# Extreme Seclusion



## Catlady (Aug 12, 2019)

Yesterday I watched a documentary on PBS about a former fashion designer, Ingrid Gipson, who left the big city and has been living alone in Arkansas’ rural Ouachita Mountains for 30 years.  She's estranged from her two sons and lives entirely off her land, raises her own meat, and has been building her house with rocks and cement.  She's also a sculptor and has started selling them recently.  She was born in 1940.

I've always thought I'm kind of weird since I love my solitude and although I like humans I want to spend as little time as possible with them.  BUT, I live in a city with all its amenities and can call for help if I need it.  I would never want to live her lifestyle.  Would you?

https://www.pbs.org/video/ingrid-8ocksv/


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## Marie5656 (Aug 12, 2019)

*While that may sound appealing, for a minute, I do not feel I would like quite that much solitude.  Plus, I could not be as self sufficient as this lady.  I like being able to get into my car and be 10 minutes from somewhere.*


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## JustBonee (Aug 12, 2019)

I can't  imagine living that lifestyle, and then building a house by myself of rocks....  She must be one unique lady to enjoy that isolation.
Isolation maybe helps with creative thinking. 

Off topic ..  but it reminds me of the unique group of people living in the mountains of New Mexico in Taos  ... although different,  the artists that are attracted to  the Taos community   live there for their inspiration too,   and have studios available to visit.  ... there are some very historical sites around the area.  Beautiful  pueblos, Indian tribes and  so scenic.   It's very rich in history..   

Ok.. back to the fashion designer/sculptor on her mountain.


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## Judycat (Aug 12, 2019)

I have to cut my own grass and hedges and keep a fire going for heat in the winter. That's rough enough for me. My neighbor clears my driveway bless his heart.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 12, 2019)

I can appreciate the appeal of living in the mountains or somewhere in the backwoods all alone, although I've done a lot of camping in remote areas, I've always been with my husband and it's never been a long-term situation.

  I've watched some shows on TV where women are completely independent and survive by their own means.  Even though my husband playfully calls me a mountain girl sometimes, in no way do I have what it takes to live that kind of life by myself.  I'd give it a go if I absolutely had to when I was younger, but no way at this age now.


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## Catlady (Aug 12, 2019)

Ingrid said in the video that had she known when she was younger the hardships and challenges she would endure, she would not have taken this path.  I can understand that, but why would she keep doing it at the ripe old age of 79?  My biggest fear would be breaking a leg or hip or something and dying slowly and watching my animals dying slowly.  I guess my biggest phobia is a slow and painful death, not death itself.

This kind of reminds me about that old lady living in the mountains of Russia (there's a thread here about her), but that woman lived like that since she was  a child and was ill-equipped to live in civilization, Ingrid made the move by choice and when she was already an adult.


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 12, 2019)

I just don't have what it takes to go native.

I prefer the anonymity and convenience of the city. 

Years ago there was a hermit named French Louie in the Adirondacks.  Louie came down with a bad case of the flu and thought that he was going to die so he decided that he better dig his grave and climb in.  He lined his grave with pine boughs, covered the top with some old boards and pinned a note to his shirt asking whoever found him to please fill in the hole.  After a week or two, he started to feel better so he climbed out of his grave and continued with his life for many more years.


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## C'est Moi (Aug 12, 2019)

I find that I am definitely more antisocial nowadays; not sure if it's because I'm a geezer or if the world is just that ugly now.  I prefer my comfortable home to just about anyplace on earth.  Anyway, I'm much too cowardly (and dare I say, lazy) to contemplate living in rustic conditions.   Just give me air conditioning and a good book; I'm good to go.


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## Catlady (Aug 12, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> He lined his grave with pine boughs, covered the top with some old boards and pinned a note to his shirt asking whoever found him to please fill in the hole.



That is both sad and funny at the same time.


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## RadishRose (Aug 12, 2019)

Never.


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## Gary O' (Aug 12, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> Years ago there was a hermit named French Louie in the Adirondacks. Louie came down with a bad case of the flu and thought that he was going to die so he decided that he better dig his grave and climb in. He lined his grave with pine boughs, covered the top with some old boards and pinned a note to his shirt asking whoever found him to please fill in the hole. After a week or two, he started to feel better so he climbed out of his grave and continued with his life for many more years.


That....is....hilarious (sorry, but funny is funny)


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## Gary O' (Aug 12, 2019)

PVC said:


> Yesterday I watched a documentary on PBS about a former fashion designer, Ingrid Gipson, who left the big city and has been living alone in Arkansas’ rural Ouachita Mountains for 30 years



Kinda reminds me of Helen and Scott Nearing
Only, they’re the only ones I know of that actually did it….*lived off the land*.

