I thought this was a straightforward project. Dig a new hole, move an outhouse over the hole, fill old hole with dirt.

Not so fast. This is not a topic one can google and find much discourse on. I had to debate about cribbing (supporting) the walls, having a company pump the thing, or taking my chances and digging another hole in five years. Halfway into the digging process I said 'screw it I am paying to have this thing pumped.'

In the research I did with friends around town I discovered some varied ideas on how to approach the problem. First – how much poo does one produce in a year? Can a 55 gallon drum cover the load? Second, who takes on the task of pumping that crap out and why? and third what the heck am I doing even thinking about any of this in the year 2008? One friend has back door access to their outhouse in which they can change out garbage cans and move them to the curb when ready to be pumped – (gross!), others throw a barrel down and pump yearly. I eventually looked at the cost and determined I was willing to take my chances with the hole I dug and left it as is. This was after acquiring a 55 gallon drum, sawing off the top and seeing how tiny it looked in that beautiful hole that I dug. And so days of thought went for naught as I simply moved the outhouse over the hole took one look down the empty shaft and felt saddened that it would soon never look the same down there.

In the end however, it was a satisfying moment. Digging the hole gave me some time to bond with my property and reflect on what I love about Fairbanks. Like, the fact one has to deal with outhouse holes so close to town or the cheap price one has to pay for a phenomenol view of Ester dome. And so I was glad I dug that hole and suspect in a few years I will be out there contemplating another fine dig….and so it goes (if you ever wondered). Party on!