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hashbrown

Peckerwood
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
3,375
Location
The Shade
We spent the entire day mowing our place today, While mowing I got to thinking about the little yards you see in town and how we spend our time. We always have work be it bush hogging, cleaning ditches and culverts, working in the garden, cutting wood, fixing roads the list never ends plus we have a business that consumes a monster amount of time and my wife is a real-estate agent as well. I don't know how the folks that live on the little lots in town spend there time but the more I think about it the more attractive it sounds to me.
 
We spent the entire day mowing our place today, While mowing I got to thinking about the little yards you see in town and how we spend our time. We always have work be it bush hogging, cleaning ditches and culverts, working in the garden, cutting wood, fixing roads the list never ends plus we have a business that consumes a monster amount of time and my wife is a real-estate agent as well. I don't know how the folks that live on the little lots in town spend there time but the more I think about it the more attractive it sounds to me.

You wouldn't last 5 minutes.
😉
Neither would I.

Jim
 
You wouldn't last 5 minutes.
😉
Neither would I.

Jim

I think HashB may have a few good years of hard work andrepairs going for him but all od us have our limits as we age. I wish there was a safe city to go to ,if so I'd be packed and ready. I love this palace but its abusing us now a days.Yes can'tfind anywhere else togo,don't want any kids ruling us or low income assisted living. I sure as hell do miss America.
 
My plan is to let the woods encroach a little each year as I can do less. Also, they'll be filled with wild medicines, many of which bloom. I'd rather look out my window at the woods anyway. If anyone complains I'll pretend to be very hard of hearing...
 
We spent the entire day mowing our place today, While mowing I got to thinking about the little yards you see in town and how we spend our time. We always have work be it bush hogging, cleaning ditches and culverts, working in the garden, cutting wood, fixing roads the list never ends plus we have a business that consumes a monster amount of time and my wife is a real-estate agent as well. I don't know how the folks that live on the little lots in town spend there time but the more I think about it the more attractive it sounds to me.
It would be a big change. Whole different mind set!
 
I am a suburban dweller. I live 1/4 mile from where I grew up, parents moved there in 1965. Read email and played on the internet for a bit. Watched church on the internet. I really didn't want to because it's sunday, but I cut my front and back lawn in 37 minutes with a push mower. Did my edging and trimming in another 20 minutes. Ate lunch. Nothing planted here yet, so no weeding or watering. Staked up the blueberries and raspberry bushes. Filled the bird feeders. Fed and watered the chickens. Took the scooter out for a bit to relax. Sat in the backyard and yacked with the back and left side neighbors. Take the dog out for a walk and toss the ball in the backyard.

Volunteer work now and then, , Scooter rides, RC airplanes and Cars for hobbies along with reading and ham radio. It's really not what I thought of in my 30's and 40's, scaled back some in the 50's and now I can't move my DW from here with a crowbar.

I think it's all what you know and are used too.
 
@hashbrown I have found that living in a very small town (pop. 2000) is pretty laid back. I don't bother anyone and nobody bothers me. It does have advantages - gas is a half mile away, the Dollar General is a half mile away. Church is a block, library is 1/2 a block, post office is a block, hardware store is a block, the gym is 1/2 a block, and the town's only restaurant is 1.5 blocks away. Plus the streets are cleared of snow and storm debris, I don't have to do it myself.

If you had a nice lot in a small town you'd surely find projects - new deck, landscaping, fire pit, etc. I bet you'd stay busy. The difference is there's less stuff you have to do, and more stuff you can do when you want to do it.

But you don't have the privacy or the wildlife, or the sense of the outdoors like you get in the country. I myself am torn between the two lifestyles. I go back and forth about it all the time...
 
We spent the entire day mowing our place today, While mowing I got to thinking about the little yards you see in town and how we spend our time. We always have work be it bush hogging, cleaning ditches and culverts, working in the garden, cutting wood, fixing roads the list never ends plus we have a business that consumes a monster amount of time and my wife is a real-estate agent as well. I don't know how the folks that live on the little lots in town spend there time but the more I think about it the more attractive it sounds to me.
I could be out in the yard for hours every week. I don't own acres, just a lot. When you own property, the work is never finished and that includes home, out buildings, land and yard.
 
