# THE COUNTRY LIFE



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Excuse my rant but I'm ready to move back to the country . I know the country life has it's problems, deer eat you garden, no city services, your have to do your own road repair and your have to drive a longer distance to get to the market.
Maybe It's because spring is around the corner or those wonderful tree lined green hills I see off in a close by hills. I know lots of folks would love the small town atmosphere in a town like mine and many have said they would love having my shop, but I'm so ready for the country life again. If any of you know someone that wants a little house in the very mild climate of southern Oregon let me know. I might even include my major tools in my woodworking shop. I think it's price should be in the $ 165,000 range.
On the other hand if my fellow Oregon LJers know of some small Oregon acreage please send me a PM.
It would have to be in the low end of the price range under $130,000 . A fixer upper or just land would work as long as it's a private setting away from highways ,factories, and any potential noise makers.
Please forgive the ramblings.

http://lumberjocks.com/a1Jim/workshop


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## Padre (Nov 5, 2008)

Jim, I know what you mean. I live on a 1 acre plot, big for a city, but long for the country life, again. I had it once…...9 acres, two barns, 1855 farm house, tractor with all the attachments, etc. I would like that again some day.


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## jussdandy (Aug 14, 2009)

Jim, if it happens, Welcome to my world, I could never live in town again
Good Luck


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

sounds like a plan to me .

do you really think you are ready to take a nap when you feel like it ,
or go fishing at dawn ,
or sit out under the stars and marvel at the universe ,
or drink your morning coffee out on the deck and watch nature wake up with you ,
or do a half days work , and know it's good enough ,
and help the wife grow her own vegetables ,
and enjoy her happiness when she cooks them ?

can you do all of this ,
and less ?

or do you need a golf course in the back yard ,
and tasseled shoes ?

i got an old lamp on the front porch ,
you can have ,
i used it to find my way to my place 10 years ago ,
it still works , 
just have to rub it once in a while


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## MtnMystic (Feb 2, 2010)

Jim,
We have about 5 acres but find even at 9,400 ft elevation near the Continental Divide where we are, the only quiet comes in a blizzard with sub-zero temperatures and 90 mph winds. The city people take over our area with their ATV's. dirt bikes, snowmobiles and other assorted 4 wheel drive vehicles weekdays and weekends. They believe everything is National Forest and fair game to tear through and tear up as you play making roads and trails where they have never been. They shoot up the trees near us for hours. They are blind to no trespassing signs. Imagine how they would scream if we did that or camped in their backyard.

Hope you can actually find a quiet spot but don't believe it if someone tells you its quiet. Park your car on weekends and during the week in the area near the property you want to buy and see if it is really true. Those quiet spots in rural areas are much harder to find these days.

Your price would be a steal in the Colorado Rockies. Here you might get a falling down 500 sq ft cabin on an acre or less and no septic or well for $130,000. Oregon properties must be a bargain.


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

I cannot blame you for feeling that way - I feel that way myself!


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## rowdy (Dec 22, 2008)

Jim, I am totally sympathetic with your desire to live in the country. Trouble is that "civilization" ultimately will find you, sad to say. Twenty years ago my wife and I bought property out in the "country" and built a house. It was a delightful setting for many years, with wildlife, birds, stars, trees, quiet, and peace. Now that has changed and there was nothing we could do about it. Currently we enjoy a dog racing track nearby, a neighbor with an obnoxious dog that will not stay off our property, housing developments springing up all around us, the threat of a casino in the neighborhood, a suddenly wealthy couple adjacent to us who seem to get their kicks from playing very loud church type bells in the steeple they built, annexation threats from an overly aggressive small town nearby, and the list goes on. So if you find a country property, make sure it is a long, long way from "civilization", otherwise you may be right back where you started before you can turn on a router.


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## mikethetermite (Jun 16, 2009)

Jim, I know what you mean too. I still live where I've always lived, just no longer country. 60 years ago our road was a small gravel road with grass growing down the middle. Now it's a wide black top that connects to a state hiway.The 300 acre farm across the road is now housing. The 1700 acre farm down the road has a shopping center 1200 homes, and a golf course. Down the road the other way is a large strip mall. The up side is we now have Lowes hardware 2 miles from home. I still have 10 acres left of our farm. But for you I would sell the cottage, the 40×60 barn and 2 acres. The bad news is you would have to live in Indiana.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I use to live on 13 acres in a park like setting 10 years ago. I know there can be noise in the country also.
Hey Rob you never know , right now I still plan on working in my construction business if I stay in Oregon.
But thanks for the kind thought.
David keep a light on for me LOL But I don't about the golf course I shoot about a 67 and that's on one hole.
And for the others that want it also I hope we can all get what we want.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Mike That sounds great except the Indiana part. I grew up in Illinois and remember those winters. The
Thing about southern Oregon is it rarely snows and if it does it's once or twice a year an is usually under an inch and the temperature hardly ever gets below 32 degrees .
You never know I might be knocking on your door if something in Oregon doesn't pop.


