March 22, 2010

We Found The Old Swimming Pool

Last summer one of our neighbors came over to tell us about the blueberry bush that grew in the field next to the house. Of course we were delighted to learn this, and spent a little time talking with him.

He had grown up in the neighborhood and remembered swimming in the swimming pool at our house when he was a kid. Well, a swimming pool was news to us because none was ever mentioned as coming with the house. Not that we particularly wanted a swimming pool, but still, we wondered about it afterward and assumed it must have been an above ground job.

Well, I was clearing out a pile of brush last week (I have lots of brush piles around the place), and found this...


It's located behind the carport and clothesline. It's not particularly large, and it must have been filled in with dirt quite awhile ago, considering the size of the bushes that have grown up in it.

Dan plans to have it dug out and we are considering what we might do with it. No telling how deep it is . This is the area we want to put a tank or cistern for our eventual rain catchment system (see our master plan in this post). Doubtful it could still hold water but if it did, or if we could line it, it could become our cistern. If not and if deep enough, maybe it could become a root cellar? I guess we'll have a better idea once we remove the dirt and see what's what.

16 comments:

Michelle said...

Hmm, if I were you and wasn't a vegetarian, I would probably turn it into a fish pond to add to my self-sufficiency!

Life Looms Large said...

Interesting. I have no good ideas for it....since I'm so lazy. My first impulse is to bury it and leave it. (How bad is that!?)

I do look forward to seeing what you learn about it!

Sue

Woolly Bits said...

I wouldn't need a pool for swimming (it looks too small for that anyway?), but maybe it could become a small pond, if it still holds water? depending on depth of course. I would put a cistern underground here, deep enough to keep it from freezing. we already have tanks around the house and they don't look pretty exactly, so no more tanks, cisterns etc. for me above ground:)) I like ponds, they attract wildlife and give a wider range of plants to grow anyway... no fish though, because if they go in - the rest of the wildlife will be done for!

Renee Nefe said...

I think it might answer the question for you once you get it dug out, which is what I would wait for. wow the possibilities are endless, huh. I think it would be awesome if it works for your cistern as you wanted that anyway.

Robin said...

How cool is that!

m said...

Several thoughts spring to mind: a pond if it is in a suitable place, though at this time of year the noise from the mating frogs might be a bit much; a place to plant things that wouldn't normally suit your soil, as you could change the pH in a contained space; the place to put all those runaway items such as mints that take over elsewhere. That last one might not be a problem for you, as you have so much land to play with. The most exotic idea was to make a pineapple pit (Check up on the Lost Gardens of Heligan)or some such-like.

Theresa said...

That looks like one small pool! I am bereft of ideas at this moment but I bet you will come up with something clever. Myself, I would probably lobby to have a bigger pool replace it and spend my summer afternoons floating around with a gin and tonic. HA!

Leigh said...

Michelle, we hadn't thought about that. We do have plans for a pond (someday) in the field next to the house. Would love to stock that with fish for sure!

Sue, well, someone else obviously thought the same thing. First step is to get the dirt out, though that's not actually a priority at the moment. We're curious though!

Bettina, it's 11 by 22 feet, which is small for a real swim. I remember as a kid though, back yard pools weren't very big. Play ponds mostly.

Good point about freezing. At least this space is already excavated.

Renee, good point. I can't imagine that it can still hold water. Maybe we could line it for a cistern???

Robin, it's funny because we saw one small portion of the concrete walls and wondered about it for the longest time. If it hadn't been for our neighbor, we'd still be wondering, I'm sure.

Mary, wow, pineapple pit! Now, that is exotic. Still, it's a possibility and I'm not going to sell us too short on ideas.

Theresa, *LOL. Actually it's a good spot for a pool. Close to the house, private, and with enough shade to keep a swimmer from baking in the sun. :)

Julie said...

Old homes are fun you never know what you might find or hear about.

bspinner said...

This is almost like the TV show "IF Walls Could Talk". You are finding the strangest and most interesting things on your property. Swimming pools are not our thing either.

Benita said...

Well, well... What a surprise! You can still see the outline of the foundation of one of the houses that used to be on our property. But a swimming pool... well, well... :)

I am thinking root cellar.

Leigh said...

Julie, it's true. I have to admit though, that I never realized how much of a surprise some things can be!

Barb I'm not familiar with that show but it sounds like a fun one. Mostly it's DH who asks the wall, "Why in the world did they do that?!?!?"

Benita, we think alike. DH thinks "cistern" I think "root cellar." Of course, it will depend on how deep it is!

m said...

More idle thoughts on this: could you use it as the basis of your greenhouse? From your plan it looks as though you mean to have it nearby anyway. You would lose a bit of floor space putting steps down into it.

Sara said...

I have to say - I would be the adventerous one and want to dig it up! And, see what is was like - and how I could use it again...

If it's 11 x 22 - it was probably a lap pool...

Angie said...

I think it sounds like a very interest possibility for root cellar and potentially a cistern depending on what is down there. Very cool. What a find. :D

Leigh said...

Mary, that's an idea. It would be about the right size and by being partially sunken, it would be easier to heat. I'll have to monitor the sunlight it gets to see if that idea is actually doable.

Sara, that's exactly what we have planned! I'm very curious about it and am assuming that one end is deeper than the other. Considering the long narrow shape a lap pool is a good guess.

Angie, that's the key, "depending on what is down there"! That remains to be seen!