Skinny Dipping and Snakes...

You would be surprised at the amount of water you use in a day, the faucet doesn't do it justice. You get a much better perspective of just how much is used for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, washing dishes, watering the livestock, chickens and dogs, when you have to tote it in bucket by bucket. We had no source of indoor water, just a hand dug well outside, outfitted with two buckets attached to a chain. As you raised one bucket you lowered another....thus water was always on the way up as long as you were pulling the well chain. The water was always ice cold even in Summer and had a most pleasant taste. We kept a dipper on a nail at the well so you could enjoy a drink just after the bucket was raised up. There were two natural Springs nearby, and I frequented them often. I won't the only one, folks had used it in bygone days too. I often found Arrowheads in the fields not far from the Springs after a hard downpour exposed the rocks in the plowed furrows. The water at the Springs was so good as to not be described. That was one reason I went, and the other was I won't supposed to go that far from the house. I judged everything by whether I was "sposed' to do it or not, if "not" then I had to do it. It was my job.... Back then you could pretty much wander anywhere and do anything you were stupid enough to do, and I was stupid enough to do it all. I caught many a snake by laying a bacca stick across his head and holding it down with my foot till I could grab his tail and then found a sandy spot so the Snake could fan back and forth as it tried to slither off and make the neat little swirly lines. I always let em go after a few minutes of "play time." I never listened to the "snakes is poison" speech. All snakes were Black Snakes as far as I was concerned. If it could bite, sting or scratch you, I was bit stung or scratched by it. Luckily my nine lives held out I guess. Never was Snake bit...thought I was twice and may have been...hard to say. There was Snakes present and I bled both times but I still cain't say. Most times I never had to lie either...."Jimmy did you just leave that Spring over at Widilee's house." "No Maam'.....and I hadn't. I had been at the Spring earlier, but I had "just left" the deep end of Gayles Pond where I had been skinny dipping....cause I won't "sposed' to do either. Go to Gayles Pond alone OR skinny dip....got me a "twofer"....booyah!