We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

JimL wrote:
We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Must be tough parking your car when your driveway is a quarter mile
from the road.

Try going to the back of the house.

JimL writes:

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Look in the direction of the prevailing wind.

"JimL" wrote in message
...

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?



sound has a ways of traveling long distances that you would not expect.Are
you near a creek or gulch?

JimL wrote:
We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Earplugs. Fifty cents. Problem solved.

"JimL" wrote in message
...

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

it's amazing how sensitive our hearing is. especially when
things are truly quiet. train car coupling can easily be
heard for miles. as can the dropping of a dumpster by
it's handler truck.

of course, if you have kids, they're likely the cause. :-)

lee h

Jim,

Unlike the other posters I'm not convinced you are hearing a car door.
Start keeping a diary of time, room, wind, weather, et c. Collecting a bit
of data may localize the noise and help you locate the cause. Look for loose
stuff around the house and secure it. Make sure gates shut tight. Look in
the crawl space and attic. Is something expanding and contracting during the
day?

Dave M.

Cheap car, tinny rattley sound or an expensive car, solid dull thunk. Maybe
your neighbors are closer to you than the road, either beside or behind you,
or there is a cliff, wall or something solid to bounce the sound. Damp days
make the sound travel long distances, I can hear a train go over another
rail crossing on foggy days, and it is about 2 miles away.


"JimL" wrote in message
...

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

"JimL" wrote in message
...

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?


As mentioned it sounds like it could be something with climate Something
expanding from heat and just a coincidence it sounds like a gar door ( and
now you have told yourself it a car door) What time of day dose it happen?
Has it been hotter than usual?

"David Martel" wrote in message
k.net...
Jim,

Unlike the other posters I'm not convinced you are hearing a car door.
Start keeping a diary of time, room, wind, weather, et c. Collecting a bit
of data may localize the noise and help you locate the cause. Look for
loose stuff around the house and secure it. Make sure gates shut tight.
Look in the crawl space and attic. Is something expanding and contracting
during the day?

I'm thinking it's not a car either. From the water heater maybe? Too much
sediment in the bottom of the tank creates bubbles that burst when they get
heated. You can hear that happen.

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:58:44 -0500, JimL wrote:


We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?




The neighbors cows are stealing candy or cigarettes out of your
car.... or for that matter, they might even be trying to drive your
car. Dont leave the keys in it, or your car might start MOOVING...


I have a pony in the back yard that sometimes likes to use the corner
of the house as a back scratcher. That tends to spook the crap out of
me in the middle of a good sleep, particularly when she uses the
corner right next to my bed. Of course that still beats the noise I
dealt with when I lived in the city.

On Mon, 7 Aug 2006 17:02:54 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

:JimL wrote:
: We recently moved the country to an old homestead.
:
: Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
: out by the sounds of a car door slamming.
:
: Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
: our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
: there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.
:
: We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.
:
: This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
: we are frustrated.
:
: Any ideas?
:
:Earplugs. Fifty cents. Problem solved.

Yeah, I gotta laugh too. 1/2 mile from the nearest neighbor and you are
freaked out by noise! I guess it just goes to show you can never have
enough peace. I consider myself lucky when it's quiet where I live and I
guess it's one reason I get up so early in the morning. It's about the
only time you can depend on it being quiet (well, almost depend!).

I was feeling sorry for myself until I had a conversation with a woman I
know who said she grew up in Brooklyn, NY. She told me about the ambient
noise problems there and I quickly realized it was 10x worse than what I
have to put up with. She said to keep her sanity she got into listening
to the radio all the time. It gave her an anchor amidst the chaos. She
and I volunteer at a college radio station.

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:58:44 -0500, JimL wrote:

: Any ideas?

Yes, I agree with the others that it isn't a car door slamming. Quite
unlikely, anyway. Scout around until you figure out what's making the
noise. Some day you may be lucky enough to be right next to what's doing
it when it happens, and then you will probably know immediately. Don't
start believing in ghosts!

JimL wrote:

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Run screaming naked into the woods.

