Dating Outside City Limits

[Laura]

Spring is a coming, the rivers are running.....

Hunting seasons are over, springers aren't running yet. It's cold, it's wet, snow keeps happening, but we can plan.........

Starting a ripsnort fire this time of year in the rainforest is impressive... to some people. It separates outdoor folks from indoor town folk quickly.

Yeah, I'm too old to want to portage a canoe around the falls, but shooting the rapids in a rubber raft, or lazing down in a drift boat is fun and a great way to get to know one another. Fish don't have to be running for it to be enjoyable. I'm amazed how often I say, "Take me fishing," very few men are willing. Those who do are AWESOME! Casting from the bank and cooking the catch over a fire is very nice! Canoe or kayak fishing calm water is nice too.

Bonfire on the beach or riverbank, cooking steak on a stick, watching life swirl around, listening to the call of the wild....yeah you don't get that in town.

Farm auctions, sale barns, small town flea markets. Anything going on at the Grange Hall? Are there agricultural classes put on by Grange, county, farm co-op, nursery or garden clubs? How 'bout a tour of nurseries this spring?

Many horsemen have expressed their perfect date would be to ride out to a secluded spot. Before you let some unknown woman who SAYS she likes to ride get on your sidekick and start yanking and whining, why not lay out the money for easy Trail Ride on somebody else's horse?

Heck, running around the woods beats running around town any time! I want to make sure a person can step off the pavement and keep up with me before I invest time or emotions.

So ST ladies, tell these guys what you would consider a FUN date. ST men, tell us what you would really like instead of the same ol' town stuff.

[viggie]

I've been thinking of some ideas along those lines and they all occur in the City since that's where I am, but they aren't really different than yours.

Walk/Runs, fishing for the big guys on lake michigan, catching a game down the road at Miller Park, strolls in the numerous parks, grilling out and watching the sun set from the patio, wandering through the botanical gardens or the conservatory (domes), hitting any of the sports/outdoors/gun shows, biking along endless trails, finding new spots geocacheing, volunteering at my Master Gardener food pantry garden or Growing Power, zoos and museums, spending time walking through sporting good stores checking out gear and helping me pick out my kayak, then perhaps paddle one of the rivers or little no-wake lakes.

Now I just have to find some victims...er dates

[RubyRed]

Everything you mention Laura is awesome!!

I am very outdoorsy. I hunt, fish, trap, and forage, on top of all the homesteady stuff. Weather permitting, anything outside but my most favorite is grabbing the fishing poles, heading to the river bank with a cooler of beer, snacks and some bait. Even more fun if we go get our own bait! If he can handle getting out fished and is a good sport about it....lol, then the evening would move into a bonfire, if the connection was there.

[Laura]

Right now it's so cold, alternating between frozen and snowing, nothing to forage, no hunting, no fishing. Gotta move fast in the woods to stay warm! Lot's of preseason farm chores to do, but in the interest of not appearing to take advantage of free farm labor, not putting a lot of time toward that.

Let me trash your truck! Whoops, TRUCKS!!!!! Chopped, ratted, caged, PTOed, chained! Log doggers, log stoppers, yarders, skidders, mudders, unstuckers..... Yeah, TRY trashing 'em! I LOVE playing in the woods!

[Raeven]

Well, sorry, I guess I’m against the grain.

I don’t need to carry a hunting knife in my teeth to demonstrate my “countriness,” and he needn’t, either. I LIVE in the woods. I have all the solitude, fishing, critters and “country living” I can stand. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and I wouldn’t change a thing about that. But it’s my usual, the mundane, the every day.

For me, getting into town and doing “townie” things is something I enjoy and look forward to. Any man I date is most welcome to take me to dinner, out dancing, to a Ducks football game, to play pee wee golf, to a planetarium, a museum, the ballet, the opera, a concert or just a tavern for a beer and a game of pool. Sure, I appreciate help with the fencing or spending a romantic afternoon at the livestock auction – as well as (at the moment) someone who’s handier with a chainsaw than me. But we’ll figure all that out. He doesn’t have to yodel and swing from a rope for me to learn his capabilities. And I love the chance to dress up purdy, throw on a lick of makeup and give him a little “wow.”

