OK Folks. For all of you who are planning on MOVING to the "tulies" in a few months (NB I did nit say planning on bugging out in Jan 00 or Dec 99!!):

Here is a quick way to evaluate your rural life IQ:

go to the nearest Cracker Barrel Restaurant, register for your table and get the obligatory 40 min wait estimate, and start looking around. Only, you have to look UP at the ceiling!! count the number of items up there that you can't name or identify the use of. If you get to 4, you will want to find a VERY friendly neighbor to partner with once you buy that farm refuge!! Every single item up on the ceiling has come from a rural farm, or home, and was VERY useful in said home!!

CR

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 23, 1998

Answers

ROFLMAO LITERALLY!

Chuck! Brilliant! I had never comteplated using Cracker Barrel as a barometer!

Rick

-- Rick Tansun (ricktansun@hotmail.com), October 23, 1998.

Here's another. If you think many of the lyrics of country songs (e.g. "Stay out of the beans,", "Don't mess with the bull", "If the beds get full, we can sleep in the hay" are a) quaint, or b) incomprehensible - then a rural move may NOT be in the cards for you! :-)

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), October 23, 1998.

As a collector of old kitchenware, and winner of a contest to identify old tools put on by a TMEN sister publication, I could probably identify 85 - 90% of those things hanging from the ceiling, but that doesn't mean I'd want to move to the country!

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), October 23, 1998.

I've never been to a Cracker Barrel restaurant. I don't even know where the closest one is. I guess we live too isolated a life. However I assume you are talking about antiques. What makes you think that country people know all about these tools? Do you think we use them everyday? Get real.

-- Louise (~~~~~@~~~~.~~~), October 23, 1998.

Another thing to chew on if you are considering relocation to a rural area:

You may not be welcomed.

Rural communities are generally tight-knit, and wary of "city folk." Xenophobia is on the rise as many people have already made their escape from the urban centers. I know this because I live in a rural community.

Rural folks are generally well-armed. Big game and other types of hunting are a way of life.

Winters can be harsh where I am located. We expect to be unable to go to the store, make phone calls, etc. for a period of time every year.

If things go from bad to worse at the rollover, who do you think the local folks will rally around to help?

I'm not saying that this will be the case, but in times of FUD, who knows what will happen? Awareness of Y2K is generally low here, and I suspect that many people, although prepared for harsh winter conditions, may not be prepared for the Y2K fallout. They will become frightened, and look for someone to blame. (That's just human nature.) Do you think that their anger will be directed at their neighbor down the road? A mentality of "us vs. them" will prevail. (Read "The Lucifer Principle" for more on this.

My suggestion: If you do want to move to a rural area, do it NOW, while you have time to earn a place in the community. If things do go from bad to worse, you have a better chance if you have friends.

(Note: These are just generalizations. I live in the rural Northwest, and base this comment on my own observations.)

Now: Flame away!

-- Dilbert (mtdilbert@yahoo.com), October 23, 1998.

Louise:

We're talking kitchen, yard, and barn stuff here. Not terribly esoteric stuff but the sorts of things that were a daily tool in living circa 1930 or before. Potatoe ricers, long tipped oil cans, beaters of various types for various uses, etc.

CR

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 23, 1998.

Dilbert, I don't know who could want to flame you, everything you said makes perfect sense. I would just add that besides moving soon, get to know your neighbors, tell them about Y2K, help them prepare as you are doing, etc. (Can't imagine a better topic to "break the ice" so to speak....)

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), October 23, 1998.

chuck, I live 40 minutes off of a paved road in rural northern arkansas. My wife was born and raised in a Very large city. We gave up good opportunities to move her 9 years ago.

We moved here to raise our children and re-experience life. Thought that we would eat possum and stuff, and was concerned with, well you know, the local population.

Weeelll, how wrong my perceptions were. The locals were mostly just like us, even if they were born and raised here. Mostly they recieved us as family though some still do not accept us after 9 years. As for the possum, havent et nun yet. But I have et rattlesnake and turtle and its pretty good, mostly.

