This weekend on National Public Radio's program An Infinite Mind, John Hockenberry told a silly story.
A man sitting alone in his cabin heard a knock on the door. He rose to open it and found nobody there. But he did notice a snail. The man bend down, picked it up and threw it out into the yard.
A year later the same man hear a knock on the door and rose to find nobody there. But he did notice a small snail. As he prepared to throw it out into the yard he heard the snail breathing deeply and say "hey can't we talk about this?"
If you are thinking about moving into a rural or remote part of Colorado here are some things to think about.
- Wildlife are fun to watch and take pictures of, but they were here first. Be prepared to keep an eye on your pets, outdoor appliances and trash cans. This morning I found mountain lion foot prints in the mud next to my dogs yard!
- Don't assume there is a trash service available. And it may not be acceptable to burn, don't rely on that the neighbors are doing the right thing.
- Colorado is a fence out state unless local authority says otherwise. You may wake up one day to find the neighbors cows blocking the drive way, their goat eating your garden and their dog camped out on your front porch. This applies to domestic animals on the road as well. If you damage an animal you maybe held responsible not only for that animal but the dependents as well. The rule applies to hunters, horseback riders and hikers as well.
- Make friends with the Sherif and staff as well. You may need their help one day and your road and house may not be on their maps.
- Plan your trips. Many wasted trips can be saved by being organized and planning ahead.
- Know the local customs. For instance my community uses air raid horns for prison breaks, fire alarms and the noon whistle.
- Find out about the local fire station. Is it occupied full time or volunteer? The answer could effect your home owners policy.
- Know more than one way in and out of your community in case of an emergency. Sounds simple but in remote areas it could be a matter of life and death.
- Be prepared for black outs. If the electric company or the propane driver can't get to you for some time how will you survive?
- Know who has a snow plow in the area. A good neighbor and $50 may get you out of trouble one day.
- Keep an air horn and flash lights handy. The appeal of a remote area is the piece and quiet, but without street lights or neighbors handy you may need these simple items to scare off wild animals, alert distant neighbors or signal for help.
- Keep out door lighting to a minimum, just enough to get you safely into the house. After all your neighbors moved out of the city for the same reasons you did, to see the stars!
- Count on your car insurance going up. Remote areas mean that there are animals on the road. And ya know what? Deer don't pay attention to the deer crossing signs!
For more information on living in Colorado : http://www.askcolorado.org/
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