Our Journey Off-Grid Can be SCARY.

My encounters with country living have been a bit shocking. I knew there were risks involved in our journey, but I saw them as something distant that one needs to prepare for, not overtly prevalent all around me.  The scariest moment that I’ve personally experienced was probably riding in a fast-moving vehicle over rocky woodland hills while pieces of car were ripped off. But other people have been glad to scare the living daylights out of me (with oblivious calm):

“Oh yeah I had to move the chickens ’cause the bobcats kept getting them.”

“Lightning strikes are becoming more common, you know – my friend’s house just got struck by lightning as it traveled under the ground to their propane tank and the stove caught on fire…”

“This it where the house was…all that’s left is the refrigerator.”

“I got whacked on the head putting in posts and bled for 3 hours.”

“If you lay in the grass for a few minutes you’ll come out covered in chiggers.”

“There’s a brain-eating bacteria in fresh water swimmin’ holes that kills within 2 weeks.”

“It wasn’t just one tarantula, but a whole HERD of ‘um crossing the road, like a wave!”

“I came outside to my porch and there she was, the biggest snake I’d ever seen.”

I have to admit, I know I should be afraid of bobcats and bears and tarantulas but as an animal lover, it’s also exciting to know that the wild is alive in Arkansas.  It’s pretty cool to think of a bear below my bedroom window.  But I’m not fearless – here are some of the creepiest critters I’ve heard of that I didn’t know even lived in Arkansas:

Tarantulas & Scorpions

Tarantula Distribution in Arkansas

Arkansas Bark Scorpion

Regardless of these scary situations and creepy crawly critters, I choose to do what my good friend says and “put the fear back on that shelf just like a jar of mayonnaise.” After all, I have venomous spiders (Brown Recluse) living in my closet and once found a black widow on my bare bottom (the only time in my life I’ve ever screamed).

Arkansas Chocolate Tarantula

So it’s not like city life is devoid of danger, and often I feel more threatened by drunk people than innocent animals. If you love lions, tigers and bears Oh My! then share this spooky fun conservation effort with some trick-or-treaters: Cause an Uproar with National Geographic and Trick-or-Treat for Big Cats

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Ripples!