Quote from: TboneAgain on February 10, 2022, 06:11:03 PMYep. You gouged it!

Lots of people know what a sheeps-foot compactor looks like, but I like the lore that goes with it -- the Romans or Greeks or somebody a really long time ago using herds of sheep to compact their dirt fills.

I knew it came from the concept of sheep packing ground, but I didn't know it was from that era. Fascinating...

Quote from: Solar on February 10, 2022, 06:27:34 PMI knew it came from the concept of sheep packing ground, but I didn't know it was from that era. Fascinating...

There are stories from WWII of temporary runways being made in deep snow by platoons of soldiers force-marched in patterns. The principle is the same.

Animals like sheep, swine, and cattle feature relatively large body weights along with cloven hooves, small, hard footprints that concentrate their weight/mass pressure into tiny areas. Somebody, somewhere along the line, must have noticed the "hardening" result where these animals traveled.

Quote from: taxed on February 10, 2022, 04:13:48 PMDefinitely.  Here's a little secret about guys: we'll naturally gravitate towards the option that's easier with less resistance.  The less work involved, the better.  When I have to take a leak, outside is the first option.  If it's too public, or it's not convenient, or I have nice pants on and need to make sure I don't have any mistakes, or I don't have shoes on and it's too cold outside, then I'll pee inside.

Otherwise, we'll look around for another person to see if we can guarantee a 15-30 second block of time where nobody is coming. I do that ALL THE TIME on my walks.  I'm shocked that in all my years of golf course peeing, and walking on populated hiking trails, that I've never been caught in public.

 

Quote from: Twinkle on February 11, 2022, 02:50:53 AM

Just one last point here. When I first bought my raw land, I had a motorhome, and no running water, so water was at a premium until I could pump from the spring.
In other words, flushing the toilet would be a luxury one would do once a day.

Outside was just a way of life. We start as boys, then mom trains us to polite, then we get older and revert to being boys again.
Then we get really old and don't care where we go, so I guess one could say it Depends .        

Quote from: Solar on February 11, 2022, 05:46:37 AMJust one last point here. When I first bought my raw land, I had a motorhome, and no running water, so water was at a premium until I could pump from the spring.
In other words, flushing the toilet would be a luxury one would do once a day.

Outside was just a way of life. We start as boys, then mom trains us to polite, then we get older and revert to being boys again.
Then we get really old and don't care where we go, so I guess one could say it Depends .        

Hilarious!

I am able to see the benefit of having a bathroom that's not actually in the house.  I wouldn't mind using an outhouse, just to get the business of sanitation out away from the home.  I have a big empty unused (for now) basement, and I do my less pleasant bathroom business down there.

Quote from: Twinkle on February 11, 2022, 05:52:35 AMHilarious!

I am able to see the benefit of having a bathroom that's not actually in the house.  I wouldn't mind using an outhouse, just to get the business of sanitation out away from the home.  I have a big empty unused (for now) basement, and I do my less pleasant bathroom business down there.

     
On occasion while laying in bed, I turn to the wife, "Honey, did you fa..."
NO!!!!
The damn septic on occasion dies and the gases waft into the bedroom, a skunk has a more pleasing odor.

Quote from: Solar on February 11, 2022, 06:08:50 AM     
On occasion while laying in bed, I turn to the wife, "Honey, did you fa..."
NO!!!!
The damn septic on occasion dies and the gases waft into the bedroom, a skunk has a more pleasing odor.

        

Living in a small rural town, I am learning the idiosyncrasies.  We're on a sewer system and the most bizarre thing happens when we have windy days.  The water level in the toilet rises and falls visibly and the stink that comes out of the toilet is pretty rough.  I need to remind myself to talk to someone from the city about it.  It's a mystery.

Quote from: Twinkle on February 11, 2022, 06:25:46 AM       

Living in a small rural town, I am learning the idiosyncrasies.  We're on a sewer system and the most bizarre thing happens when we have windy days.  The water level in the toilet rises and falls visibly and the stink that comes out of the toilet is pretty rough.  I need to remind myself to talk to someone from the city about it.  It's a mystery.

       
Poor engineering and growth plays havoc on older systems.
I remember when Sacramento went from a sleepy Cowtown to a huge metropolis, the growing pains were felt by all, from flooding to failed sewer systems.

And how did they solve it? They raised the hell out of taxes on those who built the city, so those moving in would suffer the burden of paying for the improvements they were responsible.
You know, typical socialism.

I thought this  rather fitting.        

Quote from: taxed on February 10, 2022, 04:13:48 PMDefinitely.  Here's a little secret about guys: we'll naturally gravitate towards the option that's easier with less resistance.  The less work involved, the better.  When I have to take a leak, outside is the first option.  If it's too public, or it's not convenient, or I have nice pants on and need to make sure I don't have any mistakes, or I don't have shoes on and it's too cold outside, then I'll pee inside.

Otherwise, we'll look around for another person to see if we can guarantee a 15-30 second block of time where nobody is coming. I do that ALL THE TIME on my walks.  I'm shocked that in all my years of golf course peeing, and walking on populated hiking trails, that I've never been caught in public.

That precious "block of time" isn't always easy to come by!

Years ago I was working for a paving company. Our paver operator, whose name was Mike, but everybody called him "Big Daddy," hopped off the paver between trucks and waded into some roadside bushes to whiz. The woman who owned the property spotted him and called the cops. We all got to watch Big Daddy being led to the cruiser in handcuffs while the woman stood with her arms crossed on her front porch, looking very Karen-ish.

When we got to the road adjacent to the woman's driveway, we had to provide her with an asphalt driveway approach. You should have seen the bizarre thing we built out of our black sticky rocks for that nice lady.