The Windmill

In 1955, the old Aermotor windmill still stood alongside the milkhouse at the Anderson farm next door to ours.  Old Mr. Anderson had never married, and as a result his farm had stayed pretty much the same since the days when he had first taken over from his father shortly after he had returned from serving during World War One.  Even though rural electrification had come to the area, the only things that had changed on the Anderson farm were the replacement of the kerosene lanterns and gasoline engine running the vacuum pump. The farm house still relied on a cistern in the cellar and an outhouse.  

Our barn had been updated with a large galvanized pressure tank and an electric pump that were housed in a utility room off the barn.  From there, both the house and cow stable were supplied with water. But over at Mr. Anderson's barn, there was a large wooden tank above the stable that supplied water to the drinking cups.

The Aermotor was a self-oiling model that didn't require constant servicing, but Dad must have been worried about old Mr. Anderson climbing the windmill, because he would always volunteer me for the task.    I didn't mind the chore, perched high over the farm yard, with a birds eye view of the surrounding countryside.  The rolling pastures turning green, the budding trees in the woodlots and fencelines, and the well kept barns of our neighbors was always such an invigorating sight.