Sepia Scenes and Yard Art

I'm combining this week's Sepia Scenes with Mary's new Yard Art on Thursday meme. Last week my dear Hubs had a checkup with his doctor and as he was driving I spotted this 'outhouse' along the way. This was in someones side yard right along the highway. I have seen this done before but not as eloquently as this one. It sits in the center of a large flower bed with lights and plants and small shrubs arranged around the exterior. Hanging plants left from the last growing season adorned one side. I thought the moon and star cutouts the defining touch.
I converted the color image that's below to sepia and added some texture to make the image look like an old postcard.

Last week my yard art was a huge concrete cactus that my good friend Thom thought "why do I think that is so odd in your neck of the woods." I just KNOW he will think this much more appropriate.
However, should anyone think the outhouse is only indicative of American Appalachia the country of Australia for example was largely unsewered until the early 1970s with many suburbs having outhouses or 'dunnys' behind each house. That was a mere 40 years ago.

For more Sepia Scenes join Mary here.

For more Yard Art join her here.

The Little House Out Back

While visiting relatives in Indiana this past April we were out in the yard admiring all the flowers coming into bloom and I had been taking some pictures when I glanced over into the neighbor's backyard. I quickly did a double take and disgreetly took a picture. A different kind of yard art wouldn't you say. As disgusting to some as it may be outhouses dotted the American landscape for years. In many places it was well up into the 1960's before water and sewer service reached many places in rural America. I can remember sitting in a school assembly (there were two - one for girls, one for boys) and our guidance counselor discussing hygiene and mentioning the fact that she knew many didn't have indoor bathrooms and the need for cleanliness. I never forgot it.
At first glance one might believe the image above was taken years ago. The fence, the outhouse, and the train track out back could well depict a slice of long ago America. The only thing that spoils it is the markedly modern two-story house in the background.

Not many of these old structures are still standing. Did I just hear a collective sigh of relief? On August 29, 2007, the highest outhouse in the continental United States — which sat atop Mount Whitney at about 4,418 meters (14,494 feet) above sea level, offering a magnificent panorama to the user — was removed.

However, in 2007, Europe's highest outhouses (two) were helicoptered to the top of France's Mont Blanc at a height of 4,260 meters (13,976 feet). The dunny-cans as they are called are emptied by helicopter. (I'm not sure how that works and I'm not sure I want to know.) The facilities will service 30,000 skiers and hikers annually.

The old structure in the picture above has been standing in the same place since I was a child. It sits on the grounds of a country church. The church has all the amenities of modern day conveniences in the basement so its hard to say why the old outhouse was never torn down.

This one sits beside an abandoned country store that served customers during the 50's and 60's.
We can all be thankful for modern amenities!

For more (tasteful) Sepia Scenes

click the badge...........>