Living in the country

[SwampDonkey]

I remember the country stores out in Glassville and Holmesville New Brunswick. They was like a department store. You could buy a mop, bone china dishes, clothes, cheese off the round, furniture, a bottle of coke. By the 80's those places were dust in the wind.

[Resonator]

Growing up there was a small country store couple miles away. Lady ran it for I think 30 or 40 years before she retired. Had everything from hardware, to pantry food, coolers full of milk, cheese, beer and pizzas. Also could rent movies there, buy live bait, and get your hunting license. Had 1 gas pump out front, that was used for many years until it no longer met state regs.
She'd also make cold sandwiches to order, and when the volunteer fire department a mile away would go to a big fire, she'd load up coolers full of food to take to the men and feed them.

[Old Greenhorn]

.........

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

Ted Nailed it right there. I have said as much to that neighbor after too many adult beverages. "You want to be considered a local? Join the Fire Department, coach little league, participate in some of the volunteer projects to help others around town, hang out and drink coffee with the old codgers at the deli, get involved, do something. " Yet the guy always laughs at me when we are driving and I wave at half the vehicles I see. "What are you, the Mayor or something?" "no I say, That was the guy that lives next door to you, his name is Ray and he is a lineman. Yes, I know the people I wave to, notice how they wave back?"

[Wlmedley]

We had a couple country stores here up until about 20 years ago. If they didn't have what you wanted they would go to town and get it for you. When I was a kid there were still a lot of older people who had never owned a car and they depended on these stores for everything they needed to buy. I sure miss them. These so called convenient stores don't come even close.My son inherited a old model 37 shotgun from my wife's great uncle. I asked my father in law where his uncle got it and he said he told Toots Sam's what he wanted and he went to Charleston and got it for him. Toots had the store and he delivered to people up in these hollows with a old Dodge panel truck. If the road got to bad he would carry stuff in to the older people.

[caveman]

"Nobody will miss you."  

Y'all haven't seen me shoot.  They might have a fighting chance.

[SawyerTed]

So your response would be, "Go ahead!  I might miss you."?  

[SwampDonkey]

I had an uncle that never owned a vehicle until he was about 35, road a bicycle. He had a few animals, but never owned a tractor. Manure spreading was by horse and a hay wagon or a team drawn manure spreader, which he got late in the game and maybe used it with the horses 3 or 4 times. A neighbor had an old tractor that he'd haul it with. I never saw him ever plow a field. Cut hey, but the field was all run out for any hay much, so he bought most of that. Most of his life was nothing but play. He called it old fashioned, but the old timers would starve to death on his production. My father could never get a days work out of him. He'd have to be home by 2:00 or something to feed the horse and milk the cows. :D He liked working for the reservation yarding wood. By 10:00 am they'd ask him if the horse was tired and he'd say yep. And then go home with a days pay. He loved that way of living. :D :D

[TreefarmerNN]

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.

Yep, time to let the trees block the road and see what the neighbors do.  I've been there and had people rush past endangering me and anyone helping.  Now if I have to cut a tree out of the road, I park my truck in the middle some ways back from the tree.  One eye on the tree and chainsaw, the other eye looking out for rude idiots.

[GRANITEstateMP]

TreefarmerNN,

I agree, a lot of times I'm more concerned by the cars trying to get around than the potential danger that the down tree might be hiding!

[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.

I bet you guys didn't believe me on the donuts.  These were brought today by two very good customers!
 

[SwampDonkey]

The Col. himself. No bucket of chicken? I get chicken brought out to the bush 30 miles from nowhere. 

[barbender]

We used to have a local Mom and Pop gun store in town. The proprietor had a desk he sat at, did some minor gunsmithing and scope installation etc. Had a row of chairs set up in front of the desk, I spent many many hours sitting there shooting the breeze, drinking coffee and eating donuts. I loved that place! When they finally shut down, it took a piece of me with it!

[SawyerTed]

Living in the country requires that you take care of business.  Calling an exterminator or a herpetologist isn't going to be productive so you just deal with it.  

This little guy was slithering along in the backyard while I was mowing today.  It was relocated to a safer location.    I don't mind the black snakes.   It's the copperheads and rattle snakes that get the lead or granny's hoe.  

[GRANITEstateMP]

Ted,

Your a better man than me! If I was on a briggs and stratton powered snake shortener, I probably wouldn't have taken the time to see what brand of slithering yuck I was shortening, would'a just kept going! 

[TreefarmerNN]

I was raking hay today and a black snake was sunning on top of the unraked hay.  I stopped to let him escape and I think he went down a hole instead of across the field. I hope he was safe, where we have black snake I don't see any copperheads.