Future plans

[Koolau]

Too bad RobbieB isn't still here with us. He knows about boats and he knows about BTD. Great combination.

 

[street]

Interesting topic and many avenues to take with a remote place.

I personally wouldn't sell my place because of extra labor it takes to keep it. I don't live at the ranch full or part time but spend a lot of time there and days at a time. The extra work like chopping wood taking down trees for wood and the little maintenance keeps me going. The work is good for me even though it would so easy to have it done, I won't till I absolutely can not physically do it.
The extra work can be rewarding and the place you love wouldn't be worth giving up. IMO

 

[Diogenes]

As I grow comparatively older, I am impressed by how much climate matters. Altitude not too high. Winters not to snowy or too cold. Summers not too humid nor too hot. Occasional rain, but not too much. No tornadoes, rare (if any) hurricanes. Access to amenities also matters. Doesn't by any means have to be "walkable", but within say 5 miles, there should be a reasonable selection of grocery stores, dining options, and basic services like the post office.

My conclusion is that rural beauty is logistically problematic, even if one doesn't mind the isolation. I am not an outdoorsy person in the sense of hiking, skiing, boating, hunting... but I sit outdoors and read. And drive a convertible. Strong HVAC is nice, but is no substitute for a mild climate. I'd rather live in a hovel and sleep on a bunk-bed, but do so in a lovely climate (where everyone agrees, so prices are high), than to rough-it with the elk and antelope, in a 4000 sq ft mansion.

 

[marko]

As I grow comparatively older, I am impressed by how much climate matters. Altitude not too high. Winters not to snowy or too cold. Summers not too humid nor too hot. Occasional rain, but not too much. No tornadoes, rare (if any) hurricanes. Access to amenities also matters. Doesn't by any means have to be "walkable", but within say 5 miles, there should be a reasonable selection of grocery stores, dining options, and basic services like the post office.

My conclusion is that rural beauty is logistically problematic, even if one doesn't mind the isolation. I am not an outdoorsy person in the sense of hiking, skiing, boating, hunting... but I sit outdoors and read. And drive a convertible. Strong HVAC is nice, but is no substitute for a mild climate. I'd rather live in a hovel and sleep on a bunk-bed, but do so in a lovely climate (where everyone agrees, so prices are high), than to rough-it with the elk and antelope, in a 4000 sq ft mansion.

I like your point but would add, I wonder how many people have died, but could've survived had they not lived 2 hours from a hospital.

Early in life, though I never really experienced it, loved the idea of rural isolation. As I got into elderly status, having a good hospital nearby became a priority.

From personal experience, I wouldn't be writing this right now had I lived 45 minutes away a few years ago. A work colleague died enroute via Medflight from his home in Texas after a heart attack.

And this past year, having my cancer radiation facility just 11 minutes away made the 28 daily sessions a snap...some folks there were staying in hotels because they lived so far away.

 

[sparky08]

I like your point but would add, I wonder how many people have died, but could've survived had they not lived 2 hours from a hospital.

Early in life, though I never really experienced it, loved the idea of rural isolation. As I got into elderly status, having a good hospital nearby became a priority.

From personal experience, I wouldn't be writing this right now had I lived 45 minutes away a few years ago. A work colleague died enroute via Medflight from his home in Texas after a heart attack.

And this past year, having my cancer radiation facility just 11 minutes away made the 28 daily sessions a snap...some folks there were staying in hotels because they lived so far away.

I'm a rural, outdoors kind of guy. And I do live far away from the highest level of care.

But to me, living in a big city, on a small lot or condo, just to be near a hospital isn't 'living'.

I try to live a healthy life, and know that if the worst happens, it might be the end.

 

[FIYes]

My mother lived in a rural area about 35-40 minutes from the nearest hospital. She reached the stage where she should not drive and her rural location was a bit problematic. I wouldn’t recommend rural for the over 80 crowd.

 

[Taxman59]

We have decided to make upgrades to our house to make it our "final home" . DW is in the early-middle stages of dementia and her physical health is beginning to decline. Thus ADA bathroom, ramp for the front door etc. is on the docket for 2026. We still have our home on the coast and the camper, both of which I want/need for my mental health. I expect that the camper will get less use over the next few years, and the house on the coast I plan on holding for my retreat and one of my DS wants to use it. I have been splitting wood, not for heat, but for the exercise and I burn it in our outdoor firepit (the ashes are good for the garden).

