Living in the country

[WV Sawmiller]

   You have to love living in the country. Every day is a new adventure. I started to town today to mail my tax documents to my accountant. About 3 miles from home I spotted a truck backing up the county road towards me and saw there was a tree across the road ahead of him. I turned around and went home and got my trailer and chain saw. I stopped to warn a couple of neighbors along the way.

   By the time I got back with my saw and trailer there were 4-5 vehicles slopped on my side of the tree and a big county truck on the other side. I stopped and walked to the tree with my saw. The county guy had a truck but no saw so while I sawed he pulled limbs and vines to the side and tossed them over the bank on the creek side. I told him to leave the firewood so he pushed it to the edge of the road. I sawed enough we had one lane clear and by that time I had sawed as high as I could reach on the tree. We waved the people through, including our mail carrier, then I climbed up on the bank and sawed through the trunk. In the process I pulled my chain off and before I could fix that the second county truck showed up with a saw and cut the last 4-5 cuts. I had thought it was about a 10-12 inch red oak but it turned out it was sassafras. I loaded the useable wood in my truck and finished my chores in town and returned home. I did see and speak to 5-6 of my neighbors while I was there. I should just keep my saw in the truck for such events as it is not uncommon.

[SwampDonkey]

My chainsaw stays in the truck. I cut a windfall off the upper end of the road now and again, it's not government maintained up there. And when working on forest roads, it comes in handy if a big old hollow maple owl tree decides to fall across the road.

[SawyerTed]

There's about.5 mile of secondary road that goes through our farm and in front of my house.   There's another .75 mile of a different secondary road around the corner from my house.  We own both sides of the roads for most of it.  My BIL, daughter and her spouse and son's family live on the .75 mile section. 

Seems like any significant weather blows a tree across the public road somewhere on our farm. 

More than once I've seen the tree come down, gone to the shop to get my saw and the volunteer firefighters show up before I can gased up and get out there.  

They show up in threes and sixes with saws to make very short work out of the trees.  They always appreciate the help but they advise not taking on the road clearing alone since they have flashing lights and do traffic control.  They also don't particularly like "amateurs" or civilians running saws around them.     Even though I was running saws before many of them were born or taught them in high school, they insist they have been trained ... so I let them handle it. 

Occasionally the DOT guys get here before the firefighters but not often. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

We had some pretty good drifting with the light snow and not light winds last night.  On my way to plow out my dads house 1 town away, I had to widen out the hill right above our place. It was down to 1 lane.  Couple swipes and it was presentable again.

[SwampDonkey]

We've cleaned up a few trees here on the main road over the years. The huge bee maple tree that broke off a fork last summer, my cousins shoved it to one side of the road and I cut it all up for firewood. No fire dept or DOT involved at all. If a tree is in the lines, that would be a different story. I also reported what was still standing as a danger tree, no one ever showed. They used to, but now they don't show up until after the fact. I don't go near line trees. At the end of the road where it's not maintained, the old 1940's power poles and lines were taken down 40 years ago. The power had been disconnected 10 years before after a house we owned was burned. I had a neighbor patch pot holes one spring on the paved road. Used gravel, better than a 12" deep hole. Probably did that for 2 miles. DOT don't patch around here until July if you're lucky.

[thecfarm]

I don't cut too many trees that fall across the road.Most times the trees are on the power line. 

But I do fill up the potholes with some gravel. Only last until the next time it rains, but in the summertime that can be a month.
I will even pick up a  in the road.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I have a good friend/former HS classmate who retired from working with the road crews in NW Fla. I always told him if he dies before I do that I am going to have him cremated and put his ashes in a batch of cement and go around the county filling potholes. Afterwards I tell him I am going to go around the county telling everyone I see that I know one county employee who is actually doing something useful for the county.

[Resonator]

Last summer we had a heavy thunderstorm go through here with some pretty gusty winds, and had some of the trees in my logging land go over.
I had to drive to town, and looked at the neighborhood as I went. By one house a multi stem maple top had broke off making a big mess. It lost some smaller branches on a garage roof, and was blocking the garage door.  I wondered to myself if I'd get a call to cut it up... 
Was an older widow lady, who said her husband had showed her in the past how to run the chainsaw. She said at first she was gonna cut it herself, but then thought she'd ask if I'd do it. Sure, can do. Took a few hours, and ended up taking the whole tree down (the trunk was partly rotten). Got some firewood, and she gave me a few bucks for my time.

