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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
HERMIT OF COLD RIVER
I came upon Noah and his crude cabin quite by accident while hiking in the Adirondacks back in 1938. Hospitable fella. Self-proclaimed mayor of Cold River City. Population: one.
“I left home as a youngster.” He puffed on his pipe. “I had my fill of American industrial slavery and highway carnage.”
“Don’tcha miss people?” I asked.
“Not much. I got my little garden. Fish in summer, venison in winter. An elegant sufficiency.”
In 1967 I read in the newspaper of Noah John Rondeau’s passing at the age of eighty-four in a hospital room. Not exactly the sendoff he’d hoped for.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
The puffing on his pipe is a great character rendering
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Thank you, Neil.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A man of nature and a natural man-
He lived life on his own terms and by doing his own thing.
The ending wouldn’t have been to his liking.
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Dear Anita,
He did live life on his own terms. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As you say, not the send-off he’d hoped for. But while the ending may not have been up to much, I get the impression what came before it was entirely as he would have wished. I’ve always wondered, how do you pronounce Adirondacks?
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Dear Sandra,
Adi-RAWN-daks. (Actually you can hear it in my recording 😉 ) According to stories I read, he lived the last few years of his life on welfare. A sad ending. Thank you for reading and commenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I admire people like Noah. To choose the way to live their life and are content. A lonely existence in the backwoods may sound horrid for some people, but for Noah the simple self-sufficiency has its pride.
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Dear James,
It seems that Noah lived life the way he wanted. Not a life for everyone, is it? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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He was a hyper Euell Gibbons
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A good way to put it, Larry.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, I like the ‘puffed on his pipe’ too. That just brings him to life. I can hear him talking…
Not sure… Well, actually, really sure I wouldn’t like that life, but I so admire him for making the choice to live the way he wanted to. And another character to add to my list of Americans I didn’t know about. Thank you.
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Dear Jenne,
I only just learned of him myself. 😉 I do like my solitude but not to that degree. Fascinating individual. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lovely background story.
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Thank you, Di.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. Is there any news of Ted?
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He’s been on Facebook a little bit. As far as I know he’s improving.
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Good to know. Thanks.
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Very interesting. I know a few people who have chosen to live “off grid”, but in a little more comfort than this…. I think it would be hard today to be able to escape to our own private Walden like this, particularly for so many years.
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Dear Trent,
I also know a couple living off the grid. I’d say in much more comfort than Noah. He was an interesting man for sure. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle
You created a wonderful character in the hermit here. Shame he died in the hospital not the woods though. Great story!
Regards Mason.
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Dear Mason,
Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You;re welcome!
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Living off the grid is appealing. But, not for everyone. Oh, the hell I think he would have given in hospital. 😀
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Dear Tanille,
I doubt he was an easy patient. 😉 I’m not sure I could live completely off the grid.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very evocative. Brave man. You conjured up his spirit for us.
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Thank you so much, Miranda. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
What a story! He was a 20th-century Thoreau, wasn’t he? But even Thoreau couldn’t take it for more than two years!
Shalom,
Dora
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Dear Dora,
He was definitely his own man. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What an interesting, if not sparse life he had. He had what he wanted . Oh the stories he must had. I enjoyed the verbal link. Great story.
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Dear Jan,
I’m only half hermit. I don’t think I could live that life. No doubt he had stories to tell to his occasional visitors. 😉 Thanks m’luv.
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A fascinating character, and you’ve rendered him really well. “I had my fill of American industrial slavery and highway carnage,” is a really telling sentence. It shows how limited were his choices.
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Dear Penny,
Your kind and affirming comments are always appreciated. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like “elegant sufficiency.” I admire and sometimes wish I could be like those who live off the natural world. What an interesting character. Enjoyable story as always!
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Dear Brenda,
I had a friend who used the term often. It seemed to fit well in this story. Thank you so much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a wonderful story. I’m sorry he didn’t get the ending he would have wished to have.
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Dear Lisa,
It is a shame he didn’t end the way he wanted to, isn’t it? In any event, thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you’re very welcome. I also loved the photos you included with your story.
Shalom,
Lisa
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I love this guy. My buddy Randy wrote a story about him too! Well done. BTW I have a ton of photos for you. Just got back from a train trip from NYC to Omaha.
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Dear Josh,
Randy did write a similar story, didn’t he? Although Noah died long before cell phones. Unless we’re talking about a different Randy. At any rate, thank you.
Send those photos on! I’m always on the lookout for good ones.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What an interesting man!
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Indeed he was, Liz.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Apparently, if I comment on my phone, it doesn’t show up on your blog. I hope it’s only yours because I’ve been using my phone a lot more lately.
A famous hermit seems like an oxymoron. He sounds like he was also the ambassador and greeter for Cold River City. Very interesting character and story as always, Rochelle.
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Dear Nobbin,
I did find your first comment in my trash folder. Not very neighborly, is it? It does seem to have something to do with comments made on the phone. It happens all the time with Dale’s comments that she makes on her phone. There are a couple of people whose comments go straight to the trash…I don’t know if it’s a phone issue or what. I do check my spam and trash folders on a daily basis for this very reason. It is frustrating.
Noah was the ambassador and mayor and the general population. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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WordPress can be so touchy.
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What a treat to meet this independent, self-confident man. I ha I have no desire to go “off the grid,” but I have to admire those who do –especially, when they do it with no fanfare.
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Dear Linda,
I don’t know that Noah was seeking fanfare, but it did seem to find him. Thank for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I was going to ask why he ended up in the hospital but then I decide I best click the link to make sure 😉 Smart of me. It takes a certain type of personality to choose to live completely alone. Well done!
