You know you live in the boondocks when the local newspaper has a photo of the guest speaker at the Rotary meeting.?ÿ This is a professor at the nearby community college.?ÿ He is wearing a button-type shirt intended to be tucked into the trousers but it is not and he has accessorized it nicely by wearing his best ball cap.
SWMBO, ever the fashionista, tells me tucked in shirts are SOOOOO 20th Century...
Most days I dress quite similarly to how I dressed in the 1960's.?ÿ But, back then, when I was going to be speaking to a group of people, I slicked down my hair, dug out my best dress pants and put on a long-tailed button-type shirt with the tail tucked in nicely.?ÿ Otherwise, my mother wouldn't have let me out of the house.
When I first got into the surveying business I would sometimes do the field work for an older local engineer/surveyor.?ÿ One day I was doing a topo for him on the edge of town when he drove up right before lunch and told me to load up my equipment and meet him at a nearby restaurant.?ÿ I was the first one around?ÿ here with a robot and it was his turn to do show and tell at the local Kiwanas Club lunch meeting, so I ended up with a free lunch and gave an equipment demonstration in my muddy boots and tee shirt.?ÿ That may have made more of an impression than the equipment.
I know a fellow who was in the middle of a hog lot working on a survey when he was directed to go straight to the courthouse as there was a case being heard and they needed his input immediately.?ÿ So he went.
When the richest guy in town might drive the same vehicle as the poorest guy in town.
...when you have to drive an hour or more to get medical care other than Ambulance and helicopter transport.
You fill your car from the gas tank at the house because town is too far away.
You don't have an address, just a Rural Route #
You can see ALL of the stars at night because there is no light pollution.
Strangers stop at your house because they don't know where they are and need directions.
The signs at each side of town that say "Welcome to ........" are mounted on the same post.
When you give directions by "looks".?ÿ As in :?ÿ Look up the road yonder, fella.?ÿ See that hilltop ahead.?ÿ That is one look.?ÿ When you get to that spot, stop and look ahead to the most distant hilltop you see.?ÿ That is the second look.?ÿ So, now, listen up, you go five looks then turn left at the next corner.?ÿ Go two looks plus however it far it is till you pass a pasture full of horses.?ÿ Take the first right you come to, down the hill, cross the crick and about half way up the next hill.?ÿ By then you can smell Charlie's hog farm.?ÿ When you stop smelling the hogs turn left and you're there.
@holy-cow Go down the road aways to where the old Smith house used to be, turn left and go past the old Brown place and turn right.?ÿ Go to where old Jim had the bad wreck, the next driveway on the left.
Andy
Another good way to know is because the road in front of your house gets snow plowed by a neighbor with a tractor before it gets plowed by the county.
Tell her bra's are too, and see what she says. ?????ÿ
Fruit and vegetable stands in front of farmhouses are run on the honor system.?ÿ
I spent a lot of time in the "boondocks" where you took what you needed from the Co-op and told them what and how much sometime later. Never locked the doors on the house and never took the keys out of the car ignition. You couldn't be dishonest and still survive in that community.
I worked with Westgate Vacation Villas when they first opened in Fl. The owner was David Siegel who was wealthy then and a billionaire today. The first time we met concerning a new 340 unit time share. The meeting consisted of me, David, and his original wife, Betty. David was dressed like an interstate exit panhandler and drove a beat up ancient Eldorado with mismatched hub caps and one fender in primer. Betty, on the other hand, looked like a photoshoot for Vouge magazine and drove a new Bently. Personally I think was a ploy on Davids behalf to play destitute in hopes for lower prices frome. ?????ÿ
You know you're in the boonies when everybody's house is referred to by its former occupants.?ÿ?ÿ
"We just bought that place on the hill."
"Oh, you mean the old Tucker place?"
It is boondock etiquette for others not to refer to it as "your" place until you ARE the former occupant.
Some places I spend time at when on vacation are just this way
It can remain "the old Tucker" place if you are only there for a short time, so a place can go through eight short-term owners and a few renters but still be known as "the old Tucker place".?ÿ Endurance is what puts your name on it.
Attended a little "meet and greet" session this morning with our State Senator and one of our State Representatives.?ÿ Of those attending, other than the politicians, I attended school with all but one of them at one time or another.?ÿ As I had met the politicians previously, I would add a little extra comment here and there to let them know that a certain person present was a retired school teacher or former school board member or former community college instructor who has a son who is a public school teacher or the wife of a school bus driver.?ÿ That's what you get into out here in the boondocks.?ÿ Too many know too much about too many others. (In some people's opinions, that is.)