I like keeping a foot in each world. But to each their own.

[Tommyice]

Fun can be anything had as long as it's with someone you want to spend the time with.

Country places have lots to offer. So does the City.

[Laura Zone 10]

So ST ladies, tell these guys what you would consider a FUN date.

Dating outside the 'norms' of dating (norms: movie, dinner, etc.)

FIRST: Conversating with me, for a while, and find out what I know and what I don't know AND would like to learn.
*This shows me you listen, and think.

Example: I have shot skeet w my baby, and shot a hand gun a few times.....but I would LOVE to get better, own a smaller more carryable firearm, and be able to shoot a rifle right, so I can go hunting.

SO knowing that, thru casual conversation, and knowing YOU (the male) are a pretty good shot, and well versed in many kinds of firearms...... inviting me to go to the range, showing me how to break a weapon down, clean it, and put it back together. How to stand, which eye am I dominate in and how to use that to my advantage, etc......
That would be a way cool date. WAY cool.

But 'for me' the most important thing would be that the male, listened, gathered information, and put a creative and interesting date together (interesting for both of us...AND something he is more educated/skilled than I, and is willing to teach.....NOT something like scrapbooking, as that is a chick thing and that would be WAY weird for a guy to ask me to an all day scrap!! HA HA)
That tells me that he is interested enough (based upon our conversations) he is willing to invest some time and thought into a 'date'.

Does that make sense?

[Laura]

Hey I wear lipstick and a dress doing the stuff I love to do, except riding bareback and running into fires. I wouldn't want Johnny Sasquatch to catch me without my lipstick! Running with a bowie knife in your teeth is a bad idea for anyone.

I think many of us have wasted time on people who SAID they liked all the country stuff, so we town date them. Yes, prime rib dinners are special, going dancing is nice, but when it's our turn to pick the activity, turns out they really hate fishing, they're scared of livestock, they won't eat food grown in dirt and their feet don't want to leave the pavement.
Some of us, both men and women, want to know this up front. Country folk are frugal with both time and money.

So if you like town dating, that's a big dating pool with easy choices.

[Paumon]

Originally Posted by Laura

Spring is a coming, the rivers are running.....

Hunting seasons are over, springers aren't running yet. It's cold, it's wet, snow keeps happening, but we can plan.........

Starting a ripsnort fire this time of year in the rainforest is impressive... to some people. It separates outdoor folks from indoor town folk quickly.......

Yup, spring is coming, rivers are running with ice in them and that means pretty soon there's going to be floods. Yes, it's cold and wet, the snowfall hasn't let up for 2 days and it's whipping down horizontally and my poor old bones are aching.

You couldn't pay me enough money to go out to play in that miserable garbage right now, let alone try to start an impressive ripsnort fire in the dripping wet rainforest. So I guess I'll confine myself to being indoor town folk for the time being until it lets up.

Mind you, I wouldn't mind enjoying a nice soak in an outdoor hotspring right now.

But I digress. A fun outdoor date for me would be me and my companion stalking the wilderness places on foot with cameras at hand. Maybe head for the hotsprings for a skinny dip. Later on when we're on our way back home we'll stop by the river marina at a mom & pop restaurant that serves the best ever captain's giant seafood platter for two. With hot bumbleberry pie and English bread pudding topped with whipped cream for dessert.

