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How/why/where did you decide to move if not job related?

DaveNV

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Dave, best of luck in your new location. Totally agree on getting out of the winter weather, that's our goal too!
Will you be changing your TUG name? :D

~Diane

Thanks! I'm looking forward to being in a drier, warmer climate. I was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas for awhile during my Navy years, so I know pretty much what to expect from the weather. We'll see how it plays out.

Funny you should ask. Yes, my Tug username will be changing. I was trying to think of something catchy and clever and "me." A good Tugger friend came up with a brilliant suggestion. Change the W (as in Northwest) to a V (as in Nevada.) And Shazam! DaveNW will soon be DaveNV. Subtle, but very effective. And I think it's a perfect change, and it fits. :D

Dave
 
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DaveNV

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@DaveNW I hope your gorgeous cat in the avatar adjusts to the move.

Thanks! I think Kai will be fine. He's very curious about all the packing and moving of furniture that's going on. We keep finding him sitting in the empty cardboard boxes. :)

So far, the dogs are aware that something is going on, and I'm spending as much "cuddle time" as I can with them, to keep them relaxed. Their biggest concern is all the strangers in and around the house these last few weeks. Workmen coming in to do repairs and painting and such, is a very different experience for them. They're doing well because I'm doing well - they take their cues from me. As long as I'm not upset, they're good.

Moving with two dogs and the cat will be an experience, for sure. I've done it before, but never with a Special Needs dog. (My black dog Kona is nearly blind, and has seizures when he gets outside of his comfort zone.) He'll require extra special handling during this trip. I've already scheduled a Vet appointment before we leave, to make sure everybody's shots are current, and their microchips are scanning correctly. I also want to get some "doggie downers" to help him make the trip more easily. No, they will NOT be for me. Allegedly. LOL! :D

Because I never do things half-way, I've rented a minivan to drive to Mesquite, so the dogs and cat can have more space than we have in our cars. I've purchased folding kennels for the dogs, that will sit beside the larger kennel we have for the cat. The animals are great friends, and I figure if they can all see and smell each other, and have their favorite blanket and toys, they'll ride safely next to each other, they'll help each other stay calm. (I expect seizures from Kona at first, but hopefully they'll stop after he settles down, especially if he's on a calmative medication.)

The good thing is there are no two-legged children to move. Nobody complains if the four-legged variety are on leashes. :)

Dave
 

Luanne

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I've been to Seattle (10 years ago) and agree that it is a beautiful city.
We were supposed to go in May, but cancelled the trip. We will get back again at some point. When my dds were in college in Olympia, WA and Vancouver, BC the three of us met there during their spring breaks one year. I also went up and met my older dd who was in Olympia, for a long weekend. Such good times.
 

Cornell

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Thanks! I think Kai will be fine. He's very curious about all the packing and moving of furniture that's going on. We keep finding him sitting in the empty cardboard boxes. :)

So far, the dogs are aware that something is going on, and I'm spending as much "cuddle time" as I can with them, to keep them relaxed. Their biggest concern is all the strangers in and around the house these last few weeks. Workmen coming in to do repairs and painting and such, is a very different experience for them. They're doing well because I'm doing well - they take their cues from me. As long as I'm not upset, they're good.

Moving with two dogs and the cat will be an experience, for sure. I've done it before, but never with a Special Needs dog. (My black dog Kona is nearly blind, and has seizures when he gets outside of his comfort zone.) He'll require extra special handling during this trip. I've already scheduled a Vet appointment before we leave, to make sure everybody's shots are current, and their microchips are scanning correctly. I also want to get some "doggie downers" to help him make the trip more easily. No, they will NOT be for me. Allegedly. LOL! :D

Because I never do things half-way, I've rented a minivan to drive to Mesquite, so the dogs and cat can have more space than we have in our cars. I've purchased folding kennels for the dogs, that will sit beside the larger kennel we have for the cat. The animals are great friends, and I figure if they can all see and smell each other, and have their favorite blanket and toys, they'll ride safely next to each other, they'll help each other stay calm. (I expect seizures from Kona at first, but hopefully they'll stop after he settles down, especially if he's on a calmative medication.)