Way into their 90s (if I remember correctly)

And they were vegetarians!
(Tough for this carnivore to comprehend)


They inspired my lady and I back in the ‘70s
This was our bible


And this one



Heh, we’ve sold everything and moved to the woods…. three times since the ‘70s

I salute anyone that does it* like the Nearings did*
It still blows my mind


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## Judycat (Aug 12, 2019)

French Louie was quite the character. I just finished reading about him on Wikipedia.


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## Pecos (Aug 12, 2019)

I have camped and hiked by myself several times, and while I enjoyed the solitude, 3 or 4 days of it was enough. At home these days, I absolutely love having morning coffee and talking with my wife for at least an hour, but I do need daily periods of solitude.


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## Ruthanne (Aug 12, 2019)

At certain points in my life I've considered living alone far away from everyone but I like the conveniences of city life too much to do it.  I'm also too old to have all the energy and work it would take.


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## Catlady (Aug 12, 2019)

When watching the video I marveled how strong she was carrying those big rocks to her pickup from the river bed, and in her 70's.  I also thought that if her story got made into a movie a good actress to play her would be Judi Dench, Ingrid reminded me a lot of Judi especially her smile and laugh.  Ingrid talked a couple of times how lonely she was sometimes for companionship but she knew that it would be almost impossible to find someone to share her unusual lifestyle.


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## Catlady (Aug 12, 2019)

Gary O', I got exhausted just reading all the stuff you could do in ''Country Living''.  LOL   I found ONE thing I already do, I bake bread.


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## jujube (Aug 12, 2019)

Nope, not for me.  I'm not fond enough of my own company to want it exclusively.  

First thing I'd do would be to start talking to myself.  Then I'd start answering myself, closely followed by arguing with myself. Then I'd get in a snit and start giving myself the cold shoulder.  After a while, I'd get lonely and make up with myself.  Who needs all that?


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## Rosemarie (Aug 13, 2019)

That life would suit me nicely, apart from raising my own meat. I don't eat meat and could never bring myself to kill an animal just so that I could eat it. However, I would surround myself with animals, simply because I enjoy having them around.

I already live quite an isolated life, even though I live in the centre of a busy town. I keep myself detached as much as I can, don't want to get involved with anyone. The internet is ideal for people like me. We can have brief chats with other people without the hassle of actually being with them physically.


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## Keesha (Aug 13, 2019)

No.


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## terry123 (Aug 13, 2019)

No


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## Ken N Tx (Aug 13, 2019)

My wife was watching a guy walking through a snowstorm with snowshoes on. I asked what was going on and she said he was searching for a shelter to spend the night or he would die!! I asked where the cameraman would stay and she did not answer me!!  LOL


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## treeguy64 (Aug 13, 2019)

I still have thoughts of living off the grid, in near isolation, except for the gf. Facing reality, though, I know, with advancing years, that the practicality of moving far from modern conveniences and healthcare, greatly diminishes.


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## toffee (Aug 13, 2019)

Makes me wonder why people need that much solitude ?
it would send me bananas- I like quite but I like to be near a centre or village'
as for building her home with rocks -its a wonder she hasn't falling ill -or just plain lucky I guess 'what if she fell -how does she get help there quickly etc ……….


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## Leann (Aug 13, 2019)

While I enjoy living alone, I also love having friends and family (and all of you) to connect with. Besides lacking the desire for voluntary solitary confinement like Ingrid Gipson, I also lack the physical ability, knowledge, tools, and confidence to build a home and keep myself alive like she does.


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## Sunny (Aug 13, 2019)

Not me. I like living alone, but I need people around me.


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## Catlady (Aug 13, 2019)

Rosemarie said:


> That life would suit me nicely, apart from raising my own meat. I don't eat meat and could never bring myself to kill an animal just so that I could eat it. However, I would surround myself with animals, simply because I enjoy having them around.
> 
> I already live quite an isolated life, even though I live in the centre of a busy town. I keep myself detached as much as I can, don't want to get involved with anyone. The internet is ideal for people like me. We can have brief chats with other people without the hassle of actually being with them physically.



I completely agree with everything you said. 

 I am a vegetarian since 1984 and the part I didn't like in the film is where she picked up a rabbit and started petting it and saying repeatedly ''Beautiful bunny, beautiful bunny'' to slow it's heart rate and then she killed it.  She showed great love for her female pregnant goat, but she probably also kills the goats for food.


