I Remember When Father Got Lumbago
Father got lumbago, with bad back he couldn't stand,
Cleaning out the septic tank, dug it out by hand,
Sweat was running down his back, cold wind in the east,
This it chilled his spine to bone, pain it never ceased.
In the middle of the farm yard at The Beeches, there was a big sump where all the farm drains ran. Here all the solids would settle out and the liquid ran off down a long ditch heading for the brook, by the time it had gone through all the weeds and boggy grass along the ditch it had filtered enough to be clean water and cause no pollution. But the toilet drain from the house had been piped into that same sump, and the sump/septic tank was well silted up. It was when nothing happened when the upstairs toilet was flushed, and there must have had a pressure of a ten foot head, that father knew some thing had got to be done. He removed one of the old sleepers that cover the sump and got a long handled scoop, and it took nearly all day to empty it down to the bottom. It was only the following day that he felt the consequences of sweat up his back and a cold wind on him as well, that he got a thorough chill.
The story continues
I Remember When Father Got Lumbago
Father got lumbago, with bad back he couldn't stand,
Cleaning out the septic tank, dug it out by hand,
Sweat was running down his back, cold wind in the east,
This it chilled his spine to bone, pain it never ceased.
On his hands and knees, up he went to bed,
Lot of groans and cussing, that was all he said,
Doctor came to see him, rest and keep it warm,
This he wasn't used to, no chance but to conform.
A heat lamp he got with carbon tips, there to make an arck,
Dark goggles were a must on this, electrodes slight apart,
Electric jumped across gave heat, and light to burn your eyes,
Sat in front for many a day, doctor did advise.
Eventually he got up and walked about in pain,
Very slow to rise and sit, of this he did complain,
Then walked outside to check on what he's missed,
Cos he's the boss, to lead the men, who follow his checklist.
Countryman
Although we never ever heard father swear, he did mouthe and cuss at not being able to move, and to the tiolet was hell, his frustration was written all over his face and no one dared to go and see him, this went on for a good two weeks before he appeared out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
Sorry could not find a picture of a long handled scoop, I've still got it about somewher, and no picture of the old fashioned heat lamp, mind it was some sixty years ago.
The arc lamp used was like the old electric fire only in place of the element was a screw adjusting nut on each side of the reflector that adjusted two carbon tips as thick as a piece of chalk, the electric was fed into one side and when just the right distance apart gave a very bright arc ( welding arc). It had only a bit of open mesh in front to stop you sitting on it and must have used a tremendous lot of electric, a very crude impliment.
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
Unknown