In Europe you’ve probably seen the pictures of the homes that

had thatched roofs.  The folks knew the left over hay could

provide insulation to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

They would use the hay to thatch their roof and  recycle but

it also provided practical benefits.

Most families also had pets such as dogs and cats they kept in

and around their homes.  The homes were built many times against the

side of a hill so the pets could easily access the top of the house

and nestle in the thatched roof.  This provided them with warmth,

especially in the cold blistery winter.

The process of constructing the roof was to take mud and put wet

mud on the support and then put handfuls of bundled straw/hay into

the mud.  As the mud dried out the thatch would stay in fitting nice

and tight.

This was fine until a big gully washer of a rain came and the

animals were nestled inside the thatch trying to stay dry.  If the

rain was torrential it was not uncommon for the now dry mud to become

wet and give way to the rain and the weight of the pet on the top of

the roof.

If you were inside when that happened you were subject to it

“raining cats and dogs” as you had to be careful of falling pets!

Hope you enjoyed today’s short history lesson.  Please leave your comments below and enrich our blog. We love personal interaction, even if it’s just thru the computer! Have a good one.