# 417 - Country Roads Ahead

Only one road around our acreage is paved. The rest look like this...

 

and this...

 

and this...

 

and part of one of the roads crosses over the lake to the swampy zones and the road is starting to cave in around the piping underneath. You can see the erosion in the road in the photo below that is taken  just as we passed over the part of the road that is deteriorating. While crossing this sinking area, I was holding my breath and praying we would not sink like a big rock.

 

Taking a trip around the block helped me to remember the reason for the term "rural" when describing the acreage.

One house had an angry, territorial Chihuahua on guard; that dog was a meanie.

Speaking of houses, they are spread a few acres apart in our "neighborhood and they look like this...

 

and this...

 

 

and a few other houses were built behind such HEAVILY wooded areas that you could hardly tell a house was tucked away. A couple of residences had barns so big that we thought they were the actual houses, then we saw the house peeking out from behind the barn.

 

A house or two was a series of one added addition after addition through the years, but they looked sturdy enough, even if they reminded me of quilts.

 

One thing I can say...everyone out here looks like they are thoroughly enjoying life. Maybe that's because the residents don't have to worry about a radical neighborhood association employing an obsessed critic to drive around with clipboard in hand so that threats can be mailed out.

 

Also, the people in this country area might not have city services available...except for electricity.

 

Then, there are those neighbors who look as if they would take trespassing deadly serious, so we stayed on the lovely dirt roads as we encircled the acreage through the connected neighborhood.

 

 

I am happy we were able to drive around this rural area of ours during good weather. Actually, it was a pretty hot day for March in Texas, in the mid-80's. The warm weather provided perfect temperatures to solidify the solid roads beneath our tires to allow us to explore. For those who live in rural areas, you already know what I'm talking about.

 

We've spent far more than our fair share of time getting stuck during the Fall/Winter months because the ground softens.

 

 

This kind of life is a lot different from cookie-cutter-land. Yes, my cookie-cutter house has served us well; it is scary to leave it. I love this house, but it's just too big and too close to chemical industries.

 

Regardless, this weekend will find me saying goodbye to my master bedroom furniture. If these buyers don't follow through with the purchase of our home, then I am NOT going to be happy about the lack of furniture that is valuable and adds comfort to our lives, especially since this is the first bedroom suit I ever owned for myself, and I was 40 years old when I bought it.

 

I need to sell the furniture now, at a time that works for the person needing the furniture. If I wait a few weeks, I might be stuck having to hire movers to load it into a moving truck and then would have to pay for storage and it would take up a good deal of space in storage. If I were "stuck" with this furniture, it'd be okay...it is beautiful and valuable, but I am hoping to pass it along to the next person to enjoy, and they are buying it for a great price. It is a good deal for both of us.

 

As for selling this house, we are still under contract and moving toward our close-date in April. It's a waiting game. It's a big game of Monopoly as we try to close the deal on our property.

 

Soon, I'll be driving down country roads and my neighbors will not be in sight. It will be weird.

 

But, I think weird matches my personality, so that is perfectly fine.