What if you lived entirely alone in a rural area, on the edge of a forest, with no nearby neighbors, where the nights are darker and more foreboding than the devil's soul?
What if the flimsy house you live in has doors and windows that are very easy to break into? What if the most recent cell phones you purchased were completely worthless, since they can't pick up signals in such a remote area?
Would you be afraid late at night - with nothing to keep you company but two lazy cats.......and the hooting owls and howling coyotes nearby outdoors?
You can only imagine what this place is like during a power outage.
When I moved here five years ago, I was admittedly scared shitless for the first two weeks. My extremely vivid imagination went wild.
Soon, however, I got used to the isolation and solitude - and grew to love it. And came to embrace the imagined dangers.
Ghosts in the woods. Rural monsters afoot. Maniacal serial killers wandering the restless countryside.
When I first came here, for the first few years, I had no curtains or blinds on any of the windows. I let the intoxicating moonlight stream in.
Lately...finally.... I put blinds on all the windows. But I pull the blinds completely up on my bedroom window, so I can look out at the night while laying in bed.
The window in my bedroom isn't on "ground-level". It's way up high - so there's no chance that Bigfoot could ever look in......
......unless he's twelve feet tall....
I've occasionally slept with the doors unlocked - but lately I'm much more careful.
Am I deliberately courting danger? Do I have a death wish?
Truth to tell, I have always courted danger. In my sordid past, I've done more horrifyingly dangerous things than I'd ever care to tell.
Yet I'm neither tough, bold, nor courageous. I simply don't scare very easily.
Whenever I hear a creepy sound outside in the middle of the night, I always go out to investigate it.
Incidentally, I have a gun and know how to use it. Firearm opponents be damned.
And what do I do for entertainment in the after-midnight hours here in the wilderness?
I like to read ghost stories and true-crime stories.
I love to watch scary videos on YouTube about unsolved murders and unexplained mysteries.
Am I totally crazy?
Naw, not totally. I now always make sure the doors are locked...and the gun is loaded.
And every once in awhile - just for a change of pace - I'll watch a benign movie with a Disney theme.
Here are some photos that I took within the past few weeks.
The full moon setting behind the nearby mountain, just before dawn.
The early morning sun appearing in the misty forest
Note: I removed my previous "question and answer" post, simply because I didn't like it.
No Phone Signal in Wellman, Iowa either. Luckily, we do pick up a hot spot for internet though. I like to think that I'm the scariest thing out in the darkness ( though I know I am not.) And what could be scarier than a "creepy" 6 ft guy with a gun in the middle of the forest? That is the main theme of many a horror movie.... so teenagers be warned before having a party in your yard!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first moved here, I had an old cell phone that worked. Getting a signal was rather tricky, but usually I could make calls. Recently I tried two new cell phones and couldn't get a signal at all. Perhaps I should try a more expensive phone??
DeleteBesides Big Foot, I'm probably the scariest creature around here.
OK, you asked what would I do? Besides have a nervous breakdown, I'd probably adopt the biggest meanest junkyard dog and sleep with both a taser and .357 within reach.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm glad you're no longer terrified. But don't become complacent, OK?
A taser is a good idea, but I'd probably wind up zapping myself. A watchdog would also come in handy, but I'd be very hesitant to keep him outside because of the coyotes and the wild dogs.
DeleteActually, my courage is minimal. I'll never become complacent.
"What if the flimsy house you live in has doors and windows that are very easy to break into?" I would probably light a match and leave. Oh!!!!! I thought that was a question for us!!! Where I live in also very rural, but not as far out as you, and I like it. But it's also nice to know that I can be in the action of towns within 15 minutes, or hope the train into Philly or an hour to NYC. It's the best of both worlds here. I just started watching a series on the Oxygen Network called, I believe, Buried in the Back. It's all very cold cases, where people have unearthed a body, in most cases grislily killed, and the show goes about the authorities solving these cases. It's quite addictive.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to live a reasonable distance from big cities. "Buried in the Back" sounds like my type of series. I have very often wondered if there are any bodies buried on my property....
Deletebut perhaps it's best if I don't know.
Love the dawn photos. Such pretty colors. I can no longer watch or read anything remotely scary. I'd be paranoid in my house alone. Sorry I missed the last post!
ReplyDeleteI probably shouldn't have removed my previous post, but I didn't think it was very interesting. I happened to see the setting moon from my bedroom window. It looked so lovely that I ran outside with my camera. It was just getting light out and the photos aren't very clear - but they have a wonderful surrealistic look.
DeleteFor me, who has always lived in the suburbs with others close by, it would be very scary to be in such an isolated area as you live in, alone, with only cats and a gun for protection. The total, complete darkness of a moonless night out in the country kind of freaks me out a bit, so I would need outdoor lighting, one watch dog of any variety, to alert me to anything unusual going on outside, a working telephone, for medical emergencies, and a kitty or two to keep me and my watch dog entertained.
