There are Septic Tanks and then there are----Septic Tanks

         This little area of ground, not much bigger than a fat man's grave, has caused quite a bit of contention over the past five years.  It is our septic tank, and I think it looks pretty, considering what and where it is.

         When we first realized we needed a new septic tank, there was some disagreement concerning where it should be placed.  I wanted it back farther toward the woods.  Instead, it ended up right in the middle of the back yard!!  I figured what the heck, I would just plant flowers on it and make another flower bed.  However, Tommy did not want ANYTHING planted on in.  His reasoning was that we might have to dig it up in another 20 years and we would have to mess up the plants.  That is definitely a "man" thought.  Who cares what will happen in 20 years?????   We will both be in our 80's ------I just hope we remember where the bathroom is located!!  I am certainly not worried in the least about digging up the septic tank or the flowers!!

          For the first year I was good.  It was Fall and I didn't yet have a plan in mind for the huge mound of dirt.  However, my kitchen window faces the back yard. Every time I did dishes, all I saw was what could easily have been a grave. The closer it got to Halloween the more I had "bad" thoughts.  It looked like a grave----might as well have some fun with it.

         I  placed a huge cross in the middle of the dirt mound and wrote on it "Here Lies Jimmy Hoffa".  I may have had a few Halloween decorations thrown it to make it look a little more festive.   I thought it was funny---I was the only one who thought it was funny.  Tommy looked at it and then me and said,"What the Hell???"

         We also had a weekend neighbor, who thankfully lives in St.Louis, stop and ask what we had buried in the back yard.  I was just about to tell him when Tommy stopped me in mid sentence, and told the man the truth.  I still wish we had let that joke run for awhile.  Mr. Nosey Pants would have been on the phone before we could have made our second pot of coffee.  I often wonder if anyone would have shown up to check out our "grave"?  I doubt it, but it would have made for and interesting story.

          As winter arrived, so did the snow.  "Jimmy Hoffa" was replaced with a snowman.  It looked pretty in the snow.... our own mini mountain.  Then came Spring and all the rains.  It was pathetic and I knew we had to have flowers.  The fastest growing and the fastest to spread flowers are Day Lilies.  I love them.  So I planted bulbs and in a few weeks green leaves popped up everywhere.   Tommy was livid for awhile and then got used to them. They have tripled by now and I think they look pretty.  We have sense added a silver gate, a bird house and a forsythia bush to grow behind the gate and up the bird house.

         When we sit outside at night, Tommy still occasionally mentions that "someday we will have to dig all that up".  I just let him ramble on.  If we do--we do.  But I am going to enjoy the view while I can.  If you live in the country, you either have a lagoon or a septic tank.  That's just a fact of life.  The way I look at it,  since we only get one chance at this life, we might as well enjoy the view---no matter where it is.