The JOYS of country living

[Koolau]

I can't imagine going to a mall to take a walk.

Kinda nice to have consistent temps, no matter the outside weather. YMMV

 

[AudiDudi]

Kinda nice to have consistent temps, no matter the outside weather. YMMV

In the '70's when I was a poor sailor, I lived in the South where the temps and humidity were both 95, we'd go to the mall and walk around

 

[folivier]

At our mountain cabin it's recommended to lock your vehicle so the bears won't get inside. They've learned how to open car doors! But the darn things can't figure out how to get out once they're inside and tear up the interior.

 

[Flieger]

I’ve never quite understood the appeal of country living. When we moved to the Atlanta area, people kept telling me that five acres was the minimum—and that ten was even better. When I asked why, the answers were always the same: more distance from neighbors, more privacy, more space to do whatever you want.
Then we bought our first home—3,200 square feet. Eight years later, we moved again, this time into a 4,400-square-foot house on what some would call “just” half an acre.
What makes it work is that we’re still in a major city. It’s quiet, but everything we need is close by: supermarkets, restaurants, auto shops, and several excellent hospitals and doctors—which matters more and more over time. Emergency services are fast and reliable. Parking is easy.
Our days are full. We see friends almost daily—playing bridge three or four times a week, going to the gym, playing tennis, taking walks around the neighborhood and the lake, and hiking regularly. Meeting people isn’t a challenge; it’s part of life.
And when we want to travel, we have easy access to a major airport that can take us almost anywhere in the world.
For me, that combination of convenience, community, and activity is a recipe for a longer, healthier life.
The country? Not for me.

Couldn't pay me a $million to live within an hour of Atlanta. I don't want to breathe exhaust for hours everyday just to get somewhere.

Flieger

 

[steady saver]

If the keys aren't in the car, I don't know where they are. Some of the really old homes don't even have locks on their doors. It took DW a while to adapt after living near Seattle where she locked the car doors inside the locked garage

That made me smile. When we bought our place in 2007, at our closing we asked for the keys and they laughed. No locks. We freaked out b/c we'd brought a van load of stuff to get our moving started (this was a weekend place at the time). We were operating on the same principal of locking our cars in a locked garage. Now when we leave home (this same rural property that we're currently living at/renovating for a permanent move), we lock the gate when we leave but the doors are usually unlocked. We do, however, lock the doors at night and if we are gone overnight.

 

[steady saver]

I’ve never quite understood the appeal of country living. When we moved to the Atlanta area, people kept telling me that five acres was the minimum—and that ten was even better. When I asked why, the answers were always the same: more distance from neighbors, more privacy, more space to do whatever you want.
Then we bought our first home—3,200 square feet. Eight years later, we moved again, this time into a 4,400-square-foot house on what some would call “just” half an acre.
What makes it work is that we’re still in a major city. It’s quiet, but everything we need is close by: supermarkets, restaurants, auto shops, and several excellent hospitals and doctors—which matters more and more over time. Emergency services are fast and reliable. Parking is easy.
Our days are full. We see friends almost daily—playing bridge three or four times a week, going to the gym, playing tennis, taking walks around the neighborhood and the lake, and hiking regularly. Meeting people isn’t a challenge; it’s part of life.
And when we want to travel, we have easy access to a major airport that can take us almost anywhere in the world.
For me, that combination of convenience, community, and activity is a recipe for a longer, healthier life.
The country? Not for me.

I think the consensus is that some folks are more suited to one or the other. It is really hard, though, for some of us to make that determination for ourselves and we're all at different stages of life with different needs as well. I absolutely LOVE living in the country, mostly for the lack of traffic, the natural beauty, the sense of calm and peace. That said, there are just trade offs. I laugh when I see the sparse Nextdoor postings here in the country about a cow on the road while the Nextdoor postings in the city I also still live in are more often about a shooting. That said, there are just different dangers. In the city there are more shootings, robberies, assaults and car accidents. In the country, there are copperheads and coral snakes (both of which I've encountered in the past couple of weeks) and an occasional bobcat and mountain lion. In our city home we still have, we are 5 minutes from world class, top medical facilities. Out here in the country, we're a half hour away from a hospital I haven't heard good things about. So yes, huge trade offs both ways.
We are in the process of a major renovation to move out here. A recent medical diagnosis for DH in January is letting us know that our time here will be limited. So we intend to enjoy it while we can and then look elsewhere. Will we go back to our home city? I don't know. I still need less traffic, less congestion and more natural beauty. But I will need more community and connection and living rurally as a transplant won't cut it.

 

[old medic]

Years ago at the old house, we were out of town and got a call from an out of state friend that was around and wanting to visit... Told them we were about an hour away but I could give them the combination to get in.... He was surprised when I said grab the knob, turn left and pull......

 

[Retired Expat]

we are relatively rural but as the lake we are on is the reservoir there is town water. There just inset a whole lot of pressure and in summer the population explodes and the supply and pressure drops. We installed a 1100 liter tank with our own pressure pump. Even if town water slows way down it refills the tank and we have good on demand supply.

Know lots of people on wells that don’t have enough capacity who added a storage tank as well.

 

[Gallaher]

we are relatively rural but as the lake we are on is the reservoir there is town water. There just inset a whole lot of pressure and in summer the population explodes and the supply and pressure drops. We installed a 1100 liter tank with our own pressure pump. Even if town water slows way down it refills the tank and we have good on demand supply.

Know lots of people on wells that don’t have enough capacity who added a storage tank as well.

I’ve owned six small acreage homes. All on wells, installed or retrofitted four with water storage tanks.
My current home has a high producing shallow well and I still added a 250 gallon storage tank. If power goes out I still have water.

 

[Music Lover]

I can't imagine going to a mall to take a walk.

If you live in a winter climate, walking in a mall is better than walking on icy sidewalks...especially for those who may be unsteady on their feet.

Plus there will be bathroom facilities and somewhere to stop for a bite or a coffee.

 

[Ronstar]

If you live in a winter climate, walking in a mall is better than walking on icy sidewalks...especially for those who may be unsteady on their feet.

Plus there will be bathroom facilities and somewhere to stop for a bite or a coffee.

I like winter hiking with ice spikes, heated gloves and socks. Winter conditions are no problem. And I always stop for a treat on my drive home. I’d rather be out in nature. But I understand how some folks prefer walking indoors in winter. I walk on my treadmill in front of the tv a lot in winter.

 

[street]

I like winter hiking with ice spikes, heated gloves and socks. Winter conditions are no problem. And I always stop for a treat on my drive home. I’d rather be out in nature. But I understand how some folks prefer walking indoors in winter. I walk on my treadmill in front of the tv a lot in winter.

I'm the same way. Winter walk/hikes and a beautiful time of the year. Everything looks different and the briskness and bright sky in nature you can't beat it.

 

[kfsinc]

I was reading on a Neighborhood App in upstate western SC (near the NC border) that people are having issues with their "shallow" wells due to the drought and water table. Luckily we are 'city" water, but septic so $15/mo bills.

Good luck with the fix Old Medic!

Flieger

Is your ‘city’ water is coming from Keowee?

It’s good to have that big lake in the backyard ;-). It’s down, but only a few feet.

 

[Flieger]

Is your ‘city’ water is coming from Keowee?

It’s good to have that big lake in the backyard ;-). It’s down, but only a few feet.

Primarily Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs. Keowee is supplemental.

Flieger

 

[old medic]

Primarily Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs. Keowee is supplemental.

Flieger

Love riding thru the watershed...