ReplyDeleteIt may or not be that the populated area where I am, is far more dangerous. The more people , the more danger. In recent years our doors are always locked, and double checked often, recently, because one very late night, not too long ago, someone stole a car and abandoned it across the street from our house and set fire to it and it exploded. I mean a huge explosion, plus three smaller ones. Battery, airbag, gas tank,and one tire, we were told. Police searched in all of the nearby yards and never did find the person who did it. Husband and I sitting in the living room didn't even know anything was going on until the fire and first explosion. Our little, very old Pomeranian (former watch dog) is now totally deaf & didn't even hear anything going on, even the explosions. I'm surprised he didn't smell the fire, but maybe the wind was blowing from the wrong way for him to smell it. Had all that happened before he went deaf, he would have alerted the minute a strange car stopped on the street that time of night, and he would have went ballistic as soon as the person got out of the car to set it ablaze.
Your photographs of the woods near your home were so good. I especially liked the moon in the morning ones. Beware of Bigfoot while you are out in the woods so early. I wouldn't want to run into one of those while out and about, mostly because nobody would ever believe me if I told them about it.
I've always wanted to live in a rural area, far from neighbors - but I'm thinking that perhaps it would be better if I were twenty years younger. I'm definitely not ancient, but I am starting to have health problems that concern me. I do have a landline phone (thankfully) but I'd also like a cell phone for emergencies. I tried two different ones but couldn't get a signal.
DeleteHaving a watch dog would be a good idea, but I'd never want to keep one outside because of the wild animals. There are frequent packs of coyotes and wild dogs around here. On numerous occasions the coyotes have come very close to the house.
The exploding car in your neighborhood is extremely scary. It's a shame that they couldn't find out who did it. I suppose there's really no absolutely safe place to live. being near people can be scary - and so can living in an isolated area.
I'm glad you like the photos. The pink sky at dawn almost looks like a sunset.
Here in my suburbs nowadays, I would never keep a dog outside. We don't have many coyotes,but there are often pitbulls that escape their owners and roam the streets. One of our dogs that was mostly an outside dog(his preference) was killed by a roaming pitbull that jumped into our fenced back yard.
DeleteDogs can still be good watch dogs if they live in the house. Our little Pom used to listen (before deafness set in)at all times for anything unusual outside. Anything that was in his hearing range was his patrol area from inside the house. He was excellent to alert us that something weird was going on outside. He does not go outside without either me or my husband by his side. Our memories (nightmares) of the Pit Bull killing our Sheltie 17 years ago are still too vivid.
i have to admit how very brave you are, living out there, like you do. once upon a time i lived in a unique setting and a very bad man used a crowbar to try to break into my front door. he taunted me by tapping on all my windows, one at a time, chanting he knew i was all alone. fortunately when it started, i called 911 and they got to me in time before he hurt me. but the emotional scars remain. a couple years ago, here at this place, another bad guy tried to break in. and again the cops arrived in time. and one last story. my parents house was situated at the end of the woods. my dad had had knee surgery and couldn't walk. my mom heard a man screaming and yelling outside. he began banging on the doors and windows telling her to let him inside. it was 3 oclock in the morning. they were terrified. my mother being a brave soul went downstairs, don't know why? she peeked out the window and could see he had a gun as he made his way around the house looking for a way in. fortunately my dad had a phone next to the bed upstairs and called 911. next thing my parents knew a helicopter with a search light was circling their house telling the man to stand down. an army of cops arrived in their cars as the man fled deep into the woods. the ordeal lasted for hours until they captured him. a scary night indeed. so my advice to you is this, first off it's good to have your windows covered. never take anything for granted. especially sounds. don't put yourself in any more danger than necessary. it's a scary world out there, people flip a switch and you never know what they are capable of. i understand how the moonlight and stars mesmerize. how the wilderness paints the landscape. how solitude can embrace you like a warm hug. i've read crime novels and seen the movies and tv shows that taunt the imagination of fear. but i'm here to tell you, evil really exists in the heart of men. be careful dear friend. enjoy your sanctuary but never let your guard down.
ReplyDeleteWow, these true stories that you've shared are really terrifying - and they are food for thought. I remember the time when the crazy guy tried to break in. If memory serves me, you had to get a new front door. The incident concerning your parents is chilling. It's a relief to know that they caught the man.
DeleteEvil definitely exists everywhere in this scary world - whether you live in a populated area or in isolation. And the worst things always happen when you least expect it. It's best to always be prepared for an emergency. As you said - never let your guard down.
Thanks for your input.
I hope your husband is recovering from that nasty fall.