 

[street]

I'm a rural, outdoors kind of guy. And I do live far away from the highest level of care.

But to me, living in a big city, on a small lot or condo, just to be near a hospital isn't 'living'.

I try to live a healthy life, and know that if the worst happens, it might be the end.

You got that right. People everyday living where the highest health care is available die any way. I can get to a hospital in 5 minutes with air ambulance on site. Life will take care of itself and born in a small town and hoping to die in a small rural area.

 

[Gumby]

As I grow comparatively older, I am impressed by how much climate matters. Altitude not too high. Winters not to snowy or too cold. Summers not too humid nor too hot. Occasional rain, but not too much. No tornadoes, rare (if any) hurricanes. Access to amenities also matters. Doesn't by any means have to be "walkable", but within say 5 miles, there should be a reasonable selection of grocery stores, dining options, and basic services like the post office.

My conclusion is that rural beauty is logistically problematic, even if one doesn't mind the isolation. I am not an outdoorsy person in the sense of hiking, skiing, boating, hunting... but I sit outdoors and read. And drive a convertible. Strong HVAC is nice, but is no substitute for a mild climate. I'd rather live in a hovel and sleep on a bunk-bed, but do so in a lovely climate (where everyone agrees, so prices are high), than to rough-it with the elk and antelope, in a 4000 sq ft mansion.

You need to move to Connecticut.

 

[marko]

I'm a rural, outdoors kind of guy. And I do live far away from the highest level of care.

But to me, living in a big city, on a small lot or condo, just to be near a hospital isn't 'living'.

I try to live a healthy life, and know that if the worst happens, it might be the end.

As Diogenes said, there's more to it than just living with a hospital nearby. You don't have to live in a "big city" but even the suburbs (homes on 5 acres) have good restaurants and entertainment options nearby.

To each his own, but as I've aged, I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier and more convenient. The less I have to do the better. Leave the hard work to the 50 year-olds!

 

[Koolau]

You got that right. People everyday living where the highest health care is available die any way. I can get to a hospital in 5 minutes with air ambulance on site. Life will take care of itself and born in a small town and hoping to die in a small rural area.

Heh, heh, you and John Mellencamp.

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video.search.yahoo.com

 

[pb4uski]

Our Texas home is a lot easier than our Vermont summer home.

For Texas, since we are away for the summer, we hire out lawn mowing and fertilizing, etc. I still do a little yard work like trimming shrubs and smaller trees.

The Vermont summer home is a lot more work. While I hire out putting in the aluminum frames for the dock and a couple small boat lifts for my Sunfish and the jet ski, I still put the wooden decking into the aluminum frames. There there are 3 watercraft to put in in the spring and take out in the fall and winterize. Mowing the lawn all summer, putting the water in and taking it out of the unheated garage loft/she cave, taking out and putting away hoses, etc. My appetite for such stuff is waning and will probably hire out more as we age, but there may come a time that we decide to give it up and sell... but OTOH, I would like to keep it for our kids and grandkids.

 

[folivier]

So after a very low snow year and our HOA starting to get too restrictive we're getting closer to selling our cabin. We'll talk with a realtor when we get back up in June and depending on the market might list it this year or next. If we do sell we'll spend 3-4 months on a rental lot in our motorhome.
Tuesday we drove over to look at a couple areas we're considering for a fishing/lake place. Liked both of them, ruled out a couple others. But we found a couple nice rentals that we're considering. It would be somewhat more $ for a yearly lease than buying something outright but we can try out the area first. Now waiting on a rental/realtor agent to email back with some questions.

 

[Onda]

Places like that often support health and daily rhythm in ways a comfortable condo cannot, and once sold, that kind of environment is usually impossible to recreate.

 

[folivier]

This past year I've been suffering with a SI joint issue and haven't been able to do nearly as much as I normally do. So I've been at our condo since November not as active. After an epidural last week I'm able to get out more. So yeah I need another place. The cabin is really nice but we can rent an RV lot there for the summer and be just as active. Having a lake/fishing place will satisfy this for the fall through spring. And have a place for my kids and grandunits to enjoy as well. The cabin is just too far for them to use.
I told DW that the condo is nice but I need something else to do. Fishing is something I used to enjoy and should again while I'm still able.

 

[jcfradio]

Too bad RobbieB isn't still here with us. He knows about boats and he knows about BTD. Great combination.

Tangential topic, did anyone ever find out what happened to Robbie B?

Moderators, feel free to delete this post if you think that it runs too far off topic.