I had thought of labeling this thread: Insurance Nightmare, but you'll figure that out yourself. Anyway, Betty Molin had seemed concerned about a move to a remote place in the country, because it sounded like you had to take protection into your own hands, and in a sense, that may be true. We live near a relatively medium-sized suburb in New Jersey, and the couple times we have called police, they’ve arrived about 20 minutes later. The one time we called the fire department, it was about 15 minutes later when they came. Since building our house, we had the construction trailer broken into and robbed once, then attempted a second time, a few months later, with less success. A year or so later, a car full of people drove up our 300 foot driveway, then drove onto our lawn at 3 A.M. in February, and started honking loudly, and screaming for someone named Carleen.??!!?? I wandered out into the yard to deal with them in a sleepy stupor. It was a creepy experience Then there was the lightning strike in our front yard. It struck a tree, (actually 3 trees), then coursed across the lawn, blew a railroad tie right OUT of it’s path, continued up to the front porch and blew a 3' round, by 1' deep hole immediately in front of our steps. We came home ten minutes later and found the lights ALL out (nightime), pictures blown off the living room wall, phone blown off of the kitchen wall, clothes dryer fried, vcr fried, dishwasher fried, hood fan fried, (and sparking upon re-power). Also a big chunk of concrete block blown out of the basement wall, opposite the breaker panel. Out in the yard the boat’s fishfinder (new) was fried, mud and stones were slung everywhere, including up on top of 3 different roofs, plus all over the porch trim, soffits, and window frames (which we had just spent ALL DAY painting!). When we first arrived, it looked like someone had backed up a truck to the front door, and disassembled the place. Everybody naturally sat in the vehicle while dad stepped around the mudhole, and went inside to investigate the darkened house, wondering who was behind each door, and why was EVERYTHING so MUDDY!?! But it was just lightning. Then a year or so later, crooks broke into the house in midday and stole the TV, some jewelry, a ghetto blaster, and miscellaneous items. Makes you wonder, what if my family were home, and encountered someone like Greg was describing on another thread. Someone a little creepier... I shudder to think! Then two years ago, there was the barn fire. Five baby goats, and a heat lamp: POOF. Gone. Barn, goats, everything. Then there was that time that the pack of 7 or 8 wild dogs visited the pig pen, (2-A.M. February). I ran outside with a shotgun, fired into the forest, and drove them away. Then two years ago it was the chicken coop with the raccoon in it. Oh brother! The most recent catastrophe was the raccoon that ripped open the downstairs screen-window. (This October, or November) It crawled in my oldest boy’s room, and up on his bed.... 5-A.M. I hear these screams, DAD! DAD! There's some creature in my room and it bit me!! Next thing you know, there we are in the emergency room filling his shoulder with needles. These last three events mentioned, required the use of firearms, but you start to wonder if you’ll ever need those things for TWO legged predators. Or carleen's friends... I suppose stranger things have happened...(BUT I’D SURE LIKE TO SHAKE THE HAND OF THE POOR GUY THEY HAPPENED TO!) It's been an exciting eight years, to say the least. At any rate, WE are shooting a LOT of clays with the boys, lately, and they are becoming VERY familiar with firearm use. I for one, think that’s wise. Now, if I could just talk my INSURANCE company into some sorta “firearms-safety-discount”! (By the way, the insurance company has come through for us EACH AND EVERY TIME. The ‘exact-cost-coverage’ is worth every penny, in my book. They’ve even paid to replace 7 oak trees, at $600.00 apiece! (3 from the lightning storm, and 4 surrounding the barn when it burned down). Only my heavenly Father could get me THAT much money for cordwood! On another thread, someone had asked what is needed for a move to the country. Some GOOD insurance and a whole lot of DOING. But hey, are we having FUN, or what!!! LOL It’s all worth it, though, when I leave the rat race behind me each night and pull way up that dirt driveway to view Paradise one more time. Yeah!!!

-- The Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001

Answers

Sounds real fun Action Dude !!!! Hows your wife like country living??? And what about the kids???? Do you think living farther out of town would change anything? I think you would find thieves anywhere, and fire happens anywhere and so does lightning. Well country living aint for everybody I guess.

-- pioneer patti (pioneerpatti@msn.com), March 11, 2001.

Wow, you live a much more "exciting" life than we do, AD! Nothing that horrendous has happened to us here, just a really heavy hail storm that caused tons of damage one spring. Yes, you do need insurance, but be careful what you claim. Ours was just raised to a $1000 deductible because we had too many claims in a 3 year period. Some were minor, freezer that died, etc., as well as windshields cracked by gravel. Now we can't even get accepted by another company until we go a year without any claims! Sounds like you have some really wicked lightening--good thing you weren't home! Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), March 11, 2001.

Jan IN CO, I've often thought about the lightning storm in retrospect. You're right! If we WEREN'T out buying green paint, that night, I probably would've been watching the TV blow up, my DW would've been cackling on the telephone, and one or two kids would have been in the bathtub at the time everything went kaBOOM. Thank the Lord!!

-- The Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001.