The good thing is there are no two-legged children to move. Nobody complains if the four-legged variety are on leashes. :)

Dave
The things we do for our pets. You are a good pet owner, that's for sure. Love that you have rented a minivan for them. Good plan. My dog, too, is nearly blind -- I'm sure it will take Kona a while to get acclimated to your new home and furniture placement.

Last time I moved I thought "Oh my dog is going to be just fine because 'his people' will be with him". WRONG. Massively traumatized. Took about a week before he calmed down. The breakthrough moment was when the TV installer arrived. I could tell my little guy was curious (he likes men) and he tentatively approached the installer. The installer loved him up and that was it -- my dog from that moment on just snapped back to his old self.
 

hjtug

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Before retirement I worked in Maryland and lived in Northern Virginia. After retirement lived on a lake in Virginia for almost 20 Years. Explored some over 55 communities to the south over the years. Ended up moving to such a community in Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg. Decided not to move south partially because of concern about climate change. So far we like it here and note that our weather has been a bit more pleasant, including calmer, than in Virginia. Also, since our income is mostly pension and retirement accounts, our taxes are a bit lower here.
 

Icc5

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We last moved 12 years ago to a house on our same street but a different city. We went from a 3 bedroom two bath with a pool to a 4 bedroom,2.5 bath with no pool. After we moved in I retired and we added on. The first house was 2100sqft and the second house was 2400 sqft and then 800sqft more. We call it a game room but my wife uses it for her crafts (gourd sculpturing), we have a full size pool table, a bar that came from a closed bar and 2 round spool tables when we need more room for parties,etc. This was the same house my wife grew up in. When her father passed we purchased it from the family trust (he also owned two other houses that were much smaller and my wife's two brothers bought those from the trust. We all bought the houses because the county allowed us to keep them under prop 13 and saves us a fortune. We pay about $1,900 in property and are next door neighbor pays $17,000 on there 2400sqft house.
We were told by our lawyer that our case was going to be the last group of houses to pass under prop 13. Individual houses would still qualify but not groups of houses.
 

Passepartout

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In case anyone is curious/following @DaveNV's moving adventure, He's in Mesquite, the truck/trailer are unloaded. His spouse is staying at the new digs and settling in with the pets. He and his nephew/truck driver will turn in the rental vehicles today and fly back to Washington. Dave plans to supervise some readying of his house there to go on the market soon. Then he'll load up the last of their belongings and make a last and hopefully final driving trip back to Mesquite.
The adventure continues, but Dave's hoping to settle into retirement and a vacation in Hawaii soon.

Jim
 

Cornell

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Today I spent the day w/my gentleman friend looking for moving-to and/or 2nd home ideas ....both for me (full time home -- I would relocate) and for him (2nd home).
He lives right in downtown Chicago and has a 13 year old daughter. Things have been very challenging raising a kid in the city during these times. It's making him lose his mind and his daughter is so restricted in what she can, cannot do.

We went to look at some homes in NW IN. Really fun to think about and certainly gets the gears moving in the brain.

I had a few hours where I convinced myself that I'd enjoy living in less populated / somewhat wooded area. I snapped back to reality that I would go crazy dealing w/snow removal, critters, etc.

Nonetheless C19 is making both of us re-evaluate a lot in our lives.
 

WinniWoman

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In case anyone is curious/following @DaveNV's moving adventure, He's in Mesquite, the truck/trailer are unloaded. His spouse is staying at the new digs and settling in with the pets. He and his nephew/truck driver will turn in the rental vehicles today and fly back to Washington. Dave plans to supervise some readying of his house there to go on the market soon. Then he'll load up the last of their belongings and make a last and hopefully final driving trip back to Mesquite.
The adventure continues, but Dave's hoping to settle into retirement and a vacation in Hawaii soon.

Jim

I am truly so excited for him!
 

geekette

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Today I spent the day w/my gentleman friend looking for moving-to and/or 2nd home ideas ....both for me (full time home -- I would relocate) and for him (2nd home).
He lives right in downtown Chicago and has a 13 year old daughter. Things have been very challenging raising a kid in the city during these times. It's making him lose his mind and his daughter is so restricted in what she can, cannot do.

We went to look at some homes in NW IN. Really fun to think about and certainly gets the gears moving in the brain.

