Should I do it?

[monkeybreath]

Good point about the kids issue. One of our daughters thought we were the luckiest family in the world to live here in the foothills, while the other thought we were deprived. We lived about 30 miles from where they went to HS and we made sure that living in the Country would never mean they missed any activities, after school events, dances, games, band practice, school plays and rehearsals for everything - it meant a lot of trips but we did it. . . .

 

[Henro]

cowboydoc got it right. I had to go back are check and make sure...20 minutes is nothing...

IF I were you it would be a no brainer for me...

But I'm not you...so...good luck in your decision...

If you were my kid I would probably telling you to jump on this opportunity...but without knowing the details can't really be sure..

Hope it works out for the best....

 

[B7500]

Glennmac and others thank you so much for all your input. Yes, Tupper Lake is small and that is why we bought the 5 acres but I live in Plattsburgh (30,000). My house is on a 40 X 100 ft lot. I actually heard the neighbor having sex one night. No, it was NOT a turn on. That is what I mean about close and the reason why we bought the other property. This would be year around solitude not just weekends. It would be great to work and play on but could it be too isolated when you are just not use to it?
Man, what a dilemma...

 

[lamarbur]

since the air base closed down, os there anything going on in Plattsburg any more?

 

[Boone]

I'd say Yes!

I commute 30 miles to work. It can be a pain during the winter but all wheel drive cars and four wheel drive trucks solve that problem. Driving in to town for family and other events is a nonissue, and no problem. My new nieghbors had the same reservations that you have, after a year out here they are happy folks. They have company over regularly and do not feel isolated.

 

[OkeeDon]

<font color="blue"> How is "rural" life with no neighbors? It sounds great right now but it also sounds a bit scary.
</font>

That sounds to me like it might be the crux of your question. There's lots of good advice abve on the work, tools (toys) and hassles of country living, and some on friends and their visits (or lack thereof). The real question you have to answer is how good you are at entertaining yourselves. If you think that mowing and repairing and fixing up and garbage detail is entertaining (a lot of us do), then you're one step towards making that swap. But, a lot of things are going to change. With 250 acres, there will be long periods when you see no one else but your family. You won't be able to get away as much because all the chores will get out of hand while you're gone. For better or worse, that land will be your focus for as long as you live there.

I guess it all boils down to whether you and your family like each other well enough to be your only companions and friends for pretty long stretches. Your're also going to be alone a lot -- out in the fields or outbuildings doing something or other/ Do you like yourself enough to enjoy your company?

I actually have the opposite situation. I was raised an only child and find that my psyche demands being alone for much of each day. Other than my wife and grown kids (who I love dearly and for whom I would do anything), I actually find it is a nuisance to have to entertain others and be nice to them for more than a few hours. Thus, rural living suits me fine, and my years in the "city" have been unsatisfactory. I find that building and repairing things is more fun than anything I have ever done. My wife needs a little more human contact than me, but she gets it from her church, quilt guild, etc. She never goes to a hairdresser or mall when they are nearby, so she never misses them. If that describes you, go for it. If you are gregarious, it's probably the wrong decision.

 

[monkeybreath]

I thought of one issue which anyone living in the Country needs to think about. Don's post reminded me of it. While I can't even conceive of living in a town / city again, and having close "drop-in" neighbors, we do have one problem - when we want to travel - vacation we have to arrange for someone to take care of the animals / pets, and to water the plants / flowers and so on (at least parts of the year). This means you can't always leave at the drop of a hat. Short trips - 2-4 days we can handle without help with a few innovations - drip systems, and planning, but a week or more means making special arrangements. And as I am a lot like OkeeDon -(and wife seems to me to be a lot like Mrs OkeeDon) I like a lot of private quiet time so I have neither made nor have I encouraged a lot of friendships here - so we have to plan and ask favors, etc. (and I have a problem asking favors - a personal failing). We were even thinking of putting a small guest mobile somewhere on the property for a caretaker to live and give us a greater degree of flexibility in this regard. Anyway, you can get tied down a bit at times - that is one negative but not one you cannot solve. We are going on vacation in a week or so, and are going to contact a family here with some high school age students to work something out. Other close friends up here are about 8-9 miles away and to ask them is more of an imposition then I want to present. Because we are both still working in town, we don't travel that much, but with retirement looming, we expect we will be traveling a bit more.

Anyway, the CFO says that If I did not have to leave the property to go and get food or to work I would never get off of the property. By the way, regarding vacations, this year I suggested to the CFO that we simply travel around the central valley of California visiting the many tractor dealerships and visiting tractors and collecting implement brochures - sometimes her sense of humor is a bit farther below the surface than mine.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

20 minutes is not very far when you're out in the country.

What you have to ask yourself is what you like to do. If entertaining guests and visiting friends is high on your priority list, it might get kind of rough. One of the biggest complaints I've heard has been lack of shopping/stores. You can't just run down the street to Walmart for stuff. There are no Malls or Theatres, or other entertainment outlets.

If, on the other hand, you like outdoor activities or just watching TV, it should be a snap. So, what activites fill most of your time?

Also, what is near the new place? Around here, there are almost always small burgs about 10 miles or so apart, with larger towns spaced 20 to 30 apart. I'm assuming this is similar to your area.

Steve

 

[RJohnson]

I drive 23 miles one way thought the heart of the Dallas-Ft.Worth Metroplex. Takes any where between 45 minutes to an hour. They are predicting millions of people moving into the area in the next ten years. I can't wait to get out of town. Just wish I had your decision to make /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif, I would not be confused at all. But it is your decision to make, best of luck you have recieved some great advise.

Randy

 

[OkeeDon]

We are very fortunate in our latest move - next door to my daughter & son-in-law. We'll be able to take off fairly spontaneously because they'll be able to handle the chores. They'll also be able to get away a litle more because we'll be there to take the kids and dogs. We've taken down the fence between their 2.5 acres and our 5 acres, so we have a combined 7.5 to play with. Our house will be far enough apart so we'll each have our privacy, but the barn will be in between so we can all use it. I can use my s-i-l's garden tractors for finish mowing, and he loves my TC18 as much as I do.

As far as never leaving the property, my wife has already said she anticipates selling our NC mountain cabin where we have been going for "isolation" for the past 15 years, because everything we need will be at the new place. I didn't think anything would ever persuade he to part with that place! But, we still do have the old Pace Arrow so we can get away - in fact, it's in for a little rejuvenation as I write. When we bought it 7 years ago (1988 model, 8 years old when we got it) I promised her 10 years before I bugged her for another one - but I'm starting to look now for a diesel pusher, since we both turn 63 this year, and have a little more time for this kind of foolishness.

We probably never will give up work entirely - I'm taking a year off to build the house and barn, etc., but will go back into the business of fabricating custom outdoor kitchens on a part time basis - it's just too lucrative to give up entirely, and I enjoy it. She'll likely never stop seeing patients as a home health physical therapist, at least part time, she loves it so much.

So, there's the Horner recipe for rural living...some work at things we like, a little play in the outside world, and a lot of play at the country place, leavened by our family closer than ever, and spiced with our granddaughters next door. If my son ever decides to get married (he's 32 and still thinking about quitting work to sail the Caribbean), there's more acres on the other side of my daughter's - he's thinking of buying it "just in case".

God, life is good.