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## Catlady (Aug 13, 2019)

I looked up Gary O's the Nearings of Maine and found this video on You-tube.  I would never want to live such a hard life but I have great admiration for people like them.  And, he lived to be 100 and she to 91, not bad for such a hard life.


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## Gary O' (Aug 13, 2019)

PVC said:


> And, he lived to be 100 and she to 91, not bad for such a hard life


Turns out, simple living is actually easier
Easier on the heart
Easier on the mind
Easier on the soul
We got our hands dirty with it for the last four years
Not to the extent of the Nearings, but as far as I cared to go with it
That kind of living has a simple, yet defined, tangible freshening purity unknown to folks in the city


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## Lane (Aug 13, 2019)

I think it gets a little scary the older we get, or as we are getting older. Everything gets a little less, our strength,  abilities
and we need a little more access to facilities ..     Lane


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## Liberty (Aug 13, 2019)

C'est Moi said:


> I find that I am definitely more antisocial nowadays; not sure if it's because I'm a geezer or if the world is just that ugly now.  I prefer my comfortable home to just about anyplace on earth.  Anyway, I'm much too cowardly (and dare I say, lazy) to contemplate living in rustic conditions.   Just give me air conditioning and a good book; I'm good to go.


Was happy to hear that books are back in vogue and some good sized company bought up Barnes & Noble with the intention of making them the largest independent booksellers...my kind of biz folks.  We have a big library and it never fails, when folks come to stay with us you can tell who are the readers an appreciate books and who could care less...how?  Books disappear only to turn up months later with a "friend"...lol.


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## Linda (Aug 14, 2019)

That would not interest me at all.


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## Gary O' (Aug 14, 2019)

Liberty said:


> We have a big library and it never fails, when folks come to stay with us you can tell who are the readers an appreciate books and who could care less...how? Books disappear only to turn up months later with a "friend"


Books played a big role during the long winter nights at the cabin











Once I get into a good book, it's a bit of a romance
Hate to leave it, even for awhile
Then, when it's over...I wish it wasn't


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## Liberty (Aug 14, 2019)

Our thumb and our ability to read is what separates us from the primates...lol.  That's what my mother used to say.


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## Citygirl (Aug 14, 2019)

I was born and raised in the city but I don't know if it is the world today or just the fact that I'm at this age but I do like my solitude. I also want to be able to get help if I need it, and at 80 you never know. We've watched these shows on TV from Alaska and  there is just no way that I would ever attempt that  living hot weather or cold.


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 25, 2019)

Definitely not. I'm a city girl too. I wouldn't like feeling that if I had an emergency, no one would know or it would take to long to get to me. Even though I love my alone time, I also do like interacting with people so that much solitude might throw me into depression.


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## jerry old (Aug 25, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> I just don't have what it takes to go native.
> 
> I prefer the anonymity and convenience of the city.
> 
> Years ago there was a hermit named French Louie in the Adirondacks.  Louie came down with a bad case of the flu and thought that he was going to die so he decided that he better dig his grave and climb in.  He lined his grave with pine boughs, covered the top with some old boards and pinned a note to his shirt asking whoever found him to please fill in the hole.  After a week or two, he started to feel better so he climbed out of his grave and continued with his life for many more years.


In the middle 1800's there was an influx of hermits in  New England.  
A family outing on Sunday afternoons was to hitch up the buggy, drive to the rural... The various  hermits would walk out,  wave to announce
their presence.  The town folk begin to bring the various hermits food, engage them in conversation (these hermits liked the food, didn't care for  conversation.)
This does not sound like real hermits to me.  Where was the self-reliance, the desire to preserve anonymity? 
A hermit prefers to remain invisible, shuns interaction...  No stats were taken, no investigation of why a plague of
hermits appeared...sounds more like people with problems, financial, emotional...

I've known three hermits when I lived in the rural, have know several in work related events: 'There's an old man out here living in the bushes,
all nasty and raggedy.' You will not obtain a lot of information from a true hermit. very private on where they came from, why they have chosen solitude.
It is becoming difficult to live off the grid.  Montana, Idaho and the Dakotas with the sparse populations,  the huge open territory t have many hermits, semi-hermits and wanta-be hermits.

I find the topic extremely  interesting,  but reliable information is sparse.


