you know you're in a rural county when...

[Suzy]

This really happened to husband last week:

He and son were coming home in one of their work vans and there were a bunch of cattle in our highway about one-fourth mile from our house....

Husband called our enhanced 911 center using his cell phone to report them because it is a really hilly highway and the cows could have caused a wreck or worse...

Our enhanced 911 knows who you are when you are calling from a home phone because it pulls not only your number but your address and family name up on the screen...

But we don't have that capability for cell phones yet...

But when husband called and reported the cows, the 911 dispatcher asked, "Roy, is that you???"

It was a neighbor that lives on the "back road" from us...

So husband has been telling everybody "you know you live in a rural county when the 911 dispatcher recognizes your voice!"

Just thought that was funny!

[TNDadx4]

That is too funny! I've been stopped by cows deer and turkey on the roads near our house.

One time 3 cows wandered on to our property and we called the sheriff. I guess we thought that he would be able to find the owners :-/ Anyway, the sheriff's office said that they could not do anything unless the cows were blocking the road.

Oh, well...

[maineyankee]

A couple years ago, *we had a couple of our neighbor's buffalo get loose from their pen.

We all kinda looked around our own properties, and kept our eyes open when driving, *but it was still about two weeks before they turned up.

Also, our 911 dispatcher sends out the squad and engines by family names first, road names and landmarks second.

[leera]

That's too funny.....we live in a fairly rural area,and it's not uncommon to come home late at night and see deer wandering around town.

I got pulled over one time because of a burned out head light......the cop walked up to my side of the car like they normally do.......I rolled down the window,and he goes "Oh,it's you! Get that fixed will ya...."

He had been at our house earlier that day filling out a report from an attempted break in.......and spent a good half hour playing a game of fetch with our dog. :)

[fancyfowl]

You know you are in a rural county when:::: all the winning politicians are REPUBLICAN. No body calls the cops when your coon dawgs are treed.

[flatwater]

You know when-- the whole volenteer fire department is related to one another. All 47 of them

[flourgirl]

There is no line at the post office or driver's license window.

[CarolAnn]

Or a small town:

I accidentally dropped my keys in the trunk (then slammed it shut) at the hardware store - and the car was locked. When I went in to use the phone, the store owner called the police for me. After a half hour and he hadn't showed up, she called the police dispatcher again: "Phyllis, will you tell Bill to get off his butt and come over here and get this lady's car open for her?"

;D I love it!

[Vinland]

I moved out to the country 7 years ago and have lived in a big city all my life. The 2nd day at our home, I got a knock on the door. I opened it up and a lady asked 'Y'all seen our cow??"Apparently it had gotten out of the fence and was just wondering around. That was one heck of a shock for a city boy such as myself. :)

[snuffy]

I guess the time that sticks out in my memory the most was when I came home from the Army, back in 65. I spent a few months at home and during the summer, when everyone's gardens were producing, we went to town one sat. leaving the door unlocked, of cource, and when we got back there was a paper sack of sweet corn setting on the kitchen table that someone had left. They came by and we weren't home so they just went in and left it. We never did find out who. lol

Snuffy

[RocketMan]

Oh, here's one...
I was talking to a power company guy who was working right by the homestead, and he told me "You know it's against the law to have a job if you live on this road."
I'm not sure if he meant that in a good way or what, but I told him "Yeah, I'm working towards that right now."
lol

[WileyCoyote]

When we bought our house here, we of course knew we would have to change over the electricity, etc to our names.

Well, no we didn't. The electric company called the seller and asked what our names were, our PO box was, and when we moved in, came out and checked the meter and transferred everything over. The water company did the same. The water bill has no return address, because "everyone knows" that you just slide the bill and check into the door of the house where the Town Board meets once a month, and the 'secretary' picks them up and balances the books - whenever.

We have deer and turkeys in town, wandering the streets in broad daylight, looking in and sometimes tapping on windows.

