Mountain Musings: Country Living Mythology

Mountain Musings – A guest column by Dottie Simmons who lives in eastern Humboldt County describes life at her rural homestead:

It’s always interesting hearing what people who don’t live in a rural area think about life in the backwoods. Some see idealistic nature loving tree-hugging flower children, some see grumpy isolationists hiding from society, some see survivalist preppers waiting for the STHTF, and some see Back-to-the-Land nostalgists who want to relive the pioneer past. Some see it as simple and carefree and others as nothing but hard work and drudgery.

I see it as none of the above, yet a little of each of those concepts definitely pertains in some way to our life here along the way.

When I first came to Humboldt in my teens, I was definitely idealistic. Gobsmacked by the Redwoods and rivers and sea, drawn to the mountains and the night skies and, yes, consciously part of that Flower child Back-to-the-Land movement. Ahhh, those were the days!

Once one dives in, reality hits and is a merciless teacher. It is a LOT of work, there are a LOT of sacrifices, it takes a LOT of time to get to any level you were imagining, and there are more things that can go wrong than you could ever dream of! On the other hand, you can be one of the fortunate ones with generational ties to this land and raised with those lessons passed down.

Love for the land and willingness to work and to learn make it happen.

I still meet people who think gardening is magic. I agree, but not in the same way. You don’t simply put seeds in the ground and sit back and abundant food comes forth. You put in a lot of effort and pay your dues to acquire that magical offering from the earth. It can be a battle with nature, weather and wildlife, and sometimes you lose. But you learn what does well and to plant extra and the rewards are great.

Ditto poultry and livestock. From food and shelter to health and predators there is a lot of responsibility and effort involved. You have to love it all.

While the idea of living in town surrounded by people as we did growing up is no longer appealing, remote rural communities are connected in a deeper, I think more inclusive, way than more urban ones are. You find yourself working together with far more than just your like-minded group. Neighbors of all ilks have ties through the shared mountain experience and will be there for each other when need arises.

I am sure there are enclaves of survivalists stocking up freeze-dried foods for the end times, but the folks I know put up their own food to last until next year’s crops ripen and maintain a full pantry in preparation for deep winter snow events or road closures. We aren’t running out to the store for dry beans or a sack of flour on a whim even when we can. Most of us have fishing gear and rifles as part of life, not in case of disaster. They can be as essential as hammer and nails or hatchets and chainsaws when your food and shelter depend on your own efforts.

I am sure there are some characters that fit the mountain folk stereotypes, but I bet most of us are simply a blend of the self-sufficiency and practicality that living far from town requires and full of the appreciation for the space and beauty that drew us here in the first place.