I took a short trip up north to do some things and to pick up 3 male puppies...It was not at all what I expected to see/find.... It was quite an "event". (Beats what I was going to say!) I got an education on what can be expected in the coming days... 1st, it dropped from 88 degrees during the first 2 days to 19 and 16 at night! I'm glad I already had 2 pair of thermals on site! I always pack extras, so I had long sleeved shirts and 4 coats and a slew of gloves! However, I was not ( as the Queen of England would say) AMUSED! My 3 brand new tanks ( 8lb ?), filled with propane were missing. And, so were some 18 propane cylinders for my Coleman stove. Plus 2 1/2 gallons of my Coleman gas! Then, it went downhill! Rapidly! It's cold, the wind is blowing, and I discovered that a LOT of my supplies, including around $300+ in canned foods, had been USED. A LOT of batteries and my recharger was also taken....(Taken?) ( misappropriated?) Oh hell, it was STOLEN is what it was! All by my former caretaker, and his friends/neighbors! This trip alone cost me, and I can GUARANTEE, it will NOT ever happen again. I spent from Friday the 5th to friday the 12th up there. I was not really shocked, but what I was told and what I overheard in "private" conversations, made me more than simply upset, not even close to angry! I can see where the problem is and where I can expect more to come from. I know what areas will be targeted, primary and secondary now! I have been systematically lied to, used, and abused! By accident, a local spilled the beans on my former caretaker, that seems to be running a "trading post", using MY equipment and supplies! Go figure! Guess he thinks I'm his mommy and daddy? Most of my 2 x 4's were gone, those left, were left outside in the sun and rain and were ruined ( warped), as were 6- 4 x 8 sheets of my wood. Paint was taken out of my utility trailer and left to freeze. Gallons of it! My water barrels were being "loaned' to a local, that is too lazy to do anything but drink soda, bum cigarettes, and watch tv! Now he answer seems simple enough right? Move all my trailers and supplies and equipment off his site and onto my own newly purchased land. Well, that's a good ideea, BUT,....who will watch it? I mean yeah, the guy is a stinking thief, and I'm being really nice! However, If I moved my belongings to my site, it is more than 7 miles away from anyone else, except the druggie/thief, that lives on the mountain top above me! This "individual" has already "liberated" ( ok, stolen!) a 150 foot roll of fencing while I was looking for help after breaking my arm earlier this year!He thinks it's funneeeee! He don't know me that well! Some people are in for a Very RUDE AWAKENING! Should that read CRUDE? I found out that this person I had once as a caretaker had been letting his "friends" go into both of my trailers and taking whatever they wanted, and even in my big metal locking tool box! I found hundreds of dollars in tools outside, some already rusted and wooden handles on yard tools and shovels ruined! No excuse even offered...Some people figure they are OWED a living I guess! Not bad enough...As I was leaving Phoenix to go up north, the jerk calls me and asked me to stop at Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up a box of self tapping screws, and 4-10 foot pieces of metal flashing...Like a damned fool, I did that for him! I never got paid back the $32.00 I spent! I love the excuses: "I'm a bit short right now, so I'll have to pay you later"! Uh huh...sure! Then I get up there anbd the schmuck needs to go into town...not the small local one...oh no! He has to go to Safeway in Williams! That's all uphill and 43 miles away! Ok, so my van gets a bit better mileage than the Ford Bronco...But then HE really goes into "overdrive" as far as being a complete BUM! Inside Safeway, in the checkout lane, he has the cashier add everything up, then declares: "You'll have to pay for this. I'm broke"! Ka-ching! $53.00 more! Then, he needs 5 gallons of gas for his generator...Ka-Ching! Nearly $15 more! This is not some kid, he is 50 years old and is a total waste of God's air! In rural areas such as this, in Northern Arizona, you can expect a lot of strange happenings...But I was witness to some extremes. I was told in NO uncertain terms, that if and when things get bad, the locals would be going from door to door ( armed of course) and TAKE whatever they wanted! Oh really? Guess they need an education! It's like watching a really bad "b" movie! It's a leech attached to a leech, attached to another leech, attached to a tick, attached to a dog! Yeah, it's pretty close to describing their "relationship" to each other up there! Or succinctly put, 2 fleas arguing over which one OWNS the dog they're on! I was told by this "former" caretaker, that he would take whatever he wanted or needed, from anyone, and by force. I told him I would be the first to introduce him to a severe case of Mossbergitis! This is the mentality of the people out there, and it's understandable....to a degree. I can see where the alcohol, drugs, and watching Sally Jesse Raphael all day, just might have a tendency to warp your mind! Or maybe it's Judge Judy? I don't really know! I don't have a tv up there. What is amusing is, that many of these people are either in hiding, as in wanted by some law enforcement agency or complete imbeciles, and can't work or don't want a job...some NEVER have had a REAL job! Strange, but it Seems they ALL have satellite tv!??? I don't ask questions anymore! Many have solar panels, bateries, invertors, and no income! I mean nada, zip, nothing at all! So how do they do it? STEAL! Not real sure about the satellite dishes and paying those service bills! Basically, a bunch of low-life's and such. Like the 1st cousins, living together! ( not married of course!) I thought that was more common back in the hills? You get the idea! It's like water..I bought 50 gallons at a whopping fee of $ .50! The idiot says he needs more! He has a 60 gallon tank, a 210 gallon tank, a 500 gallon tank and a 2600 gallon tank! He only uses the 60 gallon one, UNLESS, he is pulling the water trailer with the 500 gallon tank on it and delivering water to his friends and neighbors! In the meantime, he drank all 24 bottles of the bottled water I had stored up there and got 20 more bottles from the case I took up this last trip! He used 96 rolls of toilet paper ( dmost of it I am sure), and had the gall to ask me for some of the 8 rolls I took up with me this trip! I found that the 5 gallon and 2 gallon gas cans were emptied....so I had no gas for my generator! He had a reason already to go! The gas would have gone bad, and he even drained the generator tank to protect it! Nice guy! Huh? Well, as soon as I am able, I am returning north with a new person that is a retired ,that won't think twice about eliminating any problems that happen to come along.....Then I can begin the moving of my other trailers, supplies, and equipment, and live up there full time. In the meantime, I have to put up with a bunch of crap!
DragonFly. I too live up north and watch over my only neighbors house. I have been watching over it now for about 11 years. He and is girl friend started moving back in a few months ago, and he was very happy to see everything there. Including his solar panels on the roof and all his batteries outside in a battery box. Nothing , and I mean nothing missing at all. He wasn't even surprised about it. Rent a back hoe, dig into the side of a hill, insert a 10' or 20' conex , reinforce the sides and roof, and lock everything inside of that. Disquize the doors and do it aways from your trailors. That should stop most of the c'''p that goes on when your gone. I live east of you, as I think your in the prescott area or dewey maybe. I live over by snowflake and 26 miles out of town. Yes , living remote just means that you are an easy target from some as there are also no eyes watching strange comings and goings. Nadja