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## Gary O' (Aug 25, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> *A hermit prefers to remain invisible, shuns interaction*... No stats were taken, no investigation of why a plague of
> hermits appeared...sounds *more like people with problems, financial, emotional...*


to a tee

There are a few in southern Oregon, on the sunny side of the Cascade Range
But, they live a long hike in
Sometimes worth meeting
Sometimes not

I know two true hermits, recluses
I consider them friends





Their places are typically unique


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## Rosedala (Oct 25, 2019)

Gary O' said:


> Kinda reminds me of Helen and Scott Nearing
> Only, they’re the only ones I know of that actually did it….*lived off the land*.
> 
> Way into their 90s (if I remember correctly)
> ...



THANK YOU SO MUCH Gary for bringing the Nearings and their books up!!!  I became a vegetarian precisely in the 70s and a few years later, when not even myself had heard the word "vegan", I did become a vegan and will die a happy vegan.  I wish someone had opened my eyes earlier but so far I enjoy a totally healthy body and mind, I go to the gym 3 to 4  times a week for one full hour high aerobics and swim laps for 30 minutes, I go bowling, I go dancing those very intricate and crazily rapid steps of international folk dancing, and I go ballroom dancing too.  I do everything alone in my apartment, I go everywhere alone taking the subway trains and buses, and/or walking, carry my own grocery packages though now I bought a shopping cart.  I joined several meetups.com so I go with these groups to some of their events, etc.  I walk erect and with normal steps.  I never get ill (so far) and see a doctor once a year for thorough checkup and it's always normal.  I don't take any medicines nor do I take vaccines.

In other words, I'm a living example (like million other vegans) showing that eating what comes from the earth not only doesn't kill us (as some are voicing) but indeed it keeps our bodies free of any and all harming toxins with the result of giving us the energy, strength, agility, and general good health that we MUST have to enjoy our lives to the end....Oh yes, I'm 92 years old.


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## Keesha (Oct 25, 2019)

Haha that’s really sweet and all but you clearly don’t know our Gary. 

It’s very impressive though especially for 92. Way to go.


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## Floridatennisplayer (Oct 25, 2019)

Oh, my thought of isolation was the penthouse suite at the Ritz all by myself.  Heaven.

Not interested in the isolation you are talking about!


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## Mrs. Robinson (Oct 25, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> Years ago there was a hermit named French Louie in the Adirondacks.  Louie came down with a bad case of the flu and thought that he was going to die so he decided that he better dig his grave and climb in.  He lined his grave with pine boughs, covered the top with some old boards and pinned a note to his shirt asking whoever found him to please fill in the hole.  After a week or two, he started to feel better so he climbed out of his grave and continued with his life for many more years.



And this is exactly why I get flu shots. I had THAT flu when I was 22 and was sure the end was near LOL.


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## Gary O' (Oct 25, 2019)

Rosedala said:


> THANK YOU SO MUCH Gary for bringing the Nearings and their books up!!!


Thank *YOU*, cool lady, for being a living inspiration


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## Gary O' (Oct 25, 2019)

Keesha said:


> Haha that’s really sweet and all but you clearly don’t know our Gary



Wut


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## Catlady (Oct 25, 2019)

Welcome @Rosedala!  You sound like an amazing person!  

I'd like to live to the 90's but only if I am as healthy mentally and physically as you.  I just turned 77.    Please fill out your profile so we can find out more about you.


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## Llynn (Oct 25, 2019)

I spent my early years living in a railroad caboose (extreme left bottom} in a logging camp up in the Cascade Mountains. only way in or out was by company railroad. We had kerosene lights, wood stove, outhouse and water hauled from the nearby creek. When I started school, we moved down to the main camp, a village of several hundred people and closer to school. 

When you are actually set up for off the grid living, it isn't as hard as you might think. The last year we lived up there, the company bought a diesel electric engine to replace one of the old steam locomotives and for a few hours each night they would fire it up to generate electricity for the camp. We did appreciate being able to listen to the radio, and it was easier to read by electric light but otherwise we liked the old way.

I think this photograph was taken in 1948.


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## fmdog44 (Oct 25, 2019)

I think I could do it . I enjoy living quietly by myself. I have a few neighbors I speak with but no friends. What I think is too isolated is the shows about people in north Alaska. One has a woman living by herself in an extremely remote area and I would never do that. Living isolated and being able to go out and enjoy nature is one thing, being frozen in for months is another.


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## bingo (Oct 25, 2019)

never


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## Keesha (Oct 25, 2019)

i have the mental capacity to build a home, cut down trees, chop wood, build fires, grow and store food etc. My biggest challenge would be hunting for food and killing animals. That part I’d find the hardest but I’m sure if I was starving I probably would think differently. 