Shalom and lotsa long-lived love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
There was so much about him that was difficult to squeeze into 100 words. (That’s why I add links. 😉 ) Such is life. While I like my solitude I don’t think I could go off the grid like he did. Thank you for your affirming comments as always. 😀
Shalom and lotsa long-lived hugs,
Rochelle
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I get it. Links are great because it gives the reader the option to dig further if they so wish 🙂
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Lovely stuff Rochelle, Im going to google the chap in a few seconds. You teach me so much!
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Dear Shrawley,
Your comments make me smile. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh, I bet he had a good life! Seems I’m heading in that direction myself, sans the pipe! Wonderful tale, my friend.
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Dear Lish,
I don’t know. The pipe might give you some added character. 😉 There are days when being left totally alone sounds appealing, doesn’t it? I don’t think I could last long, though. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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There have always been hermits, in their own shape and way and form, who found calm in life others may find lonely. Lovely rendition, Rochelle!
xoxo
Na’ama
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Na’ama Y’karah,
I’ve been accused of being something of a hermit. Social media extrovert, in person NOT. Thank you, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂 We find our balance and yay for the possibility of extroverting online while introverting in real life, eh? I’m probably someplace in the middle, depending on the situation.
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Seems a great life barring the sad ending! Nice story, Rochelle.
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Thank you so much, Neel.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“elegant sufficiency.” I love it.
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Thank you, Anne.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What an impressive story. I imagine the main problem being that when self-sufficiency, the safety net pulls you bad to society. The alternative may or may not be more appealing.
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Dear Jen,
I can’t imagine living like he did. Thank you re my story. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A population of one! I almost envy him. A delightful account of a contented person.
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Many thanks, Keith.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
This true story has set me thinking about how many people there are who live in the middle of a city and are deeply lonely, while this one man chose to go off the grid and seemed not to suffer from one day of loneliness because it was what he’d chosen. Re his final hospitalisation, I guess the only thing we can be sure of in life is that we will eventually die, I can be very reclusive, but only in short bouts. It is important to me to have a warm bed and I would find it very hard to kill and gut my food before eating it.
I like the photo prompt for this week but, realistically, I don’t think that I’d be able to fully engage in Friday Fictioneers this week. Have arrived back in blogland only today and have much catching up to do, after more than 2 months of absence.
I’ve just been liaising with Dale. Are you up for a a girls’ chat on Sunday afternoon?
All best wishes,
Sarah 🙂
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Dear Sarah,
I’m afraid I wouldn’t be good at that kind of seclusion either. I’ll leave the hunting and gutting to Jan.
I understand about being off the blogging grid. Some days I think it’s time to chuck FF but just can’t bring myself to do it.
I do appreciate you swinging by to leave a comment.
As for Sunday, if you mean afternoon Sussex time which would be 0800 Missouri time I could probably swing it. It’s Father’s Day here in the States so I do have to give Jan some attention. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Can we possibly make it 0830 as sometimes I’m a bit late with lunch on Sundays, as I am particularly dependent upon on Mister P’s time schedule on that day! And it’s not even Father’s Day here in the UK this week. It’s not something I’ve ever celebrated. But I hear what you say about Jan getting some attention.
Looking forward to our chat 🙂
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I’ll put it on my schedule. I’ve promised to cook him the dinner of his choice. Hoping it’s something I like, too. 😉
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In my experience, men’s idea of a treat meal is often something rich and greasy, followed by something with loads of sugar and cream. In other words, bad for their heart and waistline 😉
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Yep pretty much. I’m prepared for that so I can prepare something different for myself.
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Fascinating, and of course superbly crafted.
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Thank you very much, Forestbathings. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I enjoy learning new things from each of your posts, Rochelle. Thank-you!
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Dear Susan,
I’m always happy to share them when I find them. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What an interesting story about an interesting character! I have so many questions. It’s sad that it ended like it did, but perhaps still better than dying alone and in pain in the woods.
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Dear Gabi,
I know I couldn’t live that way. There’s actually quite a bit about him online if you google his name. 😉 Thank you for reading and commenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A sad ending, but it sounds like he lived the majority of his life the way he wanted.
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Dear Ali,
Yes he did live most of his life on his own terms.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yet he made it to 84. Not bad.
Great photograph. Suddenly I could hear his voice. What a character
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Thank you, Laurie.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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he found a niche and lived accordingly, hopefully, with little regret.
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Dear Plaridel,
It seems that he lived life on his own terms without apology.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A bit like my great-uncle Robie who chose the backwoods over town for most of his adult life. Think he might have been the most contented, sane and serene of all my relatives.
Thanks for sharing this gentleman’s story.
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Dear Lorraine,
Your uncle sounds like an interesting person. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Unfortunately, I never met him! He was older than my grandfather by a few years. I only “heard” rumours of his lifestyle as a child. I learned that if I sat quite and still under my grandmother’s kitchen table while the adults played cards, I overhear all manner of interesting things — including the foibles and quirks of my father’s family.
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Dear Rochelle,
I really, really enjoyed this story. What a character. As others have said, dying in hospital wouldn’t have been how he would have liked to exit this life.
Shalom,
Adele
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Awesome man… kinda reminds me of my Papaw John. Very self reliant, Papaw was. One of the best “Shiners” in the region next to Memaw herself, that is. We always had plenty of venison to eat when we visited. Man, I haven’t thought about PapawJohn and Memaw since… well, many many years. Oddly, I can still smell his pipe smoke as I think about him. Corncob pipe, rocking chair on the corner of the porch, ugly mut dog curled beside him with chin on his foot. Ahhhhhhh… those were the days…. Sorry I missed this week. We lost power Friday and didn’t get it back until we came home Sunday. With no power, we went north to stay with family for the weekend.
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