On 8 Aug 2006 08:51:12 -0700, "z" wrote:

:
an_Musicant wrote:
: On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:58:44 -0500, JimL wrote:
:
: : Any ideas?
:
: Yes, I agree with the others that it isn't a car door slamming. Quite
: unlikely, anyway. Scout around until you figure out what's making the
: noise. Some day you may be lucky enough to be right next to what's doing
: it when it happens, and then you will probably know immediately. Don't
: start believing in ghosts!
:
:A really talented mockingbird?
:We have one in our neighborhood that does a terrific cordless phone
:ring, and a pretty decent car alarm.

LOL!

I wish we had them here. I don't think we have them, at least not
lately. I seem to remember a bird here a long time ago that had a huge
(!) repertoire, though. Maybe that was a mockingbird.

LOL. Hard to imagine it imitating a car door slaming!

"z" wrote in message
oups.com...
A really talented mockingbird?
We have one in our neighborhood that does a terrific cordless phone
ring, and a pretty decent car alarm.

Or a Grackle? damned things can mimic sound of tree falling.
Will get your attention. They typically roost at night, however.

lee h

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:58:44 -0500, JimL wrote:


We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

(Hope the voices in my head don't bother you)

Do you have wild hogs or an exotic animal farm in the area?

Had you said it sounded like a "crying baby", I would say a panther.

Oren

JimL wrote:

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Got any livestock nearby? Could be something like one of these:
http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=G80620&UID=200608081710273904849556
They can lift up the door to chow down and when they withdraw, that door
slams down sounding just like a car door.
--
Grandpa

What is that dripping from my fingers?
Why it looks like time.

"Lisa BB." wrote in message
...

It's most likely my next door neighbor. She's constantly slamming her
doors for no reason. OMG, it's over and over ten thousand times. She
likes to creep around late at night and make noises. A real mental, that
one.

See the post about aerosol rooms and send her to one.

Grandpa wrote:
JimL wrote:

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Got any livestock nearby? Could be something like one of these:
http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=G80620&UID=200608081710273904849556
They can lift up the door to chow down and when they withdraw, that door
slams down sounding just like a car door.
--
Grandpa

What is that dripping from my fingers?
Why it looks like time.

Had a Cardinal......Protecting her territory.
Against her reflection in our storm door......

......Sounded like a door slammin'

Wow, this posting has had an unusual amount of replies. Here's my two
cents...

How is you home heated? How old is your house? How often and when do the
noises occur?

I've heard a variety of noises from heating systems caused by air in
baseboard heating radiators, air in the water pipes and air ducts expanding
& contracting. It also could be the house settling through the day.

No, I don't think barnyard animals are borrowing you car and you house isn't
haunted.

Handi_ca

In article ,
says...

"z" wrote in message
oups.com...
A really talented mockingbird?
We have one in our neighborhood that does a terrific cordless phone
ring, and a pretty decent car alarm.

Or a Grackle? damned things can mimic sound of tree falling.
Will get your attention. They typically roost at night, however.

A Grackle? I've never heard one mimic anything, other than perhaps
a Siamese cat in heat. Mocking birds, sure. I once thought the
neighbor's parrot got out, so went looking for it; a Mocking bird
was singing to the parrot from a tree in our front yard. We had
another that was mocking the beeps from my PC. ...stupid thing.

--
Keith

In article .com,
says...

Grandpa wrote:
JimL wrote:

We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Got any livestock nearby? Could be something like one of these:
http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=G80620&UID=200608081710273904849556
They can lift up the door to chow down and when they withdraw, that door
slams down sounding just like a car door.
--
Grandpa

What is that dripping from my fingers?
Why it looks like time.

Had a Cardinal......Protecting her territory.
Against her reflection in our storm door......

I woke up one morning to the sound of someone trying to break into
the house. The Cedar-Waxwings were attacking the ornamental cherry
out front and got drunk. They were trying to comfit mass suicide
by flying into the bay window in the livingroom. Dumb alkies! ;-)


.....Sounded like a door slammin'

....more like Hagar breaking into a castle.

