Old Paths

[CG6468]

Received in an email. Author unknown.

I like the “Old Paths”, when Moms were at home. Dads were at work. Brothers went into the army. And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay; Hard work did; And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook; Dads would work; Children would behave...

Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive; and children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry; and Men wore the pants.

Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen; and children looked decent.

People loved the truth, and hated a lie; They came to church to get IN, Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful; Rejoicing sounded normal; and crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked; Drinking was evil; and divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored; America was beautiful; and God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public; Prayed in school; And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;

To be called a Christian was worth living for;

To be called a traitor was a shame!

Sex was a personal word. Homosexual was an unheard of word, And abortion was an illegal word.

Preachers preached because they had a message; and Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!

Preachers preached from the Bible; Singers sang from the heart; and sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life; Salvation meant a changed life; Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;

Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;

Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;

And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible; Homes read the Bible; And churches taught the Bible.

Preachers were more interested in new converts than new clothes and new cars.

God was worshiped; Christ was exalted; and the Holy Spirit was respected.

Church was where you found Christians on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden, on the creek bank, on the golf course, or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the "Old Paths" best! Jeremiah 6:16

"The Old Paths" was written by a retired minister who lives in Tennessee 

[Big Dog]

I like the Old Ways.

Stoicism.

Frontier life. Frontier attitudes. Frontier manners.

The Code of the West. The Code Duello.

Broad brimmed hats. The M1911 pistol. The Winchester lever action rifle. The Thompson submachinegun.

The Bowie Knife (and its grandson, the Ka-Bar).

Bourbon. Hand rolled cigars. Home baked pie.

Buffalo steaks and beans cooked over a wood fire. Cooking with cast iron.

[ExGeeEye]

I agree with both of the above.

If I could take present-day medicine and plumbing with me, I'd gladly live exactly minus 100 years (1864-present).  Might even like to back that up 200 years.

[ExGeeEye]

I just realized I would have been put on the "little list" of the Lord High Executioner of Titipu, which includes

"The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
.......All centuries but this, and ev'ry country but his own..."

[Dori]

Sadly, the days of Leave it to Beaver are long gone.  Post WWII was a good time in this country, before the hippies took over.





 

[CG6468]

CODE OF THE WEST - Larimer County, CO.

Code of the West
Code of the West author John Clarke is available to speak to your organization about the Code of the West. You may contact him directly at: clarkephotography@comcast.net
by John Clarke
former Larimer County Commissioner

The Code of the West was first chronicled by the famous western writer, Zane Grey. The men and women who came to this part of the country during the westward expansion of the United States were bound by an unwritten code of conduct. The values of integrity and self reliance guided their decisions, actions and interactions. In keeping with that spirit, we offer this information to help the citizens of Larimer County who wish to follow in the footsteps of those rugged individualists by living outside city limits.

Introduction

It is important for you to know that life in the country is different from life in the city. County governments are not able to provide the same level of service that city governments provide. To that end, we are providing you with the following information to help you make an educated and informed decision to purchase rural land.

[Access] [Utility Services] [The Property] [Mother Nature] [Agriculture] [In Conclusion]

Access

The fact that you can drive to your property does not necessarily guarantee that you, your guests and emergency service vehicles can achieve that same level of access at all times. Please consider:

1.1 - Emergency response times (Sheriff, fire suppression, medical care, etc.) cannot be guaranteed. Under some extreme conditions, you may find that emergency response is extremely slow and expensive.

1.2 - There can be problems with the legal aspects of access, especially if you gain access across property belonging to others. It is wise to obtain legal advice and understand the easements that may be necessary when these types of questions arise.

1.3 - You can experience problems with the maintenance and cost of maintenance of your road. Larimer County maintains 1103 miles/1775 kilometers of roads, but many rural properties are served by private and public roads which are maintained by private road associations. There are even some county roads that are not maintained by the county - no grading or snow plowing. There are even some public roads that are not maintained by anyone! Make sure you know what type of maintenance to expect and who will provide that maintenance.

1.4 - Extreme weather conditions can destroy roads. It is wise to determine whether or not your road was properly engineered and constructed.

1.5 - Many large construction vehicles cannot navigate small, narrow roads. If you plan to build, it is prudent to check out construction access.

1.6 - School buses travel only on maintained county roads that have been designated as school bus routes by the school district. You may need to drive your children to the nearest county road so they can get to school.

1.7 - In extreme weather, even county maintained roads can become impassable. You may need a four wheel drive vehicle with chains for all four wheels to travel during those episodes, which could last for several days.

1.8 - Natural disasters, especially floods, can destroy roads. Larimer County will repair and maintain county roads, however, subdivision roads are the responsibility of the landowners who use those roads. A dry creek bed can become a raging torrent and wash out roads, bridges, and culverts. Residents served by private roads and/or bridges have been hit with large bills for repairs and/or reconstruction after floods.

