Ever peed in a sawdust toilet?

Well, our house is Redneck Central for a couple of days. We are renovating our (only) bathroom, and during the chaos we have bathtubs outside, toilets elsewhere, sinks on the ground, etc. It’s quite the display of refinement, let me tell you.

While we can all get away with skipping a shower for a day or two (as long as we don’t go into town), it’s a bit tough with the toilet. November is a bit nippy around here, so it’s not like we can just go find a tree. The boys do that, but they look for any excuse to pee outside.

After reading how some of the hard core homesteaders live, we decided to implement the sawdust toilet. It’s really quite ingenious, actually. You take a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with a bit of sawdust. Put a toilet seat on top of the bucket, and each time you “go” you add a bit more of the sawdust to the bucket. It is the perfect height and the seat fits great. It doesn’t smell in the least.

So what could have been the worst obstacle to this whole project has been quite easy. Now we just need to hurry up because soon showers will be a big issue! Can't shower with sawdust.

The bathroom renovation is a true renovation—we have gutted the room down to the studs, are replacing the subflooring and all of the walls. The only fixture that is not being replaced is the toilet, as it is relatively new. We have a refurbished clawfoot tub as well a new sink, and of course the décor will be completely different. We can’ t wait for it to be finished, it has been a long time coming, and a sore spot for too long!

I promise to post photos—I’m documenting as we go.

Gotta get back to work!

P.S. In the midst of the chaos, the vet will come today and ultrasound all the girls to see if they are pregnant and date their pregnancies! Definitely more on that later…