Wednesday, January 28

Yes, they're Outhouses!


We sure could use one of these out by the pool in the summer, if I could just get one and have it plumbed with a real toilet. Swimmers could stay outside when the urge hits them. No more wet puddles in the kitchen or damp spots in the carpet when the grand kids come over to swim! Scroll down for the commentary.















Exhibit Showcases the Lowly Outhouse as High Art


Chances are you've never used one, but all this
month some of the prettiest outhouses in Texas
are on display in downtown San Antonio.
The "Thunderbox Road" art exhibit is going on
at the Menger Hotel. There are 12 full-sized
"Thunderboxes" or outhouses painted and decorated
in true Texas style.

Sonja Howle with the Thunderbox Road exhibit says
it “was created to pay tribute and showcase the talent
we have in the Hill Country artists."

In February, the exhibit will be at the San Antonio
Stock Show and Rodeo. After their tour, the outhouses
will be auctioned off to benefit medical research and
the Western Art Museum in Kerrville

I have to thank one of my email buddies for sending these to me.

21 comments:

Beverly said...

Never used one? Oh my, I wish. My grandparents had four rooms and a path, and I hated going there. Hot weather or cold, it was bad.

I must say when I lived in Haiti and experienced such, it wasn't such a culture shock for me as it was for some of the people who came down.

bobbie said...

Only in Texas.

Tammy said...

Those are adorable...wonder if they stink as much a plain outhouse?

Anonymous said...

A couple of those would have been handy when I was a child!

Granny Annie said...

I wish we had brought our Kansas outhouse with us to Oklahoma. A functional outhouse in the country is a blessing when you have workers hired and you don't have them tramping in and out of the house to use the bathroom. Also you avoid any embarrassment when they use the all outdoors as their toilet and you run around the corner just as they are midstream.

Anonymous said...

Oh, how I envied our "rich" neighbors who had a two-holer. At our house, one had to talk to a friend through the boards instead of having a side-by-side chat!
Cop Car
P.S. Even our "rich" neighbors didn't paint their outhouses, though!

Kay Dennison said...

My grandparents had three-holer -- probably needed it with eight kids. It was my least favorite part of my visits to their farm in Wisconsin. And Cop Car? Grandpa didn't paint their outhouse either.

Evil Twin's Wife said...

Those are fancy! At the cemetary where my maternal grandparents are buried, there was only an outhouse. And yes, I had to use it a few times. PU.

Deana said...

We could really use one of these down by our pond too...and they are quite lovely.

Dianne said...

art really is everywhere!

Pat said...

My grand-parents had an outside one with cut up newspaper for a toilet roll. I used to seize up completely and be dosed with syrup of figs which were slightly preferable to Gran's enenemas.

Darlene said...

I have used outhouses more times and places than I can remember. The worst one was on Mt Lemmon when we were guests of a woman who had a cabin up there. It sloped down so you were afraid you would slide off as you used the facility while praying that one of the Black Widow Spiders didn't feast on your exposed rear. Even fancy painting wouldn't have helped.

Bobkat said...

Thunderbox Road, Lol :D

These are cool, thanks for sharing them :)

srp said...

Love the outhouses... my grandma used to have one out on the farm and they scared me silly as a child! The little country church had one too... it was a double with two stalls. Unfortunately the church and its out house became infested with termites and they knew it was time to demolish both when the outhouse wall fell down.... while occupied. It was a shame they couldn't at least save the church.

Happy Birthday to your hubby... his was the day before my brother's and eight days after the anniversary of my birthday. We won't discuss that!

I see that you got snow. It was forecast for here as well. Even Nyssa called and said we were in for 3 to 5 inches. They called off school and shut down the community colleges and even the first shift of the Perdue chicken plant. Then we waited, and waited and waited and ..... it never did snow. Not one flake!

It is supposed to be 69 here today.... it will probably snow. ; )

Kristi said...

Ha! I could use one by my pool too.

Ginnie said...

It's been many a year since I used an outhouse. Haven't missed it a bit...even if it were to come in the new "art" shape.

Unknown said...

That's odd. For some reason your blog is loading in miniature. Everything is so tiny that I can't read it. I had to try several times to successfully find the comments link. If I click on the photos they do enlarge.

Very weird.

Hale McKay said...

Not only have I used them, I've even picked up a splinter or two on the bum!

If I may quote a verse from a 60s hit song on a Charleston, WV radio station.

"It was not so long ago,
I went trippin' thru the snow,
Out behind my old hound dog;
And I'd lay me down to rest
Like a snowbird on its nest,
And read the Sears & Roebuck catalog.


It was a funny song - but hard as hell to dance to.

Anonymous said...

Cop Car reminded me that we had a two seater at one time and my brother loved to wait until one of our Mother's friends sat down, and then he would yell into a small hole he had drilled in the back.

"Hey, lady, can you move over to the other hole? I'm working down here."

He always wondered why they screamed!

JeanMac said...

Very fancy compared to my childhood days!

Jamie Dawn said...

Those are some fancy outhouses!!
I wonder if they've ever actually been "used?"
:-)
I doubt it.
I need one of those in my yard in AR.