1.9 - Unpaved roads generate dust. When traffic levels reach specific levels, Larimer County treats county system roads to suppress the dust, but dust is still a fact of life for most rural residents.

1.10 - If your road is unpaved, it is highly unlikely that Larimer County will pave it in the foreseeable future. Check carefully with the County Road and Bridge Department when any statement is made by the seller of any property that indicates any unpaved roads will be paved!

1.11 - Unpaved roads are not always smooth and are often slippery when they are wet. You will experience an increase in vehicle maintenance costs when you regularly travel on rural county roads.

1.12 - Mail delivery is not available to all areas of the county. Ask the postmaster to describe the system for your area.

1.13 - Newspaper delivery is similarly not always available to rural areas. Check with the newspaper of your choice before assuming you can get delivery.

1.14 - Standard parcel and overnight package delivery can be a problem for those who live in the country. Confirm with the service providers as to your status.

1.15 - It may be more expensive and time consuming to build a rural residence due to delivery fees and the time required for inspectors to reach your site.


Utility Services

Water, sewer, electric, telephone and other services may be unavailable or may not operate at urban standards. Repairs can often take much longer than in towns and cities. Please review your options from the non-exhaustive list below.

2.1 - Telephone communications can be a problem, especially in the mountain areas of Larimer County. From time to time, the only phone service available has been a party line. If you have a private line, it may be difficult to obtain another line for fax or computer modem uses. Even cellular phones will not work in all areas.

2.2 - If sewer service is available to your property, it may be expensive to hook into the system. It also may be expensive to maintain the system you use.

2.3 - If sewer service is not available, you will need to use an approved septic system or other treatment process. The type of soil you have available for a leach field will be very important in determining the cost and function of your system. Have the system checked by a reliable sanitation firm and ask for assistance from the Larimer County Environmental Health Department.

2.4 - If you have access to a supply of treated domestic water, the tap fees can be expensive. You may also find that your monthly cost of service can be costly when compared to municipal systems.

2.5 - If you do not have access to a supply of treated domestic water, you will have to locate an alternative supply. The most common method is use of a water well. Permits for wells are granted by the state engineer and the cost for drilling and pumping can be considerable. The quality and quantity of well water can vary considerably from location to location and from season to season. It is strongly advised that you research this issue very carefully.

2.6 - Not all wells can be used for watering of landscaping and/or livestock. Permits from the state engineer may restrict water to use to that which is used inside of a home. If you have other needs, make certain that you have the proper approvals before you invest. It may also be difficult to find enough water to provide for your needs even if you can secure the proper permit.

2.7 - Electric service is not available to every area of Larimer County. It is important to determine the proximity of electrical power. It can be very expensive to extend power lines to remote areas.

2.8 - It may be necessary to cross property owned by others in order to extend electric service to your property in the most cost efficient manner. It is important to make sure that the proper easements are in place to allow lines to be built to your property.

2.9 - Electric power may not be available in two phase and three phase service configurations. If you have special power requirements, it is important to know what level of service can be provided to your property.

2.10 - If you are purchasing land with the plan to build at a future date, there is a possibility that electric lines (and other utilities) may not be large enough to accommodate you if others connect during the time you wait to build.

2.11 - The cost of electric service is usually divided into a fee to hook into the system and then a monthly charge for energy consumed. It is important to know both costs before making a decision to purchase a specific piece of property.

2.12 - Power outages can occur in outlying areas with more frequency than in more developed areas. A loss of electric power can also interrupt your supply of water from a well. You may also lose food in freezers or refrigerators and power outages can cause problems with computers as well. It is important to be able to survive for up to a week in severe cold with no utilities if you live in the country.

{SNIP}

In Conclusion

Even though you pay property taxes to the county, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of the services provided to rural residents. In general, those living in the cities subsidize the lifestyle of those who live in the country by making up the shortfall between the cost of services and the revenues received from rural dwellers.

This information is by no means exhaustive. There are other issues that you may encounter that we have overlooked and we encourage you to be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could cause your move to be less than you expect.

We have offered these comments in the sincere hope that it can help you enjoy your decision to reside in the country. It is not our intent to dissuade you, only inform you.

Modern Code Of The West - Larimer County, CO

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Modern Code Of The West - Larimer County, CO

That is great!  I wonder if the counties I live in have that.  You can imagine the whining some people do after they move here. 

[CG6468]

That is great!  I wonder if the counties I live in have that.  You can imagine the whining some people do after they move here.

I found that Code of the West for Larimer County a long, long time ago. It's one of my favorites. And I certainly can imagine the whining of city transplants; it's like people moving next to airport and then complaining about the noise.