We find squash and corn on the front porch. We never know who leaves it. Two guys who shoot deer for the heads have left deer hanging in our garage.

In this county the cows outnumber the people by abt 100 to one.

On our anniversary, we knew very few people and had only told one that that Saturday was our anniversary. So we got a phone call about 10 AM - our next door neighbor told us to go outside and meet her hubby. He had hooked up his Belgians to his buckboard and gave us a ride all over town. We gave them a loaf of fresh-baked bread.

The kids all say "excuse me" and "please" and "Thank you". We were sitting at the bar/restaurant in town the other night and the HS basketball team came in after practice. *(The bar owner sets up a buffet for them every evening after practice). While and after eating, the kids were not rowdy, never got into arguements, and sat and talked quietly with the folks in the bar. After they ate the football game came on, and we all sat and rooted for the "sooners" - not even the local team, but they were playing FL, so it was close enough! No one booed, no one cursed the refs, and no one got out of line - just cheered when the Sooners made a good play. There were only three adults there for about 25 kids...

And finally you know you are in a rural area when the women and kids wear chaps to herd the cattle right next to the men and boys - and go hunting and ice fishing, too.

[Anon001]

You know you are in a rural area when the last car accident was a man driving one vehicle and his wife driving the other! LOL

Our post office has two employees.....a postmaster/mistress and a mail carrier. A lady stopped at the post office. When she went to back out onto the street, she didn't see the pickup coming and he rear ended her as she backed out. Of course, it was her husband.

I am about 6 miles south of a town of 250.
Paul

[Suzy]

I will print these all out for my husband! These are great!

[fancyfowl]

You dont live in the country unless you can pee off the front porch.

[Grizzy]

Yuh know yuh live in the country when the chickens sleep on the front porch... and they all got names :o

[crafty2002]

When you actually run into a deer while running on foot, or run into a black bear while rideing a bicycle.
But I live on the edge of the city of about 50,000 people.
That is not rural but it sure did feel like it both times. :D

[crafty2002]

* You dont live in the country unless you can pee off the front porch.

Sorry but I had to ask. Does it count if you pee off the back porch??
My front yard is city. My back yard is country. I spend most of my outside time out back, ;D.

[CountryKitty]

Heh, when we first moved here we didn't have water or the septic tank hooked up...it was summer so we just went out back to the woods.

Because there are so many Amish and Mennonites here, it's not unusual to see horsedrawn carts in town...when gas prices shot up, a couple folks who were not of the Pennsylvania Dutch persuasion were using REAL horsepower to get to town.

Biggest event around here is coming up in February---Tractor Day, when the high school kids get to drive the family tractors to school! They usually wind up circling the town square and parading up and down main street for an hour or so after school, with as many buddies as can be shoe-horned into the cab riding along.

Funniest thing I saw here? A full grown snapping turtle stomping it's way down the sidewalk in town with a look of grim determination on its face! Only in a small town...(and of course all the dogs were experienced enough with snappers that they sat in their yards and let it move on down the road in peace.)

[crafty2002]

Funniest thing I saw here? A full grown snapping turtle stomping it's way down the sidewalk in town with a look of grim determination on its face! Only in a small town...(and of course all the dogs were experienced enough with snappers that they sat in their yards and let it move on down the road in peace.)

I wish our gubbernuts had the sense the dogs did. They are too stupid to see what's ahead of them.
Dennis

[maineyankee]

A couple years ago, I bought a new car and brought it home at lunch time.

Within thirty minutes I got three calls via my work phone(cell) that there was a strange car in my drive way.

P.S. How many of you city folk know what a "dooryard" is ?

[Anon001]

Yuh know yuh live in the country when the chickens sleep on the front porch... and they all got names * :o

What about if they aren't named but decided to move in UNDER the house? For some reason one day they all went under the house with the two dogs and roosted with the dogs and cats! lol They've been there for quite some time, so there house is now the goat shed but as soon as the chickens get a new coop, they are moving again...... they just don't know it. lol
Paul

[Anon001]

* You dont live in the country unless you can pee off the front porch.