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## gbvinc (Aug 6, 2007)

I know what you mean. Did that 3 years ago myself. Didn't quite get far enough from a highway, but love it just the same. Now if I want to visit with a neighbor, I have to walk a bit, instead of just taking two steps to the right or left.

Nothing like a little elbow room!


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

*Jim*, I have a beautiful forested 1.78-acre lot for sale on the Little Deschutes river about 30 miles south of Bend Oregon. It is located a couple of miles from the junction of highways 97 and 31.

.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Gosh, Jim… I'd like to take the step down from big city to small town. If my wife and I could bring our jobs with us, I might be willing to go for a change of scenery.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

It might make for a long commute Charlie and how about all that great food in the big easy.


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## Uncle_Salty (Dec 26, 2009)

I live on about 6 acres in the city limits on the back side of a hill facing the Kansas River. When I say "in the city limits," you have to understand that there are about 750 souls in my hometown, and it is about 10 square miles of city limits! So far, so rural, so good!

The deer aren't that bad! You just have to plant stuff around the garden that they don't like!

BTW… Abbott: I used to live in Sisters not far from Squaw Creek back in the mid 70's. Last time I was in eastern Oregon, I didn't recognize it! My other little home town done got all civilized!

Rowdy: Kechi is getting closer and closer to Wichita! Is the dog track still open? I thought they were closed down!


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

*BTW… Abbott: I used to live in Sisters not far from Squaw Creek back in the mid 70's. Last time I was in eastern Oregon, I didn't recognize it! My other little home town done got all civilized!*

Yeah, Sisters is pretty fancy these days. It sure is a beautiful place!


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

I tell my wife that one day we are going to live so far down a dirt road that you can't even pick up satellite TV. She says that's fine as long as we cqn get to a big box department store and a hospital. I may have to compromise.


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## jack1 (May 17, 2007)

BTW, that looks like a great place! Jim, you best grab it.
I live in CA but hell, you'd never know it when you are at my place. Pop. 400+ more horses than people.. Pretty quiet except for a neighbor that has roosters… There are them sounds in the country. 
As far as you guys in Colo. or living near Nat'l forests, that's what they make fences and shotguns for… ;0)


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Sounds like a great place Jack


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## woodnewbee (Nov 23, 2009)

spent my life on a farm and moved to 1100 pop town bout ten years ago and am ready for the country again. Bout insane here but job may make country living a bit difficult but willing to change occupation like I have several other times.
My youngest asked a few years ago how far out I wanted to live…. I told him far enough that I can pee in the front yard and only mom gets mad.
Feelin for ya


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

You can run, but you can't hide!!


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## Tim29 (Oct 10, 2009)

Jim
I grew up half in the country. A town of 211 and we were on the south edge. I just knew I would like the city better so I moved there. Not to say I hate it, but it is nice to not call the Fire Dept when you want to burn your brushpile, or not live next to the party neighbors, etc. I feel for your pain. I want to go back to.
Maybe someday…


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I grew up on a farm and went to school in a town of 500. I was watching the Seahawks one Sunday when Zorn and Largent played exciting football. They said there were over 70,000 in the Kingdome that day. 70,000 in the Kingdome!! That is twice the population of Boise when I left home. I never went there, one could get lost and never find their way out!!

Now, it's all changed. The squatters moved in from California to buy up the subdivided farms. The epitome of urban sprawl ;-( No more small family farms. Mega dairys milking around the clock have taken their place. Sorry, but what you want to go back to is gone…............ learn to dance in the rain )


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

I like Country life too. Right now my body is in town, my soul is forever longing to be in country (village).
Good luck with your plan Jim.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

There's still some in my area Bob It's just the price range that's tough for me.


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

Listen to the John Denver, song…wouldn't it be nice if our lives were as we imagined them
as opposed to how our lives really are.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

I think most folks who have lived on a farm for any time at all will always yearn for the quiet or at least natural sounds. I don't just don't understand why so many people need a lot of noise around them. It's probably a little better here, but we have the same problems.