I had a few hours where I convinced myself that I'd enjoy living in less populated / somewhat wooded area. I snapped back to reality that I would go crazy dealing w/snow removal, critters, etc.

Nonetheless C19 is making both of us re-evaluate a lot in our lives.
Well, hot damn! This is news!

I agree, this darned pandemic has many of us re-evaluating the plans we thought we had for the future. I can't imagine being a teen in a big city, stuck behind a window looking out.

As far as critters, that's going to depend on how far from civilization you are, and what you do to deter them. I have been trying to convince raccoons that my place is not good for them. Sometimes, a battle is won, only to be played out again later.... I let the deer do what deer do, I know what they will eat and am ok with it.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will know the right situation when you see it. IL and IN are very similar in many ways, so no big culture shock to consider. Urban vs Rural is adjustment regardless.
 

geekette

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I am back from a long "vacation" in the wilderness. I didn't mean to stay 2 weeks, but, I could, so I did. House still standing so I didn't miss anything eventful here... except what looks like a lot of rain.

I can even more see myself living there. NC is beautiful, which I knew, but it will be a long while to get my fill, if ever I do.

She has been selling timber so some clearing is occurring, which brings refinement of plans for what goes where. The space for my idea of Sunrise Coffee Bar has been defined and my sketches continue to refine the build plan. She has a high point from which 2 directions show mountains now, with the thinning, and that is probably where her house will eventually go. I asked that I get a view, out the front or back, I don't care, just a mountain view. She likes the kit cabin idea, and maybe a cabin culdesac that would be great for family reunions. She is a teacher, has taught around the world, and will be putting up a classroom that will be a multi-purpose space with a library. That will be near the coffee bar, which seems perfect. Get your coffee, sit and enjoy the outdoors a bit, then get to learning!

We did some touristy things, getting around to various parks, etc., and visited a bamboo expert to learn a bit and figure out where to start a stand of them to harvest. Built a mound garden, enjoyed some fresh veggies ready for harvest, time and again visited the nearby Amish family for sawdust from the mill, some fresh veggies we don't have, and their super yummy baked goods.

It's weird to wake up completely indoors and use actual plumbing (composting toilets are not a problem for me - they make toilet seats that snap right on to a bucket and sawdust covers leavings so it's not like a rank portalet - it is only a bit weird to make the middle of the night trip to the deck outside). I won't be putting on snake gaiters to go up the hill or down to the stream today. I will miss that.

We made great progress on channelling a spring to create better than existing waterfalls and eventual swimming hole. When I was a kid, "don't throw rocks" was a thing, so I never did it. But I did indeed partake in the naughty fulfillment of throwing rocks into muck spaces. Boulder Rolling was a highlight, quite fun to watch them bounce and bound down a hill and land with a thwawk into muck below. It was great fun to remove foliage, etc., and begin to have more sounds of water. I only brought home 2 quartz rocks, so managed to contain my joy of pretty rocks. I look forward to continuing to refine "The Spring Walk", a space that will at some point contain a teepee in the valley, we cleared a great space for it. There were what I would call ruins of a rock wall, half of a rectangle, that I think we can get water into for "a pool" that would be nice to have on those hot days. It will take time and effort, but we seem to have 2 to choose from, one that already seems to collect a spring. The natural springs are going to be darned handy!

Chores back at home are somehow a big fat drag compared to hard labor outdoors...

I am lucky that we get along so well, and that she appreciates a lot of my whacky ideas. Sunrise Coffee Bar is one that she Really Likes, especially as I added the Meditation Garden plan as the adjoining feature (she likes yoga, says she would like it even more among fragrant beautiful flowers). There are apparently 4 of us planning to live there, so, the community has a start of people. Not sure how long until any of us actually do it, I'm aiming for spring.

Telling my family will wait, they will not understand and not be supportive, I will get snarky criticism from sibs. Just because they couldn't conceive of it for themselves does not make it a terrible idea for me, and I am not yet up for their pooping all over it. I would not expect my sister to ever visit me there, and I'm ok with that. I feel at home there. I very much want to help build the place out and attract guests. There are a lot of parts of her plans that she was hoping to outsource to others and many of those assignments are right up my alley, so, we complement each other nicely. I have more ideas, she has more of the plan and build knowledge. She has little patience for gardening, while I took lots of vegetables and flowers and continued the beautification.

