Country Learning

I was waiting until closer to Valentine's Day to post this story. But, since John decided to post it today, you'll have to read it at his site.


A summary of lessons learned:

1. A fun fact: There is no animal control office in the country, and no agency actually wants to help with a skunk issue. When trying to obtain help with a skunk from a county agency, make sure to emphasize that that skunk is rabid. Worry about whether or not it is actually rabid later.

2. Another fun fact: When a skunk dies, it looses its ability to control its smelly spray, so the smelly stuff expels all over. It may be worth it to invest in a large live animal trap so you can control where the spray happens.

3. When a skunk falls into your window well and the only way to get it out is to shoot it, be prepared for the horrible all-consuming stench that will linger in your house for months. You may want to pack a suitcase and have it ready at a friend’s house BEFORE the shooting, so you will have a few clothes that don’t smell.

Yet another lesson in Country Learning!

Growing up one of my favorite cartoons was Scooby Doo. In my memory a lot of episodes occurred in, or close to, a lagoon - meaning a haunted swamp.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that the septic system of choice in this area is a lagoon. Why in the world would we want a haunted swamp by our house? And, more importantly, why would we dump raw sewage into a swamp by our house?

I now know that a lagoon can be something other than a haunted swamp. Apparently Scooby Doo wasn't a good source of information...

Things I've learned while living in the country:

1. A lagoon is a type of septic system, not a swamp-like area. A pipe carries waste from your house to a small pond a few hundred feet from your house. The pipe’s end is under water. The water and other natural creatures assist your waste in decomposing. Surprisingly, if it is constructed correctly, you will never smell your lagoon.

2. If you need assistance in constructing a lagoon, the Kansas State Extension Office has a publication that provides information.

3. To keep your lagoon free of vegetation, get some baby geese in the spring. Make sure that the lagoon is fenced with small chain-link fencing so that the geese can’t get out. Start eating your first goose about Thanksgiving, your last one by New Year’s Day. Repeat the process again each spring. (We've opted to not do this. It seems very wrong to eat something with a diet consisting solely of sewage!)

4. There are right and wrong types of toilet paper for your septic/lagoon system. Use this test to find out if yours is okay: Take four connected squares of toilet paper. Hold on to the far end, and dip the rest into water. Pull the strip up. If the paper breaks off, you’re doing great! If the strip is still connected, immediately go out and buy another brand. Give your old toilet paper to a food pantry in the city.

Three years ago John and I started talking about where we would like to live for the rest of our lives. We created lists of qualities that we would like in a community. Eventually we came to a conclusion that startled me: we had decided, based on our lists, to live in south-central Kansas. WHAT? Yes, that's right, if given the choice to live anywhere in the world, we would choose to live here.

Now, I grew up in an area that I thought was rural. It was a subdivision, but there was a corn field that bordered two sides of our property. The first time I visited John's parents I realized that I was very very wrong. I had actually grown up in a city.

Living 3 miles from the city limits of a town with 3000 residents has been quite the learning experience. We have 10 acres, a driveway that's 1/3 mile long, our own well and septic system, and an outbuilding. This requires an amazing level of knowledge and responsibility!

I've started making a list of all the things I have learned while living in the country. Periodically I will share some of my observations on this site in the category "Country Learning".