Country VS City

[Over Easy in Adna]

My daughters grade school ( K- 5) has less students than my graduating class.

I love the country!

 

[Whispering Winds]

I live in a little bitty one horse town, called Pleasant Mound, and there are about 20 houses, give or take a few, we have an annual picnic to support the cemetary upkeep, and we live at the east end of "surburbia" as I say. We have neighbors, but we are at least 200 feet from one and he is on the curve in the road, so he isn't even close to us and the other one is divided by a massive locust tree line, so we feel pretty secluded most days. There are three churches, one across from us and the parsonage, but a young couple live there (not the minister) and they both work odd shifts so we never see them . . .but we have learned if you are going to town, make a list. We are 6 miles from two towns, 18 from the nearest WM

so we learned the hard way to make a list to keep from having to run back to pick up what we forgot. I love it here, its wonderful area to raise kids and we did get city water when our wells all tested positive for bacteria, but we still get to use them for outside chores . . .so it has its pros for sure. I don't think I could live in a big city, I am a realtor and I hear horror stories at least once a month about crappy neighbors right in their back yard . . .but its all in how you are raised a lot of the time. . .I can understand how a city person would find it extremely difficult to move to the country . . .

 

[Birdgirl]

Quote:
CW thats sounds so pretty and nice I dont think anyone could have said it any better!!!! well said.

 

[NRacine]

I hate the city. I don't like strangers and weirdos and people trying to give me flyers. I don't like traffic jams and construction. I don't like houses packed in like sardines and people letting their dogs poop on the sidewalk.

I live about 20 miles outside Madison WI (which is a pretty small city). I go there for work during the day, so I can pick up groceries on the way home. I can get to the mall in about 15 minutes. I live between 2 dairy farms with 6 other houses. Everyone is nice, but minds their own business. So I live in the middle of nowhere, but can be in the city quickly.

I agree, there's nothing to do, nothing to see, and you can't just run to the store for garlic. So you have to plan ahead or do without. But it's quiet and relaxing, and I spend most of my time with my hubby. Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

All I have to say is the country rules

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Okay, I'm weird. This thread gave me a chuckle. Somebody complained about everything being too far to walk. WALK?!? No thank you. I'll ride. I've got my pick between half a dozen gorgeous quarter horses and plenty of pastures (albeit weedy ones) to ride through PLUS miles of forestry land (although I have been known to walk the 300+ yards to the hen house in the altogether because I couldn't remember if I locked up the coop and was too lazy to look for my jeans.) Some days I ride the 5 miles to town rather than fire up the truck.

Nobody to talk to?!? What about all the hens, cows, horses, dogs, cats, wild birds, the deer down by the creek? I have MUCH better conversations with them than I EVER had with any ol' neighbor!

Look out any window from my house and all you can see is pasture or trees. I consider that mere breathing room and have never understood how people survive in town.

No restaurants or cafes? THE worst case of food poisoning I almost didn't survive came from "eating out". I have never gotten sick from my own cooking and I'll bet most people can make that same claim. Besides, my stuff tastes better than "boughten"!

Just please everyone do me and the folks LIKE me a REALLY big favor: If you like all those things, then stay in town and enjoy all those amenities! Don't move out to the boonies and then start changing all the rules to make it more like where you came from. If you do come out here, then please LIVE RURAL. Don't live some PRETEND version of rural that is really just like you lived in the city but on more ground.

(and please don't shoot me for speaking my piece.)

Rusty

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Hmmm... careful now, Rusty, someone might think you are being elitist or condemning our city friends.

Remember we are preaching to the choir here, as a rule. Birds of a feather, so to speak.

But this is called BACKYARD CHICKENS, after all, not "COUNTRY PEOPLE with CHICKENS."

The OP has a dilemma, of sorts, and is at a crossroads. He or she has tried the pastoral life and has found it lacking in some respects; not all it was cracked up to be, if you will. Talking to animals and watching trees grow doesn't really do it for them. Remember they've given it a three year run.

So now they have come for a bit of support, feeling like they've maybe missed something, been mislead or perhaps worst of all, there is something wrong with them for not fully "getting it."
Which is fine - this person is one of us. They need some coaching and for us to tell them it's okay to feel what they feel.

We don't need to tell them, or others like them, to get back on their side of the divisive line between "country" and city folks - where they belong.

Of course, I know you didn't mean it that way...

 

[gritsar]

I've lived in big cities - Miami, FL, medium cities - Asheville, Rocky Mount, and Wilson, NC and small towns. This town has 171 people (probably not accurate as several of the old-timers have passed recently).
Don't miss the city at all. If we lived closer to one instead of hours away I'd just spend money on stuff I really don't need anyhow. I put less than 5,000 miles on my jeep in a year and spend maybe $25 a month in gas. Necessities like milk, bread and TT paper can be bought at the convenience store if we run out between trips to town.
The peace and unhurried pace of this farm has done more for my wellbeing and mental health than all the medications in the world could do. Neighbors visit often enough to be a nice diversion, but not so often that it becomes an annoyance.
The only hassle with living in such a rural area is that all but one of my doctors are two and a half hours away, but even that's okay. The trips to see them are thru some beautiful country.

 

[Ol'FashionHen]

gritsar wrote:

The only hassle with living in such a rural area is that all but one of my doctors are two and a half hours away, but even that's okay. The trips to see them are thru some beautiful country.

My DH and I enjoy riding too....sometimes we will do just that ride around.​

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

someone might think you are being elitist or condemning our city friends.

Condemning? Heck no! I'm saying that if you enjoy city life then go on and ENJOY it! What's wrong with enjoying city life and all the amenities that brings? Enjoy it proudly!

What I AM saying is that it is not fair to move to the country and then expect to find things the same as they were in the city. Cities NEED rules because they have so many people living in close proximity to one another. Rules do make the process easier. But out here we don't need those rules because we have SPACE.

We really don't need rules about how high our fences must be and what they have to be made from. We don't need rules about whether or not we keep roosters or pigs or stallions. Keeping these animals is part of the reasons we moved out here. Nor do we need rules about how early in the day we can start mowing or milking or cleaning stalls.

If crowing roosters and screaming stallions bother a city transplant, is it really fair to the rest of us out here to try to change the rules to outlaw these things when they are a part of how we enjoy our country living? Yet that is EXACTLY what is happening in lots of places. If a person enjoys all the things that living in a city brings to them--and there are lots and lots--isn't it better to accept the few shortcomings rather than moving out here and then trying to change the rules for everybody else just to make out here more like back there was? THAT's all I am saying.