Being totally isolated continuously would drive me batty and I’m already batty enough. Lol
Oddly enough I can handle a lot of seclusion and being on my own. I’m used to it and usually prefer it however I do like seeing people once in a while. 

There were documents made of a guy who spent 25 or 30 years in the wilderness on his own. It was rather interesting.


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## Catlady (Oct 25, 2019)

Keesha said:


> My biggest challenge would be hunting for food and killing animals. That part I’d find the hardest but I’m sure if I was starving I probably would think differently.
> 
> I can handle a lot of seclusion and being on my own. I’m used to it and usually prefer it however I do like seeing people once in a while.


I agree with you on both statements.

Even though I am a vegetarian, I can only be one because I can buy my food in a store, you can't grow veggies all year round in most places.
I am a loner and like it, but I can also get out of the house and do ''people watching'' and can come online and ''talk'' in forums with others.


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## chic (Oct 28, 2019)

Seclusion, I could deal with, and I do love the outdoors, but can you see me doing all the hard work this woman does? Where would I put my Pradas?


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## Invictus (Oct 31, 2019)

PVC said:


> Yesterday I watched a documentary on PBS about a former fashion designer, Ingrid Gipson, who left the big city and has been living alone in Arkansas’ rural Ouachita Mountains for 30 years.  She's estranged from her two sons and lives entirely off her land, raises her own meat, and has been building her house with rocks and cement.  She's also a sculptor and has started selling them recently.  She was born in 1940.
> 
> I've always thought I'm kind of weird since I love my solitude and although I like humans I want to spend as little time as possible with them.  BUT, I live in a city with all its amenities and can call for help if I need it.  I would never want to live her lifestyle.  Would you?
> 
> https://www.pbs.org/video/ingrid-8ocksv/


Thanks for sharing that...I love watching videos on YouTube about Hermits and people who live in isolation and completely off the grid...If I wasn't a family Man I would live like a Hermit in the woods at my cabin...I would love it!...But I would come out of the woods and go into town every once and a while for a nice meal in a restaurant, and to find me a pretty lady companion for the night.


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## CarolfromTX (Nov 15, 2019)

Oh, Hell to the NO!


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## Wren (Nov 15, 2019)

chic said:


> Seclusion, I could deal with, and I do love the outdoors, but can you see me doing all the hard work this woman does? Where would I put my Pradas?
> 
> View attachment 79411



You could always use a pair of these Chic !!


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## jerry old (Dec 31, 2019)

You and everyone needs to see this-highly recommended


If you want to see innocence shine from a person’s eyes, watch this extreme hermitage.
An extreme orthodox Christian who spent her life in the harshness of Sibera.
https://topdocumentaIn 1936, a family of Russian Old Believers journeyed deep into Siberia's vast taiga to escape persecution and protect their way of life. The Lykovs eventually settled in the Sayan Mountains.


Two children were born during the isolation. They ended up in a dwelling in the taiga, in the Abakan river basin (Khakassia), 250 kilometres from any settlement.
In 1978 their location was discovered by a helicopter pilot, who was flying a geological group into the region. The geologists got in contact with the family, but the Lykovs decided not to leave the place.

Karp's wife Akulina died of hunger in 1961. Three of his children died in 1981. Karp died in 1988. He is survived by his daughter Agafia Lykova who continues to live in isolation in her Abakan fastness

.https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/agafia-taiga-life/


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## Lakeland living (Dec 31, 2019)

Living here for about 30 years now, best move ever for me. Doctors keep telling me to keep doing what I am doing. To me nothing too special. The health benefits are incredible.
Want to see what things are really like to live on your own?? Check out Dick Proenneke , he lived in the Twin Lakes area in Alaska for 30 years. No camera men just him and what some of us would love to do.


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## street (Dec 31, 2019)

Lakeland living >>> I just watched some clips again of Dick Proenneke and can't seem to ever get tired of watching those same video's.
I have a ranch and have built a cabin up in a canyon where everything had to be packed in on foot.  I built it myself and had to haul all material up on my back or hand sledded in.  I used all hand tools to build it no electric tools used. 
It was an interesting refreshing and a person rewarding venture.  I was there yesterday for the day with a nice fire in the stove and had a great day.  I'm constantly doing small projects to make it better. 
It is very secluded and remote only one way in and out.  The solitude is very interesting experience.


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## Catlady (Dec 31, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> You and everyone needs to see this-highly recommended
> 
> 
> If you want to see innocence shine from a person’s eyes, watch this extreme hermitage.
> ...


