Iowa Hot Tub
Dennis & Guy collaborated on this memory from 2010 while working on cars at Dennis’ Virginia home:
When we lived on the farm we made a swimming pool out of a stock tank (a galvanized metal round tank). It was so much fun during the hot summers. We placed one end of the swing set slide in the tank and slid down into the water with a splash. To increase speed, we waxed the slide with waxed paper.
Sometimes we would slide with three kids at a time. Once, three of us, Dennis, Guy, and Connie, slid down (in that order) with Connie laughing as she splashed into the water. When Dennis splashed down, his face landed smack into Connie’s open laughing mouth and into her upper teeth. It gave him a gash on his cheek that was visible for over 30 years.
On or about the same day, we were again sliding with three kids at a time. This time, the back of Guy’s head landed smack into Kathy’s laughing mouth and into her upper teeth. He got a gash that is with him to this day. Kathy lost one or two teeth in the process.
Kathy’s comments:
‘Hot’ tub indeed! Even in the heat of summer, the water in the stock tank was teeth-chattering cold.
I remember flying down that slide with a 12 x 12-inch piece of wax paper under my seat. Like we needed more speed! Believe it or not, these incidents didn't prevent us from using wax paper on the slide, though we did learn to take turns sliding one at a time. I remember Dad coming out to make sure we did!
I really don't remember much else, just the sliding and crashing and running into the house crying.
Connie comments:
We went fishing one time and brought home some live fish. I think they were from a lake near Sibley. We put them in that tank but they died in a few weeks or so because we didn't have an air pump to put oxygen in the water. Or was it all the nitrates in the well water near there? (either way…they didn’t make it)
1964
Guy & Kathy Pick/Iowa Hot Tub
Elmer & Marvel Pick Farm
RR2 Box 55/Remsen IA
The video below was taken by Marvel of the noted slide (less the tub at the bottom). Elmer is holding his grandson, Matt Wagner, while Kathy and Guy have fun on the slide, even without water or wax paper! The footage is from 1966.
