An Old Spring

My family and all my ancestors got their drinking water and actually all their water from an ancient spring located below the Old House. Long ago, the men placed large flat rocks on the base and sides of the spring, creating an enclosure and then build up rocks around the structure, finally building a door with a tiny air screen to secure the purity of the source. Stone steps and stone retaining walls lead down to the spring from the Old House and snakes lived in the crevasses between the rocks. Craydads built their little mud houses in the marsh beside the  spring where yellow irises and sedges grow. There is lots of jewelweed and I remember a large weeping willow which we used to climb. There is always a tin drinking ladle on the door and you can always be assured of a wonderful cool drink of water, even on the hottest day.