Yes, Agafia lived in even more extreme isolation, but she was small when brought there. she knew no other life and even refused to leave when given the opportunity.   Ingrid Gipson was already middle aged when she decided to become isolated, though not as isolated as Agafia.  She goes to town for supplies and receives visitors.


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## MarciKS (Feb 24, 2020)

Catlady said:


> Yesterday I watched a documentary on PBS about a former fashion designer, Ingrid Gipson, who left the big city and has been living alone in Arkansas’ rural Ouachita Mountains for 30 years.  She's estranged from her two sons and lives entirely off her land, raises her own meat, and has been building her house with rocks and cement.  She's also a sculptor and has started selling them recently.  She was born in 1940.
> 
> I've always thought I'm kind of weird since I love my solitude and although I like humans I want to spend as little time as possible with them.  BUT, I live in a city with all its amenities and can call for help if I need it.  I would never want to live her lifestyle.  Would you?
> 
> https://www.pbs.org/video/ingrid-8ocksv/


I will always be reliant on some sort of help but right now I'm isolated enough that people worry about me but, I'm fine. I prefer it this way.


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## Catlady (Feb 24, 2020)

MarciKS said:


> I will always be reliant on some sort of help but right now I'm isolated enough that people worry about me but, I'm fine. I prefer it this way.



I always say ''I like to be among people, but not with people''.  I'm a semi-recluse, but like to people watch. 

I could never live in total seclusion.  It is also very dangerous, you break a hip and you die SLOWLY.  It wouldn't be so bad if you die instantly.  I read about an old woman here near Tucson who had a house in the boondocks.  She fell outside and could not walk and had to have her big dog drag her inside the house so she could phone for help.  It took the poor dog two hours to do the deed.  When reporters asked her, she said of course she would continue the lifestyle.  Some people never learn their lessons.  Stay safe!


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## jujube (Feb 24, 2020)

Three hermits were sitting on their rocks one day when a horseman rode by.

The first hermit yelled across the valley, "DID YOU SEE THAT BLACK HORSE GO BY?"

A year later, one of the other hermits yelled in reply, "THAT WASN'T A BLACK HORSE, IT WAS A BROWN HORSE!"

Two years later, the third hermit yelled, "IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP THAT CONSTANT BICKERING, I'M MOVING OUT!!!"


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## MarciKS (Feb 24, 2020)

Catlady said:


> I always say ''I like to be among people, but not with people''.  I'm a semi-recluse, but like to people watch.
> 
> I could never live in total seclusion.  It is also very dangerous, you break a hip and you die SLOWLY.  It wouldn't be so bad if you die instantly.  I read about an old woman here near Tucson who had a house in the boondocks.  She fell outside and could not walk and had to have her big dog drag her inside the house so she could phone for help.  It took the poor dog two hours to do the deed.  When reporters asked her, she said of course she would continue the lifestyle.  Some people never learn their lessons.  Stay safe!


For right now I have to call my 70 something parents a couple times a week or post on social media so they know I'm ok. I occasionally update photos so they know it's me. If I don't answer their call they give me til such and such a time to call back before they have a welfare check done on me. Plus, I informed my employer if I'm ever a no call/no show they better have someone come check on me.


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## Gaer (Feb 24, 2020)

When I was 50, (between marriages,) I took off to Alaska for a year, camped out in my Toyota Forerunner, by myself.    (You can shower anywhere).  I was going to buy a cabin in the backwoods and hybernate.  I can easily live in total seclusion. I wanted rugged and rustic! I met this incredible man though on one of my treks to Alaska and married him.  These days ,I'm elderly, in NM but it's pretty solitary here too!  Yes, I could easily do that.  I'm pretty self-sufficient.   My Grandma built her own house and dug her own 50 ft.well in Montana.  I guess I take after her.


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## terry123 (Feb 24, 2020)

I guess I wonder how you keep yourself clean living in the wilderness. Where do you use the bathroom, etc. When I see those shows on tv they never address those issues.


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 25, 2020)

terry123 said:


> I guess I wonder how you keep yourself clean living in the wilderness. Where do you use the bathroom, etc. When I see those shows on tv they never address those issues.



It's as easy as falling off a log!







Then grab a leaf but be very careful which leaf you choose!


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## terry123 (Feb 25, 2020)

I have to be more comfortable than that.  I like to be clean all the time and that kind of living would be too gross for me.


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## Liberty (Feb 26, 2020)

Has anyone been watching that series "Port Protection" about the 37 people that live in a rain forest in Alaska?