Sure the life here is hard if you like to go to the mall. But I \ dont miss the mall. In fact theres nothing about the city that I miss. Of course this is my preferance. Others would hate the isolation and that to is understandable.

When we moved here, its like what was Y2K? We moved here because we recognized that society as a whole was in a state of rot. And now, after these years, it looks like we made the right move after all.

If Y2K really is what it cracked up to be, a rift in civilization I am glad that I will be able to provide for my family out of the garden. And you know what, I will help you too. And so would any of my neighbors, well most of them.

My advise is: move on out here you will be accepted.

P.S., 90% of the folks here know what Y2K is, will God hide anything from his people. We are stocking up and expect to used of God to help others less fortunate. And whats a Cracker Barrell anyhow?

ww

-- WAYNE WITCHER (WWITCHER@MVTEL.NET), October 23, 1998.

These warnings about being unwelcome in the country by knuckle heads are starting to work on my last nerve. People on this post are already anxious and concerned, thank you for your support.I AM going to the country to stay awhle. I expect that most of the people currently living there will also be ill-prepared as well as here. I plan to share and get along well (as usual) there as I do here. I've lived in the country. I've met people in the country.They are no better or worse anywhere.But the worse seem to post this bullshit like beware we're all armed ya know!

-- Arthur Rambo (buriedtreaure@webtv.net), October 23, 1998.

It didn't take me to long to grasp the situation here and to start making preparations. I'm sort of "semi" rural so maybe that helped. I'm grateful for all the advice and knowledge we have received to date from this list. On the other hand; there are some conflicting concepts being held and expressed. Things that will not help anyone. Its understood that city folk may end up starving and will, necessarily, spread out to the country. There not being enough room in the city for growing your own food and other self sufficiencies, if the full senario unfolds, it's a given. Nothing that can be said will stop them.

But I hear on this list that rurals are close knit, well armed and will not take kindly to city folk. I understand that too but the city dwellers will not be easy to dismiss. They will be driven by starvation and they too can be well armed. The bad guys have uzies. (sp?) Rurals may be close knit but only as kindred souls. They certainly are not close knit in geography. Lonely farm houses, isolated from each other by a mile or two. It won't be good to be alone.

In our case, depending on how things go during 1999, our sons and son- in-law may come to live with us towards the end of next year to hold this fort together. Or; we may just decide to group together further out. We have 30 mile plus people we can stay with for as long as necessary. If its bad enough for us to move, it will also be beneficial for them to have us. We will carry everything we have put together as supplies and leave pretty much an empty house. I can and would leave just about everything; because its insured. :-)

But that's the thought. It is certainly worth it to me to have lots of help in this situation. So I believe those in the farmlands should look more towards becoming communes, clans or small communities among themselves. After all, the city folk are your customers anyway. Why not let them come earn their bread by working for you directly. Build up your strength by bringing people into the fold. Those who prove themselves to you and those who will be grateful for a place to stay, with others, for protection. The larger the group, the less the worry. Most farms can or could be made to support a fair amount of boarders, with everyone working together. You've been feeding a lot of people all along, now you'll just be able to see them up close. Different people will have different skills. Even 100% pure city folk are not that bad. Why would they not want to join in and put everything they had into a group effort. Most will have families and they can't wander around the countryside for very long. If any individual doesn't do his fair share, the group expels him. That's surely the way to go. Help yourself, help others and help civilization come back to normal as quickly as possible (but better). The countryside will be the only place it will happen.

Me

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), October 23, 1998.

I live in the country, and I don't really care if you come here or not. I've noticed the property around here is being snatched up eagerly. If you come here, be prepared. I haven't a clue if my neighbors are Y2K ready, but I suspect they aren't. I don't tell my neighbors anything, and they don't tell me anything. Don't come to the "country" and think you're going to get chummy with your neighbors, it's every man for himself.

-- Bluebird (bluebird@media.net), October 24, 1998.