My mountain paranoia was justified, however misplaced (perhaps).

[DemoTex]

1. The local telephone company (Citizens) kindly checked my mountain system for bugs early yesterday. They found water and corrosion in a sealed box into the house. That, said the technician was causing the clicks. Indeed. A new box ended the clicks. The beeps on message retrieval are all part of a system upgrade.

2. On Monday night the Transylvania Sheriff's Department informs me (at about 10 pm) that our mountain community is under watch because of "high levels of local criminality associated with meth-amphetamines." HELLO!? WTF. Why didn't you warn us?

3. (The big #3) Later Monday night a friend's log home, just over a ridge-line from me, burned to the ground (arson is suspected). Norm was a WW-2 pilot and he and his wife are in Florida for the winter. She just had a pacemaker implanted. The fire probably went undetected for several hours. A neighbor's daughter woke up and saw the glow over the ridge-line. They called 911. The sirens woke Nick-Nick and me up about 2 am. I, too, saw the glow and blowing sparks over the next ridge. The wind was up and it was snowing. Good thing the mountain had been soaked with rain.

Before I left the NC mountain yesterday (for Greenville, SC), the investigators had started work. They found Norm's tool shed broken into and a couple of cans of gasoline missing (he was communicating with them from Florida). By the time I left they were leaning toward arson.

BTW: Norm, who is about 83, is a fellow pilot (as I said), a fellow musician, and a fellow yeller-dawg Democrat.

BBTW: I'll take some pics of his house, if he will allow me to, and post them.

Mac

Oh, and thanks for indulging my paranoia over the last few days. Looks like I should have been paranoid about a different group: the Meths. But I'm way too paranoid now to be sure of that.

[txindy]

1. So, are you thinking the guys with cameras were looking for Meths?

Sounds logical, if that is indeed what's been happening in your area. Odd how they targeted your transmitter for photos, though.

[DemoTex]

7. They may have been looking at me, and not the Meths.

That is still a hard call. I don't know what a meth lab looks like. They might not know a ham station from something else. It was still a queer moment. BTW: Those guys are of the hook. Unless my Realtor is part of some conspiracy, one of those guys (brothers? lovers?) just put a contract on another house close to town (Brevard, NC).

[MuseRider]

2. Feds/Meths

both of concern if you ask me. I had the secret service at my farm for the Bush** visit since I am about 1 1/2 miles from where he landed.

Found out today that the strange guy I let fish on my pond has been in the hospital since getting shot in November for stealing to support his meth habit. He always made me nervous and always seemed to be staking out my place. If it was not for the alarm system I had installed after my first robbery he probably would have done it.

Nothing is paranoid about being paranoid these days Mac. I read your other posts and thought it was very odd too. Too bad about your neighbors house but I am glad it was not yours.

[mikelewis]

3. How do we know you weren't killed and replaced with an Agent?

You could just be passing this story off as a cover. What have you done with DemoTex?

[DemoTex]

9. How do I know that you are not the infamous Agent Mike?

Trust binds us, my friend.

Know what I mean?

[tularetom]

4. Relieved for you, hope everything works out for Norm

BTW how much shit do you have to put up with for living in Transylvania.

[pitohui]

5. i knew in my bones they were dea

did i call it or what?

i hope the bad guys are caught soon, the arson is inexcusable

stay safe and check in once in awhile so we know you're safe

[PsN2Wind]

6. Remember what they used to say in the Sixties

"Just because you're paranoid don't mean they ain't out to get ya".
Keep your head down DemoTex, watch your 6 and all that stuff.

[DemoTex]

8. Good fighter pilot advice ..

Check six! Always check six!

Thanks!
Mac

[carolinalady]

10. I live in New Hanover County here in NC-they have had a HUGE

focus on Meth labs down here. Recently in Bruswick County there have been a few that have blown up.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. All I can say is....

:wow:

That is jaw-breaking scary. No wonder you were paranoid about the unwanted visitors.

[KoKo]

12. I haen't seen your earlier posts about recent troubles there

on Whiskey Run...but I remember when you moved from Texas looking for a much better life.

Do you feel you found it there in the Mountains...or do you prefer your place in Greenville, now. Do you think you might move off that Mountain?

Only asking because I'm a NC transplant and have found living here "interesting" to say the least. But, I live in a city and have always been curious about the Ashville area as maybe being a great creative, liberal alternative to where i live now.

Reading some of your posts (not the recent ones about agents or something visiting you) but some about your early experiences when you moved in there...have given me pause. :eyes:

Do you think you did the right thing moving to that house in the Mountains? Where else would you choose after whatever has gone on..if you could move anywhere in the US. :shrug:

[lies and propaganda]

13. Their called Tweakers out here

and their rampant all the way down the West Coast. Not good people, and extremley dangerous because that shit just rots away at your mind.