I went mental in the suburbs on one acres, close to a highly populated city. I like it better on the 23 acres near a teeny tiny town.
People in town....can manicure their lawns, watch tv, go out to eat close by, go to the movies. Maybe can have chickens. Teenagers can hang out at the malls, go to movies, play video games. I think Jake is used to a different lifestyle. I know our grandkids like it better in the country.
 
I am a suburban dweller. I live 1/4 mile from where I grew up, parents moved there in 1965. Read email and played on the internet for a bit. Watched church on the internet. I really didn't want to because it's sunday, but I cut my front and back lawn in 37 minutes with a push mower. Did my edging and trimming in another 20 minutes. Ate lunch. Nothing planted here yet, so no weeding or watering. Staked up the blueberries and raspberry bushes. Filled the bird feeders. Fed and watered the chickens. Took the scooter out for a bit to relax. Sat in the backyard and yacked with the back and left side neighbors. Take the dog out for a walk and toss the ball in the backyard.

Volunteer work now and then, , Scooter rides, RC airplanes and Cars for hobbies along with reading and ham radio. It's really not what I thought of in my 30's and 40's, scaled back some in the 50's and now I can't move my DW from here with a crowbar.

I think it's all what you know and are used too.

Now thats what I'm thinking about. The woods are really coming into out fenced in yard now.
But if I keep seeing some of the doctors around here I won't have to worry about it much longer anyway.I need to change my name so they can't send for my records.
 
Sitting and thinking, for over 20 years I relocated for work many times. The only places I liked living were places I had a view.

North Chicago, a view across lake Michigan.

San Mateo Ca... from my little apartment porch I had an unobstructed view across the San Francisco bay. 10 miles directly across to Hayward, 15 miles to the NW was Oakland, their lights twinkling at night. I could watch ships traveling up and down the bay.

Santa Clarita Ca, again, from my balcony it was 6 miles to the peaks in the Angeles National forest, unobstructed, no houses in view.

A 8-10 acre field in upstate NY and again in TN.

The places I hated the most... I felt like I was living in a cave, it didn't matter how nice my house or apartment. Looking out my window to see my neighbors window 15ft away... I hated it.
 
Sitting and thinking, for over 20 years I relocated for work many times. The only places I liked living were places I had a view.

North Chicago, a view across lake Michigan.

San Mateo Ca... from my little apartment porch I had an unobstructed view across the San Francisco bay. 10 miles directly across to Hayward, 15 miles to the NW was Oakland, their lights twinkling at night. I could watch ships traveling up and down the bay.

Santa Clarita Ca, again, from my balcony it was 6 miles to the peaks in the Angeles National forest, unobstructed, no houses in view.

A 8-10 acre field in upstate NY and again in TN.

The places I hated the most... I felt like I was living in a cave, it didn't matter how nice my house or apartment. Looking out my window to see my neighbors window 15ft away... I hated it.

Thats true too but what about a happy medium? Isolation ain't exactly paradise either so I don't know. Times have changed to where the tribe is lost. So we just do what we can I guess.
 
I live in a small town with a ‘regular’ back yard. I spend my time flower gardening, knitting, crocheting, sewing (sometimes). I can also do some canning but I buy my fruits and veggies when on sale at stores or farmers markets. I love tending my houseplants. I have two dogs and a cat I enjoy spending time with. I cook all our meals (most of the time) and I work outside the home part time. My husband works full time at the least. We are “older” and though my husband is strong and fit, I am not. Arthritis is getting the best of me. I have full days but I also need to rest between tasks by sitting down for a half hour or so. I sure can’t work hard all day like I used to.
 
We have always lived in a suburban area, and feel like we have the best of both worlds. Our town has about 4000 people. We spend 80% of our time here, but have access to big city activities and culture when we want to partake. We have never been bored taking care or our own property, albeit not acreage, but owning a house there is always something that needs to be done. Much like Spikedriver, we liked the fact that we were close to shopping, church, and school. We also are close to very good medical care, which is critical to us. Our kids were very involved with school activities, and sports, and we were always running with them. We were never bored.

I have always worked at least two jobs my entire life, so I have never had an idle moment. I am slowing down now, and hope to retire within the next year. I feel like I am quite ready to sit on the back porch and rock.
 