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/port-protection-alaska


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## Catlady (Feb 26, 2020)

Liberty said:


> Has anyone been watching that series "Port Protection" about the 37 people that live in a rain forest in Alaska?
> 
> https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/port-protection-alaska


Interesting!  I can't watch it, don't have cable or anything.  I found this article about it.  Not my cup of tea, I like the comforts of civilization.  LOL

https://deadline.com/2020/01/life-below-zero-renewed-and-spinoff-by-nat-geo-1202833479/


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## Liberty (Feb 26, 2020)

Catlady said:


> Interesting!  I can't watch it, don't have cable or anything.  I found this article about it.  Not my cup of tea, I like the comforts of civilization.  LOL
> 
> https://deadline.com/2020/01/life-below-zero-renewed-and-spinoff-by-nat-geo-1202833479/


I watched it last night.  It was interesting how they help each other...even building a communal greenhouse.  One woman said she needed firewood and took the chainsaw - cut a good size tree down... I think you can get it on HULU and you tube also if you want to watch it.


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## terry123 (Feb 26, 2020)

I have been watching it.  Another one I watch is Life below zero.  It is good to see how folks live without the conveniences I take for granted. If my food supply depended on me to kill a moose, I would starve to death.


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## Ladybj (Feb 26, 2020)

She like it, I love it for her but it's not for me.  Socialization is an important part of life.


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## DaveA (Feb 27, 2020)

My wife and I are relatively anti-social - -outside of our immediate family.  They make up our social circle.  We need no one else and prefer it this way.  Old folks communities and senior centers hold little appeal although I have absolutely no bad feelings about these places, as many people love them.

If our family was more scattered and not as enjoyable as they are, we might feel differently.  To each his own  - -as they say.


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## gennie (Feb 27, 2020)

There was a time in my life when I could and would have if I had not had family obligations.


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## Gaer (Feb 27, 2020)

terry123 said:


> I guess I wonder how you keep yourself clean living in the wilderness. Where do you use the bathroom, etc. When I see those shows on tv they never address those issues.


You buy a couple large plastic tanks and haul water once a month or when needed, pump it into the abode.  We did this in Colorado.  You need a good pick-up truck!


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## Gary O' (Feb 27, 2020)

Gaer said:


> You buy a couple large plastic tanks and haul water once a month or when needed, pump it into the abode. We did this in Colorado. You need a good pick-up truck!


I've done it
What didn't take me long to find out was;
Water......is heavy


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## Kadee (Feb 27, 2020)

Who seen the 2017 movie called  Hampstead  I seen it ...it was slow but interesting about a squatter who camped in wealthy area in tumble down shack in the UK  for years 
apparently a true story    
https://filmfantravel.com/film-review-hampstead-2017-filmed-in-london-uk/


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## Linda (Mar 1, 2020)

Hamstead looks good Kadee46.  I think I'll see if my local library can get it in for me.


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## Linda (Mar 1, 2020)

Gary O " What didn't take me long to find out was;
Water......is heavy"

Water is 8 pounds a gallon I think.


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## Em in Ohio (Mar 15, 2020)

Coronavirus will push many of us older folks into extreme seclusion.  My greatest fear is the emotional insecurity that may occur from increased isolation.  A limited support system pushed me to reach out to social media.  I'd like to quote from JuJubes old post: "Nope, not for me. I'm not fond enough of my own company to want it exclusively.  First thing I'd do would be to start talking to myself. Then I'd start answering myself, closely followed by arguing with myself. Then I'd get in a snit and start giving myself the cold shoulder. After a while, I'd get lonely and make up with myself. Who needs all that? "  That actually made me laugh, and I needed that!"


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## Catlady (Mar 15, 2020)

Empty said:


> First thing I'd do would be to start talking to myself. Then I'd start answering myself, closely followed by arguing with myself. Then I'd get in a snit and start giving myself the cold shoulder. After a while, I'd get lonely and make up with myself. Who needs all that? "  That actually made me laugh, and I needed that!"



I've read that talking to yourself is okay, but answering yourself is bad.  If you go and have a total relationship fight with yourself, that truly needs the ''men in the white coats'', so don't live isolated.  That was funny, thanks for the laugh!

You're  a new member, welcome to our forum.  I am a semi-recluse and love my privacy and solitude, but I could never be happy isolated from all humans.  I'd like to at least be able to ''people watch''.


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## Em in Ohio (Mar 16, 2020)

Hi Catlady - I use my birds to rationalize my 'talking out loud.'  Parakeets supposedly like that.  I just have to remember to apologize when I've yelled at myself, so they don't think I'm angry with THEM!


