For me the cold winds and snow of winter makes me recall my youth when we lived with my Grandmaw in Carter Co. Although Grandmaw's house was a very nice home, it didn't have all the modern comforts that we are so spoiled to. The outhouse was about 150 feet across the backyard. It was actually built over the creek, but before anyone tells me that it polluted the creek I'll mention that the creek had red water running in it. The water running out of the old coal mine corrected the problem with the outhouse. There was no central heat in the house, there was a warm morning stove in the living room and a fireplace in Grandmaw's bedroom. While the stove put out more heat, we sat around the fireplace. By the time we went to bed on a cold winter night we had baked our shins. The real fun was the next morning when we had to get out of bed. It may not have been cold enough to freeze water in the bedroom but it sure seemed like it could have. Also in the winter Mom did most of the cooking on the big flattop cook stove. While we got hot around the fireplace and froze getting out of bed, it is from this time that my best memories were formed. We had to carry in firewood and coal, we did have running water but if often froze up in the winter and then we carried water from the well. In the winter the big hill behind the blacksmith shop provided hours of riding a sled. Our sleds were made by my father and while they were just a plain old sleds, they were great! We lived 3/4 of a mile from US 60 on a gravel road and by late winter there were more mud ruts that gravel. Dad had to milk the cow and mom would gather the eggs. We lived about 2 miles from Wilson Creek grade school. Mom had to learn to drive and get her driver licenses to take us to school and back. The one room school was heated by a potbelly coal stove. The outhouses were on the back side of the playground which meant that no one used them in the winter unless you had to really go.
While I have many more memories of winter, I think the memories from ages 7 to 9 are the best. While we lived a rough life compared to today somehow this was a very happy time for me. The only winter weather that I don't like is ice. If I can I stay indoors when there is ice on the ground and sit and look out the window and for a few seconds remember the warm family that provided all the love that a little boy ever needed. This has to mean that I have forgotten just how cold that seat in the outhouse really was!