[cutterboy]

Howard, a similar situation. Last year driving on a state road in the town just north of me a good sized tree was across the road. A young man took a chainsaw out of his truck and started cutting up the tree. People got out of their cars and moved branches and chunks off the road as the tree was cut up. When we finished and were leaving the local police came speeding up with lights flashing. The officer got out of his car and stood looking at the sawdust on the road as we all drove past him.

[SawyerTed]

Last spring a single retired neighbor posted this photo on FB of part of her driveway where a tree had fallen during a storm the night before.  She was in a bit of a panic since she had guests coming for a party shortly. 



Emily and I went over and cleaned it up with her.  It took an hour for the 3 of us to do the work and we wound up joining her cookout/party for the afternoon.  

[Rhodemont]

I seem to be the guy to call on our road when a tree comes down and blocks it.  I used to cut them up to move aside.  Now with the tractor I just push them out of the way so cars can get through and let the DPW come when they can to clean it up.  Used to be people (I know) on the road would get out and help.  Now, with houses built down past me, cars (I do not know) race by while I am still moving it as soon as there is just enough room to get through, often running over debris.  I think I should give up this hobby.

[cutterboy]

When you have a tractor and a chainsaw you are very popular after a storm.

[SawyerTed]

Isn't there a difference between country living and living in the country?  

I suspect most here practice country living versus merely living in the country.

[Old Greenhorn]

Country living is a state of mind.  Living in the country is something anybody can do by buying a house there, like many of my neighbors. My neighbor across the road bought his house about 8 years ago, moved in full time 2 years ago, and desperately wants to be called a 'local'.  I just laugh because, bless his heart, he has no clue.

[SwampDonkey]

Well, sorta. But I've had some dumb as rocks neighbors who could still handle a chainsaw for some firewood cut'n if they needed to and harvest a deer in the fall to. But the thing is, within a 100 miles of this place, it would be hard to find anyone not raise up in rural life. Maybe some money people who hadn't worked in 2 generations, but their grandparents sure knew how to work. Definitely some of that around here.

[SawyerTed]

My friends on Ocracoke Island describe how people fit in a community in a pretty descriptive way.  

First there are the natives who have lived on the island for generations.  Certain last names are usually indicative of natives- Austin, Scarbourgh, O'Neal, Howard, McWiiliams and others. 

There are locals who have lived on the island for some length of time depending on which natives you talk to.  Or they are people native to the Hyde County, Dare County and Carteret County area. Many may trace relatives to Ocracoke. Marrying into a native family accelerates matriculation to becoming a local. 

Then there are people who are "from off."  Those uplanders from anywhere other than Ocracoke or surrounding area. Being "from off" isn't necessarily bad.  Natives and locals will accept you if you are respectful.  But if they don't care for you, you're a "Dingbatter."  Being a Dingbatter is bad. Some people never become locals. An internet search of Dingbatter will confirm this. 

 There are also Dit Dots or Dit Dotters, tourists who go from place to place and stay varying short lengths of time.   The term started by natives to describe Dingbatter boat fishermen who would go from fishing spot to fishing spot all day.  

Using their definitions, around here my wife and children are natives, I've lived here long enough to be considered a local.  For years after we moved here, I was Emily Flynt's husband.  I'm not identified that way very often now. 

Participation in the community and learning/respecting the culture of the community is the path to becoming a local.  

[Peter Drouin]

I live 10 miles from where I was born. I have Generations buried in the Catholic cemetery. 9 miles away.
Abanak Indians and Frenchmen.
I live in the country And saw lumber. Pretty much self-sustained.

I do have new people in town never seen a NH cold winter.
Over the years I have had my share of trees in the road.  
Most times I chain them up to John and yard them to my yard. I don't get hit that way.  
Sometimes the road agent gets a call about the tree. Goes and it's not there, If it's near me he will drive in the following the drag marks. Wave and say thanks.  

[YellowHammer]

We get them city slickers coming in all the time, you can tell who they are, they lock their car, in our driveway.

They are surprised when someone offers to help them load their lumber.  They are surprised when another customer comes up to them asks "Watcha building'?

Some fit in some don't.  Some try and some don't.  Some get our respect and some don't.

Some ask if we shoot a lot of deer, and I say, nah, mostly burglers from the city, and they don't know if I'm kidding or not.  They ask why we don't shoot country burglers, and I say, country people aren't stupid enough to rob someone in the country, they know how mean country folks can be.

Then I ask, "Where ya'll from?"