Jim, I also love the idea of living more isolated, but I have resisted the temptation because I realize that that convenient shopping, quick access to medical services, etc. is more important as one gets older with less energy. I remember in Minnesota that retired farmers often moved to town for that reason. You might want to think what your needs will be 10-20 years down the road. Also, you never know what will happen in your area as some others mentioned above. Paradise can turn into hell pretty fast. You have probably already thought about all this, but I couldn't resist adding my 2 cents.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

I feel for you Jim. I use to spend my summers at my grandmothers. The town is still there, the main street is really not there anymore. When I was staying there the only grocery store had wooden floors and the butcher in the back owened the place. I think the main drag was about 1/2 mile long if that. My aunt still lives where my mother and sisters grew up on the farm. I would love to live there. But its to far from the hospital, and the store. You have to travel 45 miles to get food. I like living where i am now. It's is about 40 miles from KC.MO close enough for me to get to the hospital if needed. The neighbors that I have I wouldn't trade for anything. They are all older people. So we kinda take care of each other. If my wife was gone and needed to get anywhere all I have to do is make a call. some of them watch me and even try to get me out of the house sometimes, I couldn't ask for more..


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## lumberdustjohn (Sep 24, 2009)

Nice country setting on 5 acres.
Has a barn, pasture with fence, Great sunrises! on a quiet country road.

Wake up in the morning to a beautiful sunrise with only the sounds of clipity clop- clipity clop going down the road with little faces poking out of the windows and little arms waving for attention.

Or the sounds of song birds dancing in and out of the trees trying to get the best of what nature has to offer.

Sharing with bunnies and deer sneeking in at night to get a taste of what is in the garden under the Star light.

And do I need to mention this is next to a fellow lumberjock who will welcome you over for a fishing spot in his favorite puddle.

Oh yea, and we have beautiful seasons from the ever changing weather. Cold nights lead to warm blankets.
Hot days lead to a cool drink under the shade.

And your family and friends would be able to get a cheap vacation at your place. The house has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths.


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## rowdy (Dec 22, 2008)

Salty, the dog track did shut down a while back, but the big bucks behind it currently are pushing the legislature to create legislation that will make it possible for it to be reopened in one form or another.


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## Clarence (Nov 23, 2009)

I grew up on a 220-acre small family dairy farm (no hired help), in an area of Louisiana so remote there was only one other house a mile in any direction. I loved it. Later I lived in Memphis and Houston and smaller cities but I always knew I wanted back in the country. (My memory of Houston is gazing out of my Tenneco Building office window watching the cars headed north on Hwy. 59).

Now I have 10 acres at the end of a road, woods on either side and a 300-acre pasture to my rear, just outside a small/mid-size city. Lowe's is only three miles away. It's very nice, but still not rural enough. When I retire we probably will move to our 40 acres in a part of northern Louisiana that's really remote. There's NOBODY close by.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

Land is pretty cheap in this neck of the woods,

if you can stand -40 degrees once in awhile.<(;O}#


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I hear yah Jim…I would like to live out in the country too. My place here is about an acre…very nice area and nice lot for in the city, but I grew up in a small town and miss the quite. I often thought about moving to a farm or ranch once I retire. My girlfriend lives on an acreage in the country so I get my fix for now when I visit her about 70 miles from here.


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

We were hunting for acreage several years ago but everything was so far out and we would have to commute to downtown DC for our jobs, as we had to keep them to pay the mortgage. Unfortunately we never found anything that was perfect, but fortunately we didn't buy way out there, as now the people who bought a cheap lot and built their mega-mansions are commuting 1.5-2 hrs. each way or are victims of foreclosure.

So, here we sit on our 1/3 acre suburbia lot with a ranchstyle house that has a full basement where the wood workshop is. I "retired" 3 years ago to work from home and so my commute is now 20 ft. downstairs. Although climbing the stairs can be a bit tedeous for that second cup of coffee.


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## papabear (Mar 28, 2009)

I can dream…


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## russv (Sep 21, 2009)

why am i getting the urge to sing green acres?

my wife would not live that far from the mall or her job.

russv


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

Jim, I made the move 22 years ago, the land has been filling in around me but its still not city. I can never go back. 
I can stand in a freinds back yard, that lives in town, and talk to his neighbors five house away in any direction.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I only own 1.5 acres but I am surrounded by woods and my neighbors are well beyond hearing distance. I have my own well and septic system and I enjoy/put up with a lot of wildlife (deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, ground hogs, etc..) It is about 10 miles to the nearest gas station and grocery store and 15 miles to the nearest Lowes, HD or Menards. * I LOVE IT!!* I wouldn't live anywhere else. If I ever move out of this house it will be feet first.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey Gang
Thanks for all your great input.
I found ten acres near by with a beautiful setting but the house is terrible and the area around the house and out buildings are covered with junk and trash. Since I'm a contractor I can fix both. I made and offer . I'll see what happens.