The thing that I am seeing about city or urban living is that there are groups that try to control every aspect of their neighbors life. HOA's telling people what color door they can have, if they can grow a plant, heaven forbid a garden. The wife likes the idea of HOA's keeping the neighborhood in check, but I am just too blue-collar hick to want to allow anyone in my shorts.... I got lucky when I moved here, no HOA or HOA dues, but I also make more than my share of messes.

The only positive side of city/urban living is there is lots of health care available, if you don't mind driving 3 days a week to different doctors appointments (it seems like every doctor thinks that they are the only one that you are having to see). I can't complain, the wife has lived much longer than any of her doctors expected, but I think part of that is lifestyle and determination. For us the COVID has been a real blessing, we do virtual doctors visits and I no longer lose 3 hours a day commuting. I think cities would be nice if they just got rid of all those angry people.....
 
We have always lived in a suburban area, and feel like we have the best of both worlds. Our town has about 4000 people. We spend 80% of our time here, but have access to big city activities and culture when we want to partake. We have never been bored taking care or our own property, albeit not acreage, but owning a house there is always something that needs to be done. Much like Spikedriver, we liked the fact that we were close to shopping, church, and school. We also are close to very good medical care, which is critical to us. Our kids were very involved with school activities, and sports, and we were always running with them. We were never bored.

I have always worked at least two jobs my entire life, so I have never had an idle moment. I am slowing down now, and hope to retire within the next year. I feel like I am quite ready to sit on the back porch and rock.

I am retiring next year. If I physically can, I’ll work until June, 2022. But it’s very possible I’ll retire in January, 2022.
The thing that I am seeing about city or urban living is that there are groups that try to control every aspect of their neighbors life. HOA's telling people what color door they can have, if they can grow a plant, heaven forbid a garden. The wife likes the idea of HOA's keeping the neighborhood in check, but I am just too blue-collar hick to want to allow anyone in my shorts.... I got lucky when I moved here, no HOA or HOA dues, but I also make more than my share of messes.

The only positive side of city/urban living is there is lots of health care available, if you don't mind driving 3 days a week to different doctors appointments (it seems like every doctor thinks that they are the only one that you are having to see). I can't complain, the wife has lived much longer than any of her doctors expected, but I think part of that is lifestyle and determination. For us the COVID has been a real blessing, we do virtual doctors visits and I no longer lose 3 hours a day commuting. I think cities would be nice if they just got rid of all those angry people.....
There is no HOA in our neighborhood. I really don’t mind what others do on their own property. Hang a clothes line, paint your house any color. Any real obnoxious things like junk cars in the driveway are regulated by city ordinances.
 
We spent the entire day mowing our place today, While mowing I got to thinking about the little yards you see in town and how we spend our time. We always have work be it bush hogging, cleaning ditches and culverts, working in the garden, cutting wood, fixing roads the list never ends plus we have a business that consumes a monster amount of time and my wife is a real-estate agent as well. I don't know how the folks that live on the little lots in town spenhd there time but the more I think about it the more attractive it sounds to me.
When I lived in Seattle I worked for a small lawn and garden business just north of the city and the owner told me that the people that always paid were older, retired, and most often women on low fixed incomes that had a postage stamp sized lawn, lawyers, doctors and people that lived in gated communities figured out ways to escape paying.
 
I am retiring next year. If I physically can, I’ll work until June, 2022. But it’s very possible I’ll retire in January, 2022.

There is no HOA in our neighborhood. I really don’t mind what others do on their own property. Hang a clothes line, paint your house any color. Any real obnoxious things like junk cars in the driveway are regulated by city ordinances.
The HOA is one thing I refuse to take part in. I'm not borrowing money for a $300,000 home just so I can pay a yearly fee for some Karen to tell me where I can plant a tree or what color I can paint my front porch. Screw that. Local ordinances already infringe on property owners right enough.
 
The HOA is one thing I refuse to take part in. I'm not borrowing money for a $300,000 home just so I can pay a yearly fee for some Karen to tell me where I can plant a tree or what color I can paint my front porch. Screw that. Local ordinances already infringe on property owners right enough.

I do understand what your saying but other things come into play here. If you have some distance from your neigbors then yes by all means no HOA rules. But if you have some idiot living close by then rules may be a good thing. We can't pick our neighbors. And some people need some restriction. One house in the n-hood can make your property value take a huge dive downward.Happen to my friend.
 
That serves to lower taxes.. just sayin.
 
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