The Swimming Hole on the farm

July 13, 2019

After dinner on the farm in Bath, Johnny and I usually helped grandma do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. We also had the small job of filling up the water jug that grandma kept in the fridge and if needed, change the water in the hand washing basin that was on a table just inside the kitchen door on the left hand side as you entered the kitchen. After that we could play outside or watch television in the TV room off of Grandma's bedroom until it was time to pray the rosary.

The pump for the well was on a wooden platform a few feet from the door going into the kitchen.. I remember on one particularly warm evening when grandma asked us to do these little chores we got carried away and decided to have a water fight instead ha ha. We used the stainless steel drinking cups that were near the pump to hurl water at each other. I think we were too loud because a little while later, grandpa came out and told us to put on our bathing suits and grab a towel because uncle Harold and uncle Frank were going to take us to the swimming hole located at the far end of the property. God bless them! A day’s work on the farm is about 12 hours so they both must have been ready to hit the sack. 

We folded the towel that Johnny and I had to share and we sat on it in the back of the pickup truck as we waited to leave. The towel provided a bit of cushioning for the trip which was by way of a narrow dirt road with several twists and turns and lots of bumps. Laundry was a really big chore on the farm so we couldn’t waste towels. 

In a few minutes, we were on our way

I seem to recall that the swimming hole, or water hole or whatever it was called was located in an area surrounded by trees and bushes. For the most part, the route was not too hilly but I do remember Uncle Harold cautiously approaching one hill while honking the horn, in case there was a vehicle coming towards us that we couldn’t see. Johnny and I laughed hysterically as we went down the other side of the hill. It would be a fluke if we met another car on that road because it was their property, but as a precaution, uncle Frank and uncle Harold always honked the horn when approaching a hill.

In those days people often rode in the back of pickup trucks. Nobody thought anything of it. There were no seatbelts anyways. It was kind of like riding in a convertible. We went to Mass on Sunday in the same truck. 

The drive to the water hole was the part of the trip Johnny and I liked the most. When we got there I had second thoughts about cooling off in the same water that the cows were drinking out of. Yes there were two cows beside the water and staring at us as we came through the clearing. The water was really murky; you wouldn’t want to get a mouthful. 

I think our uncles went in for a few minutes:  I can't remember if it was really deep enough for a swim. Johnny put his feet in and I just stayed put. No way was I going in there.

After a short time and before it got dark we headed back to the house. The trip back was fun and going down the hill the other way made Johnny and I laugh again.

By the time we got back it was getting dark..

We all prayed the rosary really fast and went to bed.