It would be great if I could get my mother to move south with me. I would be within 2 hours of her only brother, so she could live near them and my travel time to her would be less than it is now. That's just a dream, I don't have any belief that she would move, but, you never know. I plan to word carefully, to include "get rid of the overwhelming homesite and expenses I have now" as that parallels her situation.

Travel-wise, much more traffic than I expected. Depending on where and when, masking was hit and miss, although many businesses did post mask required to enter. It didn't seem to be enforced but I did my part. From the touristy areas we visited, it looks like people are very much wanting to "get out there". It is not clear that small town down town is going to be much open for a while, but, it depends on which downtown, and what the biz is. Few dine inside options, but plenty of outdoor seating in the shade has been created.
 

Cornell

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Well, hot damn! This is news!

I agree, this darned pandemic has many of us re-evaluating the plans we thought we had for the future. I can't imagine being a teen in a big city, stuck behind a window looking out.

As far as critters, that's going to depend on how far from civilization you are, and what you do to deter them. I have been trying to convince raccoons that my place is not good for them. Sometimes, a battle is won, only to be played out again later.... I let the deer do what deer do, I know what they will eat and am ok with it.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will know the right situation when you see it. IL and IN are very similar in many ways, so no big culture shock to consider. Urban vs Rural is adjustment regardless.
So.....yesterday on our drive out of NW IN we were on a 4 lane highway and we saw a big turtle crossing the road. It's a turtle: it goes slow and the road is big. It seemed inevitable that a car would hit it. My friend pulled over to alert cars and to get this big old turtle to safety. He reached out to grab the turtle and the thing went crazy -- it was a snapping turtle. It was like a scene from City Slickers. Fortunately a more capable person pulled over and lent a hand getting the turtle to safe spot with a stick. I'm sure we were the butt of this guys jokes all night.

Nonetheless, it reminded me that suburban life is probably better suited for me.
 

Luanne

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So.....yesterday on our drive out of NW IN we were on a 4 lane highway and we saw a big turtle crossing the road. It's a turtle: it goes slow and the road is big. It seemed inevitable that a car would hit it. My friend pulled over to alert cars and to get this big old turtle to safety. He reached out to grab the turtle and the thing went crazy -- it was a snapping turtle. It was like a scene from City Slickers. Fortunately a more capable person pulled over and lent a hand getting the turtle to safe spot with a stick. I'm sure we were the butt of this guys jokes all night.

Nonetheless, it reminded me that suburban life is probably better suited for me.
I don't know if you'd consider Santa Fe "urban" or a "city" but we have everything from squirrels and rabbits to deer and bear.

I've lived in many suburban communities and there are always critters of some type. Snakes, deer, gophers, etc., etc.
 

WinniWoman

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So.....yesterday on our drive out of NW IN we were on a 4 lane highway and we saw a big turtle crossing the road. It's a turtle: it goes slow and the road is big. It seemed inevitable that a car would hit it. My friend pulled over to alert cars and to get this big old turtle to safety. He reached out to grab the turtle and the thing went crazy -- it was a snapping turtle. It was like a scene from City Slickers. Fortunately a more capable person pulled over and lent a hand getting the turtle to safe spot with a stick. I'm sure we were the butt of this guys jokes all night.

Nonetheless, it reminded me that suburban life is probably better suited for me.


I have been through that! LOL! But I did save quite a number of turtles over the years.
 

WinniWoman

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I am back from a long "vacation" in the wilderness. I didn't mean to stay 2 weeks, but, I could, so I did. House still standing so I didn't miss anything eventful here... except what looks like a lot of rain.

I can even more see myself living there. NC is beautiful, which I knew, but it will be a long while to get my fill, if ever I do.

She has been selling timber so some clearing is occurring, which brings refinement of plans for what goes where. The space for my idea of Sunrise Coffee Bar has been defined and my sketches continue to refine the build plan. She has a high point from which 2 directions show mountains now, with the thinning, and that is probably where her house will eventually go. I asked that I get a view, out the front or back, I don't care, just a mountain view. She likes the kit cabin idea, and maybe a cabin culdesac that would be great for family reunions. She is a teacher, has taught around the world, and will be putting up a classroom that will be a multi-purpose space with a library. That will be near the coffee bar, which seems perfect. Get your coffee, sit and enjoy the outdoors a bit, then get to learning!

