Remembering something...
In 1983 I was living in Montana and looking for a way out. I wanted to farm.
In the back of The Mother Earth News were classified ads with "Intentional Communities" looking for members.
I wrote to a few, got a few answers back.
One was from a guy in Kentucky. He was a spelunker and he wanted someone to live on his farm so he was free to go caving. Milk the cow, tend the garden etc.
I was young, and invincible, so I went.
It took me 3 days to get to his farm and I arrived at the end of his road in the middle of the night. Even though he had sent me a map, it was completely dark, and the instructions were to park and walk in. I slept in my truck and headed out the next morning.
It was about a 2 mile hike into his place, and before I got to the house he jumped out from behind a tree. His gates were rigged, so he knew at the house when someone had opened one. He wore a pistol on his hip. (later he told me he was using me as bait for a local rapist)
I spent about a week at his place. It was a mess. Somewhere I have photos maybe I'll dig out. While I was there it snowed, so we were in the house a lot. I chose to spend much of the time in the barn. I learned to milk the cow and I solidified the relationship I have with goats. He had a mule and lots of chickens, and some nice dogs who wore sticks hanging from their collars on chains to keep them from chasing the chickens.
Not much happened at the farm, I really didn't like him or his place so it was pretty obvious I wasn't going to stay. He was weenie so I knew I could fight back, but he never bothered me, and I was never frightened.
On a whim today I looked him up. He died in 2003. I found an ad he published after I left, still looking for someone to tend his place. Remembering him in a Cave Journal people who knew him pretty much described him as I remember; dirty, bitter, didn't like women.
I left his place and went to Jims
Jim said "He let you get away, this time..."
In the back of The Mother Earth News were classified ads with "Intentional Communities" looking for members.
I wrote to a few, got a few answers back.
One was from a guy in Kentucky. He was a spelunker and he wanted someone to live on his farm so he was free to go caving. Milk the cow, tend the garden etc.
I was young, and invincible, so I went.
It took me 3 days to get to his farm and I arrived at the end of his road in the middle of the night. Even though he had sent me a map, it was completely dark, and the instructions were to park and walk in. I slept in my truck and headed out the next morning.
It was about a 2 mile hike into his place, and before I got to the house he jumped out from behind a tree. His gates were rigged, so he knew at the house when someone had opened one. He wore a pistol on his hip. (later he told me he was using me as bait for a local rapist)
I spent about a week at his place. It was a mess. Somewhere I have photos maybe I'll dig out. While I was there it snowed, so we were in the house a lot. I chose to spend much of the time in the barn. I learned to milk the cow and I solidified the relationship I have with goats. He had a mule and lots of chickens, and some nice dogs who wore sticks hanging from their collars on chains to keep them from chasing the chickens.
Not much happened at the farm, I really didn't like him or his place so it was pretty obvious I wasn't going to stay. He was weenie so I knew I could fight back, but he never bothered me, and I was never frightened.
On a whim today I looked him up. He died in 2003. I found an ad he published after I left, still looking for someone to tend his place. Remembering him in a Cave Journal people who knew him pretty much described him as I remember; dirty, bitter, didn't like women.
I left his place and went to Jims
Jim said "He let you get away, this time..."
posted by sarah at 12:26 PM
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