Yeah, we're kind of in the woods, too, although there is a fairly large community around us (about 800 homes). Yes, I am not fond of those whole-house generators... I walk outside and can hear the three or four in the neighborhood.

We're trying to save up for a battery/solar charging backup that'll keep our fridge and freezer running, it's silent and we could put it in the back of the truck when we go camping. Alas, high capacity units still run about $3K.