[WV Sawmiller]

Robert,

  If a city slicker asked me why I only shoot city thieves I'd have probably told them they are the only ones dumb enough to try to steal from me and I know if we ever have to go to trial my neighbors on the jury don't mind us shooting outsiders and will acquit. Just a professional courtesy thing.

[SawyerTed]

My response is, "Nobody will miss you."  

[YellowHammer]

What's the old saying, "County folks are as friendly as can be, until you make them mad enough to kill you."

[SwampDonkey]

We don't say nothing here, they just float down the Presque Isle R, face down.  The end of the road is famous for burnt cars in late years.  

You will know after one winter up here if they'll stick around long. Long winter, no high end shopping, 100 miles from nowhere and unless you do winter sports or activities, it's an even longer winter.  Best time of the year from my perspective, no flies, no heat, and thins out the green horns.   There's one old place that has changed hands now 4 times in 5 years.  All transients.

[Peter Drouin]

I have a country store a mile away, It has changed hands 2-3 times.
At one time It had a big round table in the store. All the locos would come in every morning for coffee and a donut or breakfast sandwich. Ham and eggs. And was clean as a whistle. Open at 4 AM. We would talk about what we were going to do that day and maybe ask for help. [ the old guys]
 Who is sick Who is going to check on them? Fix all the world's problems. And all the gossip too.
The table is gone replaced with shelves with junk food.
Some locos still stop by in the morning around 9 am but have to stand around and don't stay long. Most have died off now. But I think their kids would come if the table was there.
The new owners don't speak English very well.
I miss the old days.

[YellowHammer]

That's kind of what our business is, we have the regular customers come in often enough that they stay and chat and last week even brought enough donuts for us.  It's probably the part I will miss most if we ever close down.

In the spring and early summer, before it gets too hot, people come out and sit around our picnic tables and and bring their kids, dogs and families.  Pretty cool.

One lady once told me they go on vacation to visit beautiful places like ours, and we just get to live here everyday.  I'll never forget when she said that, sometimes we don't realize how much we get to enjoy about living in the country that city people miss. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Peter/Robert,

  Your descriptions of old country stores bring back lots of memories. Every little community had a country store back before they had "Convenience stores". You'd go in and get a Coke (Might be a pepsi, RC, Mt. Dew, etc) pour a dime pack of salted peanuts in it and maybe buy a Moon Pie or Po Boy cake and talk to the owner and any neighbors sitting around.

    Our local store was run by Miz Elsie Davis, a widow, who was way a head of her time and never marked her items so you'd best do a mood check and buy 1-2 small items and if you found she was in a good mood and prices were reasonable you'd  remember other items you needed and go get more. If the prices were sky high you'd cut your losses and come back later. I remember the day the neighbor kids bought 10 cents worth of crickets for fish bait but did not have a cage so she put them in one of those little brown paper bags you got penny candy in. One of the crickets got out and got down her dress and we all found that old woman had some moves left in her.

  It was still like that in Africa when I was working in Cameroon in early 2000's. I'd get a driver on Sundays, my one off day, and drive to some remote village and go to the community store. There would be a few derelicts hanging around just like the ones in rural Alabama as a child. I'd go in and buy me and my driver a coke and buy a coke or beer (which was cheaper than a coke in most cases) for everybody there then start asking about the village and what the people did/home and anything of interest. Of course they'd say there was nothing interesting there but somebody might say "They are building a new bridge over the creek south of the village" or such and I'd ask if someone could show me where that was and somebody would agree. Then I had my local guide. He'd get in the car, which was a treat for him, and we'd head for the new bridge. 

    Along the way I'd see some lady sitting on the ground weaving a basket or a guy splitting palm fronds to make panels for roofing or siding or such. I'd stop and talk to them and get a few pictures and maybe even buy a basket or such. When I'd stop they would see their neighbor in the car with me so even though I was the only white guy in 50 -100 miles, I was already vetted. They would talk and maybe point me to another local point of interest or take me inside their hut/home and show me something else. I'd leave and maybe make a couple more stops before we saw the bridge.

    After a few hours we'd head back and I'd drop my guide at the store where he'd tell everybody about the crazy white guy he'd spent the day with or I'd take him home if he preferred. I'd thank him and tip him $5-$6 in local currency, which was a week's wages if he could actually get paying work, and leave. I'd had a good day, learned about the local people, told them a little about us, got a few pictures, made new friends and a bunch of new memories.