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

Do not wait for things to happen, make 'em happen to meet your specs.
Looking forward to seeing the best outcomes.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Nearest McDonalds - 20 Miles
Nearest Grocery Store - 5 Miles
Nearest Neighbor - 1/4 Mile
Crickets, Frogs, Forests, Animals - Priceless

Good luck with your dreams & adventures


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

This is why peole have 2 places, best of all worlds ;-))


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## KnotWright (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim, keep us posted, perhaps you could host a Lumberjocks pre-House warming gathering and we could all come up and give you a hand with the clean up. Never know what you might find in those junk piles. Isn't some of DB Cooper's money still floating around out there?

I was going to suggest buying a large tract of land and starting a retreat center for woodworkers, we could all come vacation or semi retire to the awesome northwest.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey James
That would be great I'll give you plenty of notice so you can make the drive from Texas ). I also like the Idea of a woodworking retreat That's something I've thought about for a long time but unless a fellow LJer wants to donate $500K- 750K I don't think I can get enough from my returned cans and bottles to get it done. LOL


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## KnotWright (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim, I'll buy you a lotto ticket this weekend, keep your fingers crossed, somebody's gotta win right?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Wow
Best offer I've had all week James . Share 50/50?


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## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

Share 50/50? ...the price or the prize?.....ha ha ha!

James, Can I come over all the way from MY if you win?


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Alright, Jim is a great guy, so I'm sending him a million when I have some spare change.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Just an update 
My ten acres that I put an offer on didn't work out. I guess I'll have to take the city life like it or not.
I have a lot to be grateful for so I will focus on that.


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## rbterhune (Jul 31, 2009)

We've got a little over 7 acres waiting for us to build a nice house on…but dang it if the economy did't kill the equity in our current subdivision home. I grew up in the country and I can't get back there soon enough. Cities are fun to visit, not to live in.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I'm with you there rbterhune. I feel your pain!
Our house is free and clear we have prefect credit and our home is in top shape and after two appraisals and a far more income to qualify for the loan amount, plus filling out what seems like 500 forms the lenders won't give us a loan. 
Good by country for now.


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

Grr, I bet it is the self-employment issue that is stopping the paperwork.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

They didn't tell us that was the issue of being self employed and they had three years of tax returns plus tons of bank info proving our income. They really didn't give us a real answer why they would not fund a loan.


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

Damn, that's a shame *Jim.* Bank's are such PITAs sometimes.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

WE bailed them out, they took home bonuses and we still are taking it on the chin :-(( Wil the owner carry a contract?


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Aren't they talking about a colony on the moon? Talk about quiet and isolated!


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

If you make it, keep in mind that if you but land and put it together yourself it will cost about 1.5 times what you anticipate. Electricity dang near killed me putting my place together. I have 2.3 acres in a mountainous yet somewhat populated area in NW Oregon. I drive a Geo Metro (laugh all you want, everyone else does) to afford the gas to get around but it's still worth it. If you can, stay away from National forest lands or you will indeed forever be haunted by the non-stop motorcycles and atv's, who are doing what they love to do. I love the country setting, won't move til I'm going 6 feet under.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Take the easy way. We have 10 acres, no power or water. Just hook up the 5th wheel and go. People who live out there use generators and solar. Get tired of it, come home for a while ;-))


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## rep (Nov 20, 2009)

Grew up in a SC medium size city, but grandparents had farm in the country. When I was little, I really hated going to the farm. Nothing to do, only one fuzzy channel on the TV (when it worked). Always too hot or too cold. Strange smells and stuff.

Not too long ago I moved to Atlanta, GA for 8 years of racetrack and corporate rat race.

Moved back to SC and bought 54 acres with plans for a house in the middle where no-one can bother us. Can't wait to go there each weekend and some weekdays to just be in away from the city.

It took a while, but I figured out what I wanted, and finally made it happen.

Hope it works out for you eventually. Don't give up.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Jim has a big advantage. Riddle is hardly a city rat race is Jim?


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