DeleteFirst, Beautiful photos! Showed Norma and she agreed. Secondly, I'm impelled to address your theme. There's very little that could lure me back into city residence, Jon. That's why we moved out here into prairie 40 years ago. I could never understand the addiction people had to noise in close habitation; the sub-woofing age, the boom-box fueled hell of empty lives. Music to destroy intelligence by --yes, went to my window and saw a young man beaten to death with a big rock by another one. I lived next to a vacant lot and that seems to have been what vacant lots were for. We had 3 kids at the time and, after 8 years ownership, we listed the house the next morning. We were there long enough to watch neighborhood kids go from laughing and playing games to peevish silence; boys swearing loudly between gang whistles; girls turning 13 and headed in heels and miniskirts to the T Street bus stop (stroll). It isn't perfect in the outskirts, the bucolic countryside. There are yokels and hicks out here that have their peculiarities and irritants, but they are fewer and further away.
ReplyDeleteGeo, I've lived long enough to know that no place is safe and no place is paradise. But the horror stories that you related are good reason to pack up and move away from "civilization". I've had many similar experiences with neighbors in Texas.
DeleteI endured drug addicts and dealers, prostitutes, and murderers.
When I lived in San Angelo, one of my neighbors was wanted for murder and was featured on "America's Most Wanted" (she escaped from Texas but was killed in Louisiana by some of her druggie "friends").
Also in San Angelo - when I reported the drug activity in my neighborhood, I was horrified to discover that some of the police were friends with the drug dealers!! My house was shot at and I was stalked. Without going into all the details, I vowed that if I ever got out of Texas alive, I'd never want to live near people again.
Life isn't easy in a rural area - especially when you live alone and have health problems - but I'd rather be here than among the dangerous (and often insane) multitudes.
Thanks for your comment, and I'm glad you and Norma liked the photos.
We are one of a kind, Jon. I don't scare easy and love my solitude. It might be different if I lived without neighbours so I guess their presence keeps the ghosts at bay. I have friends who wouldn't even go in the garden in the dark, I could never understand their fear.
DeleteIt's always wise to be extremely cautious - because the world can be a frightening place. But many of our fears are rooted in imagination. I definitely savor my solitude - - but it's always nice to have a neighbor nearby.....as long as they're not annoying!
DeleteTake care - - and I hope all the questions about your new heating situation have been resolved.
Your place sounds great, which is not something I thought when reading about your Texan neighbours! Being able to be that alone is something that would cost a fortune in crowded little England!
ReplyDeleteJenny, I could write a book about all the horrible things that happened to me in Texas. Life there isn't for the faint-hearted. There are some positive aspects to living in TX - - but I personally didn't find many.
DeleteProperty is cheap here in Tennessee. My wilderness abode cost very little.
To start Jon, I really enjoyed the photos which evoked a sense of peacefulness and even solitude. I'm not sure I could live as far removed from others as you are doing now. Living in this mill apt is definitely much different than we lived in our old house in a small VA town. We had neighbors but many days would sit on the front porch and watch the world go by...very slowly, as nothing much happened. I'm not always happy to be living in a large building with so many neighbors as some are careless and inconsiderate. But we have peaceful neighbors and thankfully living on the topmost floor has the added perk of no noisy people above us. We live in an "open carry" state and my husband owns a firearm which he and would use it, if necessary. I always lock doors including and especially on my vehicle. Being safe is better than being sorry for sure.
ReplyDeleteBTW I did read your previous post, but didn't comment before you removed it. I know many folks enjoy similar posts but I've never done one myself.
Actually there are numerous advantages to living in an apartment. It's probably safer than living in a house - which is more likely to attract burglars, etc. Also, you don't have to worry about the endless upkeep that most yards require.
DeleteI still have mixed feelings about rural life - especially since I'm alone and have health issues. But I do love the solitude. I can do whatever I want - day or night - without having to worry about bothering anybody.....
......and when my car gets stuck in the mud, there are no neighbors around to laugh at me...
When I lived out in the country in Wisconsin for a few years with no neighbors in sight--honestly--I loved it. I actually felt safer with less people and more critters. Felt kind of invisible out there hugged by nature. Having grown up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, though, I did lock the doors at night. But the only reason I ever closed the curtains was to block out the sunny side to keep it cooler inside because we had no AC. I had so many people ask me how I could live out in the boonies and tell me it would drive them crazy. I guess it was a good thing considering I ended up housebound since 2004--ROFL! ;)
ReplyDeleteAfter having lived near many extremely annoying neighbors in Texas, I vowed that when I moved I never wanted to see neighbors again. Here in TN my only neighbors are cows - and I love it.
DeleteSome people do think that it's crazy to live out in the boonies - but I know, from bitter experience, that living in the chaos of "civilization" can really drive you crazy.
I like the sentiment that you used - "hugged by nature".