I hadn't planned on writing a new blog post right now, but I wanted to mention an unexpected "incident".
I'm up after midnight, as usual, using my laptop which I keep on the kitchen table. I am actually putting the finishing touches on my online store, which I plan to open in another day or so.
I know - - I've been saying that for several weeks. But this time I really mean it.
My biggest problem with the store is organization. I don't like the way I organized the products, but what the heck - nobody's perfect.
Although I come pretty close.
I'm getting off track. Let's continue:
While I'm working on the store, I'm listening to Eurielle. Her voice is mesmerizing. She's singing Lament for Thorin, which I absolutely love.
Anyway
halfway through the song, two gunshot blasts nearly blow me out of my seat.
They are close to the back of my house (where I'm sitting) and I mean dangerously close.
At first I try to tell myself it was something else - like the 'possums and raccoons who scrounge around my back porch....
.....but there's no mistake about the sound of gunfire. Almost immediately, there are two more shots. That inspires me to turn off the light and shut down the computer.
It was just after 2:00 a.m.
I live alone in the middle of nowhere. It's pitch dark. The forest behind my house is remote and uninhabited (except for animals, birds.....and ghosts....)
Who the hell could be out there at this ungodly hour? What are they shooting at? And why so damn close to my house?
I'm not the scaredy-cat type. I don't scare easily. But these very close gunshots really unnerved me. I pulled on my boots and sat in the dark on the living room sofa for nearly half an hour. I heard a few unusual noises outside, but thankfully no more shots.
Right now it's 3:30 a.m. and I'm back at the kitchen table - - but I pulled the blinds down on the kitchen window. Just in case.....
A few nights ago the coyotes were near the back porch, screaming like banshees. They often sound very human, which is creepy.
Well, that's my story, boys and girls.
As soon as it gets light I have to walk down to my mailbox (it's incredibly far away) to mail an important letter. I'm hoping the mail carrier will see the red flag (on my box) when he drives by today.
Fun in the wilderness.....
Very scary. Is there a back road to the rear of your property? Nobody would be hunting that time of night, would they? How far away is your closest neighbour? It might be worth reporting to your closest law enforcement just to document the incident. I appreciate gun shots might not be an unusual happening during hunting season but at that time of the night? Hope you are able to get to the bottom of it. MaggieB
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to find out exactly what it was all about. There are absolutely no back roads near the rear of my property. There are a few other neighbors around here but they're all quite far away. The closest one is about a mile and a half away.
DeleteGun shots are not at all uncommon around here, but they almost always occur during the day. Shots near my house in the middle of the night is scary...
I hope all is well. I wonder if the night hunters knew how close they were to an inhabited house? Turning on the outside lights might have scared the crap out of them. I am not a hunter, and I don't know what they hunt at night, but I have known people who hunted at night.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of "professional" hunters around here and there probably are things that can be hunted at night. I just thought that 2:00 a.m. is an extremely weird time to hunt.
DeleteI immediately thought about turning on the back porch light, but then I was afraid that it might attract them and they'd shoot at it
(my initial guess was that they were drunk...or demented...)
Who knows???
That's scary stuff. The gunshots that close to the house in the middle of the night would have scared me a lot more than the sounds of coyotes.
ReplyDeleteThe coyotes don't bother me but the sounds they make can sometimes be alarming. They sound so human!
DeleteI'm also used to hearing gunshots, but never at 2:00 a.m. - - and never that close. That really scared me because it was the last thing I was ever expecting.
Now that is scary! Middle of the night gun shots and no close neighbors?!! I wondered about illegal hunting or alcohol or an argument. I wouldn't want to attract their attention, either--if they were doing any of those things. *shudders*
ReplyDeleteIt took me by surprise. Gunshots were the very last thing I was expecting. Intuition tells me that they were probably some kind of hunters - - but what the heck were they hunting? And why at such a very late hour??
DeleteIllegal hunting of deer is done up here in the night with flashlights--called shining. Eyes shine in the darkness and bam! But I always wonder what else they might shoot by accident between the eyes?!