What if you don't have a porch yet. For several years I have just had a couple steps from an RV.... keep intendin' to get a porch built............ So, if you go out in the yard to heed the call of Mother Nature..... you live in the country. LOL

[rice paddy daddy]

You know you live in the country when: You're in town and pull up to the traffic light (the only one for 15 miles in any direction) right behind a 4WD Ford F150 and notice the decals on the back window, visible above the chrome tool box, that say:
"Born to hunt"
and
"No, this is not my boyfriends truck"
and she looks fine too! I'm not talkin about the truck, fellas. ;D

This happened to me this morning. I sure do live in the right part of America!!!!

[MYellowRose]

I live in the eighth largest city in the nation and one day when DD, her girls, and I were coming home there was a lady with a small boy, 3 or 4 I'd guess, and he was peeing off the end of the slab in front of the convience store. Granted there's nothing where he was aiming but still, I don't think it's appropriate when just anyone, including small children can see what he's doing.

[rice paddy daddy]

* I live in the eighth largest city in the nation and one day when DD, her girls, and I were coming home there was a lady with a small boy, 3 or 4 I'd guess, and he was peeing off the end of the slab in front of the convience store. *Granted there's nothing where he was aiming but still, I don't think it's appropriate when just anyone, including small children can see what he's doing.
#1 - a "lady" would not allow her boy to do that
#2 - there's a difference between redneck, and white trash

[TNDadx4]

I live in the eighth largest city in the nation and one day when DD, her girls, and I were coming home there was a lady with a small boy, 3 or 4 I'd guess, and he was peeing off the end of the slab in front of the convience store. Granted there's nothing where he was aiming but still, I don't think it's appropriate when just anyone, including small children can see what he's doing.

I once had a guy come and look at a tractor that I was getting rid of, he brought two of his kids, 8 and 11, maybe. Anyway while we were talking, the 8 year old turns his back on us, walks 2 feet and proceeds to pee.

[Anon001]

TNDadx4, That sounds like a well mannered boy to me! LOL He walked over and turned his back to you.......just the way we was taught!
PaulNKS

[flatwater]

Ya'll should of gone to japan , philipeans , viet nam , Mexico , china and africa in the late 60's. It was quite common to have men and women squatting over a ditch taking a dump. We have set ourselves up her in the States to be quite the social namby pambies.

[MissouriFree]

Ya'll should of gone to japan , philipeans , viet nam , Mexico , china and africa in the late 60's. It was quite common to have men and women squatting over a ditch taking a dump. We have set ourselves up her in the States to be quite the social namby pambies.


How true....

I lived in thailand for 3 years, vietnam for my year, china for 2 years, with side trips to all the other garden spots of the orient and you nailed it..for those that have never been there they just don't understand many things.

[GoodDaughter]

Yeah, well THIS social namby pamby at least doesn't have all manner of intestinal parasites, liver flukes, God knows what due to our namby pamby modern sanitation here in the Horrible Rotten United States Of Horrible Fat Lazy Stupid (read S(T(U(P(I(D, not as edited by the admin) People. Not to mention the lack of cholera, typhoid, e. coli infection, and basically any other pathogenic diseases that are carried by exposed human feces. *I mean, Hell, I'm disappointed that I have not had a case of hepatitis from raw sewage!! *I'm such a wimp!!

What in God's name is wrong with some of you??? >:(

[Anon001]

GoodDaughter....

I think we tend to agree with you to a point. But many of those cultures don't have the health problems that you describe simply because they have become immune to many bacterias that we as American Puritans have eradicated from our lives in our germ-a-phobe lives.....