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## Butterfly (Mar 16, 2020)

I'm no recluse, but I do live alone.  I talk to my big ol' dawg quite a bit.  He thinks I am a brilliant conversationalist, but his assessment may be driven by the fact that I'm the food lady.


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## bearcat (Mar 18, 2020)

Judycat said:


> I have to cut my own grass and hedges and keep a fire going for heat in the winter. That's rough enough for me. My neighbor clears my driveway bless his heart.


A gentle reminder that the chimney has to be cleaned to be safe, and you don't want the house too tight, fumes can kill you.


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## bearcat (Mar 18, 2020)

Catlady said:


> Gary O', I got exhausted just reading all the stuff you could do in ''Country Living''.  LOL   I found ONE thing I already do, I bake bread.


I live in Washington DC.  Empty shelves in the grocery store, all bread products gone. All the pasta gone.  Etc.
But I have a little bit of flour, some yeast, a bread machine.
I always knew this was coming, but it's still depressing.


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## bearcat (Mar 18, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> Kinda reminds me of Helen and Scott Nearing
> Only, they’re the only ones I know of that actually did it….*lived off the land*.
> 
> Way into their 90s (if I remember correctly)
> ...



I'm actually more than a little surprised anyone manages to live off the land.
So much can go wrong.  Injury, illness, crop failure, animal disease, predators, weather.


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## Gary O' (Mar 18, 2020)

bearcat said:


> I'm actually more than a little surprised anyone manages to live off the land.
> So much can go wrong. Injury, illness, crop failure, animal disease, predators, weather.


It's a day by day thing
You prepare for those possibilities
Work hard
...and hope

and enjoy each day...... to the fullest


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## Judycat (Mar 19, 2020)

bearcat said:


> A gentle reminder that the chimney has to be cleaned to be safe, and you don't want the house too tight, fumes can kill you.


I clean the flue myself and burn out the chimney once a year. Not my favorite job, but I found long ago that waiting for some guy to do that stuff is wishful thinking.  My house is far from airtight even with the windows closed. Haha.


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## bearcat (Mar 19, 2020)

Judycat, is the chimney lined?  If not, deliberate "burning out" can be quite dangerous.
For other readers of this thread, who may be considering a stove, consider getting the type that more
completely burns, a catalytic stove.    Even better is the type called a "rocket mass heater" stove.


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## Judycat (Mar 19, 2020)

bearcat said:


> Judycat, is the chimney lined?  If not, deliberate "burning out" can be quite dangerous.
> For other readers of this thread, who may be considering a stove, consider getting the type that more
> completely burns, a catalytic stove.    Even better is the type called a "rocket mass heater" stove.


Don't worry. My chimney can withstand a nuclear meltdown.


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## Gary O' (Mar 19, 2020)

bearcat said:


> Judycat, is the chimney lined? If not, deliberate "burning out" can be quite dangerous.
> For other readers of this thread, who may be considering a stove, consider getting the type that more
> completely burns, a catalytic stove. Even better is the type called a "rocket mass heater" stove.





bearcat said:


> A gentle reminder that the chimney has to be cleaned to be safe, and you don't want the house too tight, fumes can kill you.



Good advice

We have an old earth stove at the cabin
It rocks
And yes, the stove pipe is triple lined
Expensive, but worth it

We always keep a window cracked right by the bed

Nuthin' better than breathing fresh mountain air while tucked in


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## hollydolly (Mar 19, 2020)

Linda said:


> Gary O " What didn't take me long to find out was;
> Water......is heavy"
> 
> Water is 8 pounds a gallon I think.


 you're so right Linda..I learned that the other day lifting  a gallon and a half ( 6 litres of water)  in and out of the car , nearly put my already dodgy back out


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## bearcat (Mar 19, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> you're so right Linda..I learned that the other day lifting  a gallon and a half ( 6 litres of water)  in and out of the car , nearly put my already dodgy back out



Instant water:  Just Add Water.


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## bearcat (Mar 19, 2020)

Most water purchased at a store is snake oil.  Just literally tap water from far away.
https://www.sciencealert.com/15-fac...er-is-one-of-the-biggest-scams-of-the-century

Instead, invest in a tapwater test kit.
Your local government may even provide this for free.
Once you know what is there, you can intelligently select a home water filtration method.

Meanwhile, fill up some jugs. When the virus kicks into high gear, the people at the power
plant will all be dead.  No more electricity, no more pump to bring water.

Everyone dead at the sewage treatment plant means you're gonna have to boil water
even if there is still electrictity.


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