--
Keith

JimL wrote:
We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Well, JimL..........any luck so far?.......

sky Wrote:
JimL wrote:-
Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

Any ideas?-


Sounds like a damper. In an HVAC duct, in a flue, range hood, dryer
exhaust, bathroom fan, attic ventilation maybe. A damper by itself is
just a rather small piece of aluminum hinged in a duct/vent, but when it
slams, the surrounding pipe can give echoes/reverb. Normally, these
dampers have rubber stops to cushion them, but looks like a stop might
have worn out.

Next time noise occurs, instead of running out to look for cars,
concentrate on remembering what did you recently do in the house.
Used a bathroom? Been cooking? Etc.




--
scorrpio

On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 11:36:13 -0400, Keith Williams
wrote:

In article ,
says...

"z" wrote in message
oups.com...
A really talented mockingbird?
We have one in our neighborhood that does a terrific cordless phone
ring, and a pretty decent car alarm.

Or a Grackle? damned things can mimic sound of tree falling.
Will get your attention. They typically roost at night, however.

A Grackle? I've never heard one mimic anything, other than perhaps
a Siamese cat in heat. Mocking birds, sure. I once thought the
neighbor's parrot got out, so went looking for it; a Mocking bird
was singing to the parrot from a tree in our front yard. We had
another that was mocking the beeps from my PC. ...stupid thing.

The mocking birds here are getting hit hard by the west nile virus.
Lot's of them belly up over the last couple of years.

I've had a mocking bird that could whistle for my dog. Drove her
crazy.
Also have heard them mock a crow.

On 11 Aug 2006 02:10:08 -0700, "sky" wrote:


JimL wrote:
We recently moved the country to an old homestead.

Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
out by the sounds of a car door slamming.

Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.

We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.

This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
we are frustrated.

Any ideas?

Well, JimL..........any luck so far?.......

I'm shocked that it isn't a common occurence. I was expecting a lot
of "Yeah, I hear that all the time."

I've discussed it with my sisters and pretty sure it is either
ghosts or really unusual atmospheric conditions that amplify an actual
car door slamming about a mile or two away and make it sound like it
is in the front yard. Kind of like the Marfa lights.

It only happens in the heat of a hot summer day - no wind, no ac.
Windows open. And only maybe once or twice a month.

Multiple people in the house hear it.

The house is about 3 miles from a small mountain range on one side
and on the upper edge of a small valley and creek on the other side

Sound travels down that valley very easily and also on real still
nights you can hear the radio in truckers cabs from 3 miles away on
the hwy.

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:11:57 -0500, JimL wrote:

:On 11 Aug 2006 02:10:08 -0700, "sky" wrote:
:
:
:JimL wrote:
: We recently moved the country to an old homestead.
:
: Normally we like the quiet, but we are really starting to get freaked
: out by the sounds of a car door slamming.
:
: Every time it happens, we go the front of the house and look out in
: our driveway which is a quarter mile from the dirt county road and
: there is nothing there. It is half a mile to the nearest neighbor.
:
: We contacted the previous owner said she said it spooked her, too.
:
: This has been happening at least once a day for the last 3 months and
: we are frustrated.
:
: Any ideas?
:
:Well, JimL..........any luck so far?.......
:
: I'm shocked that it isn't a common occurence. I was expecting a lot
f "Yeah, I hear that all the time."
:
: I've discussed it with my sisters and pretty sure it is either
:ghosts or really unusual atmospheric conditions that amplify an actual
:car door slamming about a mile or two away and make it sound like it
:is in the front yard. Kind of like the Marfa lights.
:
: It only happens in the heat of a hot summer day - no wind, no ac.
:Windows open. And only maybe once or twice a month.
:
: Multiple people in the house hear it.
:
: The house is about 3 miles from a small mountain range on one side
:and on the upper edge of a small valley and creek on the other side
:
:Sound travels down that valley very easily and also on real still
:nights you can hear the radio in truckers cabs from 3 miles away on
:the hwy.

Well, I'd rule out the ghosts were I you. This just goes to show that
even if you move out to the boonies you are still maybe going to have
noise issues. I'd swap you mine, though. My real estate's expensive, but
my house run down. My brother lives where the land isn't as valuable,
but his house is pristine. I tell him he should be grateful it's so
quiet (I've never noticed noise issues when staying with him). I don't
know if he appreciates that.