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7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,N ovem ber 1,2018 theifp.ca • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 Wehandleall insurance work. We handle all insurance work. Furnace Air Conditioning Gaslines Boilers Water Heaters Radiant Heating 905-877-3100 proud local dealer of Canadian made products .ca To book this space call 905-873-0301 To book this space YOUR AD HERE! With winter within spittin' distance, I've been trying to get everything in order before it arrives with a flurry. And one item I've re- cently tended to is the light fixture at the back of the farmhouse. That bulb and socket was originally installed when the house was wired for electricity back in 1942. It was put there for one purpose: it il- luminated the way to the outhouse, which was lo- cated behind the farm- house. When one wanted to use the outdoor facilities, they simply had to flip on the switch in the kitchen, and head out back, by way of a passageway between the house and wood shed. I'm reminded there was an outhouse song years ago referring to it as "That little old shack out back, so dear to me ..." My dad once told me how my great uncle Harry used to live on the Fourth Line, and he could tell when someone was using the outhouse on this end - he could see the pinprick of light shining through the darkness from a con- cession away. Even today, my relatives are still living in the same house, and I'm certain they can see it as well. Now, our farmhouse had indoor plumbing in- stalled before I was born, but the outhouse re- mained there many years later - probably as a back- up. So that old socket bulb fixture had a specific use: to light the way to the out- house. Years later, when the outhouse was finally de- commissioned, the light fixture out back found an- other use. In the winter, my kids would have tobogganing parties at night, and use the hill out behind the house. That old fixture was once again pressed into service, and we could watch the kids toboggan- ing from the warmth of the kitchen. With age, my kids no longer hosted toboggan- ing parties, except for some grandkids and their parents who did a daylight run or two before they get too cold and wet. But recently, it seems the use of the outdoor fix- ture out back has gone full circle. I'll explain. As I reported back in the summer, we no longer have sheep on the farm. It was time, and since we've sold them I've had more time to take on other things. Of course every major reorganization on the farm comes with some side effects. Ours is Hamish the dog. You see, he's been the sheep's watcher for nine years, and he did have a few pangs of withdrawal when they left. We'd let him out in the morning and he was fre- netic, exploding out of the barn, ready to herd any- thing in his path. But he has finally calmed down. And with his new- found semi-retired posi- tion, The Sidekick is bound and determined to convert him into a house dog, rather than a barn dog. Now he is house- trained, but we still have to take him outside to do his business. Once outside, he visits each tree to mark his terri- tory so the local coyotes are kept at bay. But when it comes to him doing his 'serious business' (a.k.a. No. 2), well, we have to go out with him while he finds THE perfect spot. And guess where his fa- vourite place is located - yup, down that back hill. Since the light out there was installed to aid with that bodily task - well, decades later, Ham- ish is now taking advan- tage of it too. And with it, we can illuminate a couple hundred feet down the hill, so any coyotes who are nearby will be de- terred from bothering him, with that bright light shining in their eyes. And of course, no doubt our Fourth Line neigh- bours will also be able to tell when Hamish has to go. Ted Brown is a free- lance journalist for the IFP. He can be reached at tedbit@hotmail.com. LIGHTING THE WAY TO THE OUTHOUSE OPINION 'WHEN THE OUTHOUSE WAS FINALLY DECOMMISSIONED, THE LIGHT FIXTURE OUT BACK FOUND ANOTHER USE,' WRITES BROWN TED BROWN Column THEN AND NOW The Acton Cenotaph, located in front of Trinity United Church on Mill Street, was originally unveiled on Nov. 11, 1920. The two side panels, visible in the current photo, were added after the Second World War to honour Acton's fallen soldiers. Remembrance Day services are held there every year to honour all who have sacrificed their lives in service to this country. EHS photo Alison Walker photo