We did some touristy things, getting around to various parks, etc., and visited a bamboo expert to learn a bit and figure out where to start a stand of them to harvest. Built a mound garden, enjoyed some fresh veggies ready for harvest, time and again visited the nearby Amish family for sawdust from the mill, some fresh veggies we don't have, and their super yummy baked goods.

It's weird to wake up completely indoors and use actual plumbing (composting toilets are not a problem for me - they make toilet seats that snap right on to a bucket and sawdust covers leavings so it's not like a rank portalet - it is only a bit weird to make the middle of the night trip to the deck outside). I won't be putting on snake gaiters to go up the hill or down to the stream today. I will miss that.

We made great progress on channelling a spring to create better than existing waterfalls and eventual swimming hole. When I was a kid, "don't throw rocks" was a thing, so I never did it. But I did indeed partake in the naughty fulfillment of throwing rocks into muck spaces. Boulder Rolling was a highlight, quite fun to watch them bounce and bound down a hill and land with a thwawk into muck below. It was great fun to remove foliage, etc., and begin to have more sounds of water. I only brought home 2 quartz rocks, so managed to contain my joy of pretty rocks. I look forward to continuing to refine "The Spring Walk", a space that will at some point contain a teepee in the valley, we cleared a great space for it. There were what I would call ruins of a rock wall, half of a rectangle, that I think we can get water into for "a pool" that would be nice to have on those hot days. It will take time and effort, but we seem to have 2 to choose from, one that already seems to collect a spring. The natural springs are going to be darned handy!

Chores back at home are somehow a big fat drag compared to hard labor outdoors...

I am lucky that we get along so well, and that she appreciates a lot of my whacky ideas. Sunrise Coffee Bar is one that she Really Likes, especially as I added the Meditation Garden plan as the adjoining feature (she likes yoga, says she would like it even more among fragrant beautiful flowers). There are apparently 4 of us planning to live there, so, the community has a start of people. Not sure how long until any of us actually do it, I'm aiming for spring.

Telling my family will wait, they will not understand and not be supportive, I will get snarky criticism from sibs. Just because they couldn't conceive of it for themselves does not make it a terrible idea for me, and I am not yet up for their pooping all over it. I would not expect my sister to ever visit me there, and I'm ok with that. I feel at home there. I very much want to help build the place out and attract guests. There are a lot of parts of her plans that she was hoping to outsource to others and many of those assignments are right up my alley, so, we complement each other nicely. I have more ideas, she has more of the plan and build knowledge. She has little patience for gardening, while I took lots of vegetables and flowers and continued the beautification.

It would be great if I could get my mother to move south with me. I would be within 2 hours of her only brother, so she could live near them and my travel time to her would be less than it is now. That's just a dream, I don't have any belief that she would move, but, you never know. I plan to word carefully, to include "get rid of the overwhelming homesite and expenses I have now" as that parallels her situation.

Travel-wise, much more traffic than I expected. Depending on where and when, masking was hit and miss, although many businesses did post mask required to enter. It didn't seem to be enforced but I did my part. From the touristy areas we visited, it looks like people are very much wanting to "get out there". It is not clear that small town down town is going to be much open for a while, but, it depends on which downtown, and what the biz is. Few dine inside options, but plenty of outdoor seating in the shade has been created.

Well, geekette, it looks like you have made your decision! From what you have described here this seems to be your passion. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks as long as you believe it is right for you. If you don’t do this you might regret it later. Having a well thought out plan is key and you have done a lot of that work already.

How are the winters there?
 

geist1223

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We live close to the Center of Salem, Oregon. Just under 1 mile from Downtown. We get Racoons, Possums, Deer, etc.
 

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Well, geekette, it looks like you have made your decision! From what you have described here this seems to be your passion. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks as long as you believe it is right for you. If you don’t do this you might regret it later. Having a well thought out plan is key and you have done a lot of that work already.