DeleteI never heard of that, but the hunters could very possibly be doing the same thing here. I just hope they're sane and sober (the hunters - not the deer!).
DeleteYou did the right thing, Jon. Best not to go out and inquire into gunfire that shouldn't be there. People shoot nocturnal varmints here sometimes, but remain on their own properties --trespassing with firearms is a big no-no.
ReplyDeleteI figured that if I went outside or turned on a light they might have started shooting at me. I felt better in the dark (not MUCH better, but better....).
DeleteI hear gunfire very often in the daylight during hunting season, but this was very strange. And too close for comfort.
I'm REALLY hoping that the same thing won't happen again tonight.
Holy crap, Jon, that's way too close for comfort. I have heard of hunters who practice " lamping with rifles" - that's the sport of shooting at night with the aid of a high powered light. They hunt for fox and mostly rabbits.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's what the shots were, but still ... not near anyone's house. You should find out if that's legal or common practice in your parts. Otherwise, who knows for sure. I'd keep my porch lights on though.
A lot of hunting goes on here during the daylight hours - and I have occasionally heard distant gunfire in the evening. But I've never heard anything that close to my house, especially at two in the morning!!! It made me feel vulnerable...not to mention isolated. I've lived here nearly three years (I moved into this house in November, 2014) and nothing like this has happened before.
DeleteThat would by all means scare the living shit out of me. I sometimes think living out in no where would be nice, but I give you credit for doing it. I don't know how you do it. I think now I like being "in the midst of things", but if I want to pull a reclusive Greta Garbo I still can. Were people hunting that late? And how in hell would they see? I do know deer season in coming up, here anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn early spring I often hear the fox outside. Have you ever heard them at night? It was enough to straighten my bloomers in bed Ill tell you that. They sound like women with a terrifying scream. It's downright blood curdling.
I don't know a thing about hunting. Well, about hunting ANIMALS, anyway ( I've hunted a few humans in my time...).
DeleteI've always wanted to live in the wilderness and become a hermit. I finally got my wish and it's not nearly as easy as I initially thought.
Actually, I've always felt pretty safe here - even at night - but this recent incident has unnerved me. It was much too close.
Ironically, somebody recently told me that foxes scream at night. I'm sure I must have heard them around here. The coyotes also scream and can sound very much like humans.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I'd be wetting my panties! I don't suppose it would do any good to dial 9-1-1? Random thought: Could you hook up speakers under your porch to simulate machine-gun fire?
ReplyDeletePS - Lovin' Mr. Lee's addition to your sidebar! :)
If I ever called 911 it would probably take the cops two hours to get here. And when they finally arrived they'd laugh at me for being a wimp.
DeleteI'm usually a tough hombre, but last night I nearly wet my panties.....(*smile*)
I just KNEW you'd notice the Lee thing on my sidebar. I was initially going to remove it because I knew it would "offend" some people - - but, what the hell - I decided to live dangerously.
When it got light I would have been out there looking around to see if I could see anything unusual. You might find a body, probably not, but I would be looking around.
ReplyDeleteI did go outside to look around when it got light, but I didn't find any bullet holes or anything unusual.
DeleteThe woods behind the house are so thick that I probably wouldn't see a body even if one was there. I'll probably look again...sometime.
scary indeed. you were wise to stay put inside until the hunters or whoever they were escaped into the darkness. can't be too careful out there in the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteI was really apprehensive that it would happen again - but thankfully they never returned - whoever it was.....
DeleteHelp, that sounds really scary. I'll check in later to see if you're still around...it's the 22nd now....
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your concern! It is now Friday the 22 (and it's just getting dark). So far there haven't been any more incidents and I feel VERY relieved....but still cautious....
ReplyDeleteCoon hunters do their hunting (and drinking) after dark. Maybe that's who it was?
ReplyDeleteI never knew that Donna (even though I did live in Missouri for awhile). It's likely that they were hunters. I don't think they deliberately shot at my house (but, then, you never know....).
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