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| - The little house - |
I've used it and I liked the places where we stayed. I was musing about putting an ad for my house on there and the special provisions I would have to include.
It might go something like this:
"Country living, smoking allowed, because you're an adult and I trust you to have common sense. If I have to tell you not to go to sleep with lit cigarettes between each finger, then there's no hope for you, anyway. I shouldn't have rented my house to you.
If you hear a loud, rattling, tea-pot type whistle from the water heater, that just means there's been a jump in water pressure, and you need to either take a shower (the whistling will stop while the hot water is on), or turn the water valve and water heater off (add in detailed list of how that works, lighting and re-lighting). You'll most likely need to turn it off, anyway, even after a shower. Just relight it an hour before you need it again.
The refrigerator and washing machine also make various sounds, lots of whirring, creaking and moaning. They are in proper working order, they just have a lot to say.
There's a nice wood-stove, but only use it if there's rain or snow. We're in a burn ban most of the time because we are almost a desert.
The propane heater and a few space heaters will be your heat source. In fact, check the tank out back when you get there to make sure you have enough fuel. When you leave the house, turn off all, I mean all, heaters. This old farm house is like a tinder box, just waiting to go up in flames. On the other hand, during warmer months, the air conditioner should be left on continuously.
There are many sounds in the country with which you might not be familiar. It's very quaint to hear a hoot owl or a lonely howl of a coyote, but there a few animal vocalizations that may be altogether foreign to your ear.
If you hear something like an angry bear (or bears), that is just a bellowing bull or two or three. It's alarming, but not dangerous, as long as they are in the fence, which is why they're hollering in the first place (I see and smell the ladies, but I can't get to them because of this durn fence, say the bulls).
A screaming woman type sound can either be a bobcat or coyote. The coyote sounds more like a ghost being strangled. Neither should worry you.
Oh, and if there's a tornado, you can go to the cellar, if you like, but there's no door, just a big piece of plywood to cover the hole from within, holding it in place with a big, heavy, barrel chair. If it rains, even a little, the top leaks and soon you'll be standing in inches of water. You'll quickly figure out where the only (momentarily) dry square foot is located. It's probably best just to ignore the weather. There's usually just a lot of wind and sound, but not much happens. Usually."
Well, maybe my ad needs work. Maybe another country person would see it for what it really is: a great, wonderful place to live. If you don't mind rattlesnakes (oh, I forgot to mention those!).
