CrazyCrow
11-25-2007, 03:24 PM
A few years ago I lived on an old 350 acre farm. Most of the land lay as hillside and mountains, with about 25 acres of flat usable land. The house, barn and root cellar was conveniently surrounded by approximately two acres of open field. The closest house was over a mile away out the dirt road to the north of the property. To the south stood nothing but wilderness for over six miles.
Electricity and phone service were connected to the house long ago, but there was no public water service. Water had to be pumped from the well by hand pump, or carried by hand from a spring about half a mile away. The bathroom was conveniently located out back. During the winter months I stretched an extension cord to the outhouse so I could plug in a small electric heater to warm the 4X4 foot structure, before going out to put the building to use.
Deer, wild turkey, coyote and small game where in abundance over the surrounding area as were timber rattlers and copperheads. With a number of the later falling victim to a blast from my trusty Remington 870 express. I love that shotgun.
For the first time in my life I was at peace. I called that place in the hills my home for over two years. If I felt like going outside and running around the field naked while screaming like a madman, no one could hear me or gave a damn. I set up my own little combat shooting range out back, where I fired so many rounds, that the trees standing behind the target stands fell over after a time.
On the downside I never owned the place, I like a lot of poor saps payed rent to a landlord. The place was put up for sale and was sold a short time latter by the owner and I had to leave my little rented heaven on earth. This was one of the worst things I can remember ever happening to me, it broke my heart when I had to leave. I still think about the old place most everyday. I would have liked nothing more then to have bought the place but at $350,000 there was no way I could have, not many of us could. :'(
Electricity and phone service were connected to the house long ago, but there was no public water service. Water had to be pumped from the well by hand pump, or carried by hand from a spring about half a mile away. The bathroom was conveniently located out back. During the winter months I stretched an extension cord to the outhouse so I could plug in a small electric heater to warm the 4X4 foot structure, before going out to put the building to use.
Deer, wild turkey, coyote and small game where in abundance over the surrounding area as were timber rattlers and copperheads. With a number of the later falling victim to a blast from my trusty Remington 870 express. I love that shotgun.
For the first time in my life I was at peace. I called that place in the hills my home for over two years. If I felt like going outside and running around the field naked while screaming like a madman, no one could hear me or gave a damn. I set up my own little combat shooting range out back, where I fired so many rounds, that the trees standing behind the target stands fell over after a time.
On the downside I never owned the place, I like a lot of poor saps payed rent to a landlord. The place was put up for sale and was sold a short time latter by the owner and I had to leave my little rented heaven on earth. This was one of the worst things I can remember ever happening to me, it broke my heart when I had to leave. I still think about the old place most everyday. I would have liked nothing more then to have bought the place but at $350,000 there was no way I could have, not many of us could. :'(