Gen2 ...I know you said no further correspondence, but ........like you I think I'd noticed how un-rural all the choices had been, although I didn't recognise it as such at the time.
You may have noticed that I have my own approach to this game (NOT recommended for anyone who seriously wants to win!). Having been given the words, I try to think up half a dozen or so possible links for each of them. Then I go through what everyone else has chosen and strike out those that have already been selected which usually leaves me with very limited options: sometimes I have to think again & sometimes (very rarely) I even have to go with the flow.
But yesterday I was left with 5 of my original 6 choices to go with YARD - (barn, farm, stable, brick & rick). This was such a surprising event that I actually felt moved to comment on it (somewhat obliquely and without any detail).
This also left me with a bit of a dilemma: I had to make a decision! Although I picked the right one I'm glad to hear that you have back-up words in case your first choice isn't picked.