I was talking with a young soldier on a flight about a year ago. He said that in Iraq, the Muslims believe any running water is considered to be pure...well..they urinate and defficate in the ditches.... So... they do that but the water is running downhill in those ditches along the road with rubbish too and they drink the water. The first warning they had was to drink NO water given to them by native people... His tent buddy drank the water and was in bed for 2 weeks and throwing up and runs, etc. But the Iraqis were healthy and immune to it....

So, how different is going outside from using an outhouse, a composting toilet, or a sawdust toilet?
Paul
P.S. I go outside for one thing, but I don't go crap in my own yard! LOL

[CatherineID]

Lol! Talk about a thread taking a left turn and getting off track! 8)

"but I don't go crap in my own yard!"

Well, how about that. I do!

Actually we live on an acre with a well and a septic system so in effect I do crap in my own yard. The septic tank is about 12 feet down which is about how deep the leach field is. The well is 300 feet down and about 200 feet away from the leach field. Gosh I love how mother nature works.

[Anon001]

My apologies for not staying on topic. :-[

[WileyCoyote]

Yup I'm a namby-pamby.

I worked on a Rotary club committee to provide clean water for SA countries, and one of my employees as well as one of my engineering contractors went there every year on their vacations to install the water purifiers. They talked about taking showers with their eyes and mouths closed, because the parasites and bacteria that lived in the water (before they got the purifiers up and running) would make them sick and even kill them. Life expectancy in those communities was very short; babies died because they would get the parasites and bacteria, and children were infected with all sorts of diseases that other groups provided medicine for. Many of the kids had skin diseases, kidney diseases, and even heart problems from the impure water. If they made it to breeding age, they would often pass the diseases on to their young. They had to be taught not to urinate or defecate in their drinking water.

Sure, a lot of people survived this, and even with the shortened overall lifespan, many could live to an old age. Yes, it was Darwin at his finest, and we consciously tried to correct that.

As a person who developed lupus, my personal experience with the water where I used to life was horrible (downstream from a nuclear power plant) and in spite of the "water treatment plant" I was always getting massive infections, even sepsis. Now I live where the water is pumped up out of an auquifer that runs through miles of sand - and I am much healthier, the water tastes wonderful and has no additives, is absolutely pure.

So yes, some people can survive the parasites, the bacteria, the mutating viruses and other things living, floating, and sharing their water. But for me, I'd prefer not to have them at all. *I am not a clean freak by any stretch of the imagination - but why live like that, and invite trouble, if there are ways not to? I'll wash my vegies and try not to grow them over a septic tank, and hose down the deer meat as I butcher it, just because there is no sense in inviting trouble. *

[momma_to_seven_chi]

Your guineas sit on the roof to sound the "Stranger in Area" alarm while the geese run to attack the intruder.

[flatwater]

OH how true , or I've seen the guineas in the attack mode also also - your in the country when you want to go to the outhouse but you can't because a black bear is sitting by the door. This happened to me last year.

[Naughty_Pines]

You know you live in a rural county when you don't give a darn what the answer is to this !

48/2(9+3) = ?Reply Is it 2 or 288??

[DavidOH]

You know you are in a rural county when:::: all the winning politicians are REPUBLICAN.

Like the old joke:
You can run as a democrat in this county, you just can't get elected as one. :D


You travel the road and pass more tractors than cars.

[Tooldummy]

Gosh, these are all good!

How about when you go for a walk, and everyone that passes you stops to see if you need help?

Or when you dial a wrong number, but visit with them for 1/2 an hour anyway?

[kaijafon]

You know you live in a rural county when you don't give a darn what the answer is to this !

48/2(9+3) = ?Reply Is it 2 or 288??

ROFLMBO!!!!!

[kaijafon]

speaking of peeing.... although the post is old...

I went out with a guy once in the city of Shreveport, LA; and we went to a bar and listened to a great band...he slept through most of it and then when we left, he decided to pee right out in the parking lot! IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYONE!

Then he got mad when I asked him to take me home....

lol!