[FarmboyBill]

As Ive said, Id take a gal to the huge sale I go to Monthly. IF I WERE taking a gal, wed have to walk all up and down the 2 doz 80ft rows of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, keets, doves, quail, ect, ect and rabbits. Wed talk about our experiences with said birds and rabbits. We might guess as to what a set of animals will bring once the bidding starts.
IF she was interested in guns, we would stroll out to where there kept for sale and check them out. Wed walk down the 3 doz rows, on a warm spring day, and check out all the stuff in them, Id bet her she wouldn't know what a particular antique was called, or used for, or how to use it.
She would likely see something she just had to have, and so we would find a place to sit and talk till the auctioneer got close to it, then mix into the crowd so she could bid. If she folded and gave up, id likely be behind her, and keep up the bidding to try to get it for her anyhow. We would eat at a amisn/minnonite food stand, and while away the day. Id try not to let her know I had bought the item she wanted. Id buy something so that she wouldn't be suspicious when I went to pay up. Then wed go get the items and id supprise her.

[Raeven]

Originally Posted by Laura

Country folk are frugal with both time and money.

So if you like town dating, that's a big dating pool with easy choices.

Oh, I'm not frugal with either time or money, really... I do stay within my budgets and don't carry debt -- but I'm only frugal when I have to be.

Gosh, it would be very easy to interpret your comments as saying I'm not a bona fide country folk. Is that what you're implying?

I'm only pointing out that I am drawn to men who -- like me -- can put a foot in each world. Obviously a partner must be capable on the farm. But I like it when he cleans up nice, too, and has an appreciation for a fine wine or an interesting art exhibition. I call them intellectual barbarians... a rare breed, no question, but there are a few about. They will rivet me every time.

Nothing wrong with the "townies," as you like to refer to them, and nothing wrong with the straight-up barbarians, either. Each has their charms.

Like I said, to each her own.

[elkhound]

i would go to town as long as i can wear my bibs and go to powells......if they dont turn me away at the door i would eat surrounded by suits and ties and not bat an eye.....i would even use my fork......its the crowds that get me....if the river is crowded i dont like it either....lol....a couple hours of that does me for awhile.

noby is better than i and i aint no better than anyone else....but i do speak 4 languages...i cant help it if its only the cuss words i know though....roflmao

[Laura]

Not saying that at all Rae, nor have I ever thought it. I know you're a country woman, and we both have to spend a fair amount of time in town.

The thread title is Dating Outside City Limits and is a spinoff of the Dating thread. It's purpose is to provide ideas for those not comfortable with town dates. Or like me, save town dates for special occasions after a country compatible relationship is established.

[elkhound]

catching nightcrawlers would be a nice first/country date....that way ya know right off if ya gotta ait her hook if yall get to go fishing.....plus ya do it in dark.

[elkhound]

i use to cut up everything for supper and then drive a few miles up on mtn side to see west towards ocean late in evening and drop tailgate and cook a stir fry on my single burner backpack stove...it was so much fun doing that....and watch sun set then drive back down to home.

[Raeven]

Ok, fair enough. Thanks for clarifying, Laura. Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of the thread.

I guess it troubles me when we try to define what's "country" within such narrow borders. What is "country" for me may be different than what is "country" for you -- and neither thing is more valid than the other. I also am aware of quite a few folks on this forum who have a country heart but for whatever reason are not able to live in that way at the moment. I still consider them as "country" as you or me but unable to indulge in a "country" date as readily as those who are already living our dreams.

As for a "country"-style date, sure, those are wonderful, too. Is there anything nicer than lazing down a river together, all alone in your own little world? And of course fishing together... I've had some fine times taking down troublesome trees with a date. Best of all is if he'll help shovel up something.

Apologies if you felt I derailed your thread.

[elkhound]

Originally Posted by elkhound

i use to cut up everything for supper and then drive a few miles up on mtn side to see west towards ocean late in evening and drop tailgate and cook a stir fry on my single burner backpack stove...it was so much fun doing that....and watch sun set then drive back down to home.

heres a picture i snapped once while doing this.....its not calendar worthy...but dang it..its one of my life memories...so its super cool to me.

[Raeven]

Beautiful, Elk.

[Twp.Tom]

Is that a Photo of Mt. Olympus Elk?

[elkhound]

Originally Posted by Twp.Tom

Is that a Photo of Mt. Olympus Elk?

mt.st.helens