How are the winters there?
It's not that I care what anyone thinks, it's just that I don't wish to subject myself to loud condescending thoughts laced with ridicule from my sibs. There is nothing I've stopped myself from doing just because they hated it. I'm used to it, just not in any hurry to hear it, and don't quite understand why they feel it is necessary to try to run things down and call me stupid. Decades later, they remain bully children. So, I tell them as little about my life as possible. Their loss. No visits from sister is a good thing in my book. She's an exhausting critic that is a pain to host anywhere. She wouldn't like it, I wouldn't offer.

Winters are more mild than I have here, I plan to sell or give away my snow shovel. I will want a wood burning stove, just depends on what size of cabin I build as to how big that should be. What I have here is massive, much too much for down there. I wouldn't move it, of course, just happy to have a reference point.

Layers, hat, gloves, really good footwear. I have more than I need! I don't expect to see ice storms and will probably be done with tornado warnings. If I miss seeing snow, well, I can book a timeshare in the middle of it!

The plan keeps taking shape, too. I can live fairly rough for a while but will want to add running water sooner vs later. Planning for well and septic is ongoing, some will depend on what we can do, then what we want to do, costs, etc. Part of making use of the natural springs will be to send water to parts of camp that might not be on well service.

It's a good mix of work hard, play hard. I could move at any time, I don't have to have regrets if I don't end up living there by spring. I do need to make sure that I really am done living where I am. There is no going back once I sell the joint. If I don't like living at camp, I can move anywhere, so, not worried about that end of things as that move would be even easier, and likely not necessary.
 

Brett

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I am back from a long "vacation" in the wilderness. I didn't mean to stay 2 weeks, but, I could, so I did. House still standing so I didn't miss anything eventful here... except what looks like a lot of rain.

I can even more see myself living there. NC is beautiful, which I knew, but it will be a long while to get my fill, if ever I do.

She has been selling timber so some clearing is occurring, which brings refinement of plans for what goes where. The space for my idea of Sunrise Coffee Bar has been defined and my sketches continue to refine the build plan. She has a high point from which 2 directions show mountains now, with the thinning, and that is probably where her house will eventually go. I asked that I get a view, out the front or back, I don't care, just a mountain view. She likes the kit cabin idea, and maybe a cabin culdesac that would be great for family reunions. She is a teacher, has taught around the world, and will be putting up a classroom that will be a multi-purpose space with a library. That will be near the coffee bar, which seems perfect. Get your coffee, sit and enjoy the outdoors a bit, then get to learning!

We did some touristy things, getting around to various parks, etc., and visited a bamboo expert to learn a bit and figure out where to start a stand of them to harvest. Built a mound garden, enjoyed some fresh veggies ready for harvest, time and again visited the nearby Amish family for sawdust from the mill, some fresh veggies we don't have, and their super yummy baked goods.

It's weird to wake up completely indoors and use actual plumbing (composting toilets are not a problem for me - they make toilet seats that snap right on to a bucket and sawdust covers leavings so it's not like a rank portalet - it is only a bit weird to make the middle of the night trip to the deck outside). I won't be putting on snake gaiters to go up the hill or down to the stream today. I will miss that.

We made great progress on channelling a spring to create better than existing waterfalls and eventual swimming hole. When I was a kid, "don't throw rocks" was a thing, so I never did it. But I did indeed partake in the naughty fulfillment of throwing rocks into muck spaces. Boulder Rolling was a highlight, quite fun to watch them bounce and bound down a hill and land with a thwawk into muck below. It was great fun to remove foliage, etc., and begin to have more sounds of water. I only brought home 2 quartz rocks, so managed to contain my joy of pretty rocks. I look forward to continuing to refine "The Spring Walk", a space that will at some point contain a teepee in the valley, we cleared a great space for it. There were what I would call ruins of a rock wall, half of a rectangle, that I think we can get water into for "a pool" that would be nice to have on those hot days. It will take time and effort, but we seem to have 2 to choose from, one that already seems to collect a spring. The natural springs are going to be darned handy!

Chores back at home are somehow a big fat drag compared to hard labor outdoors...

I am lucky that we get along so well, and that she appreciates a lot of my whacky ideas. Sunrise Coffee Bar is one that she Really Likes, especially as I added the Meditation Garden plan as the adjoining feature (she likes yoga, says she would like it even more among fragrant beautiful flowers). There are apparently 4 of us planning to live there, so, the community has a start of people. Not sure how long until any of us actually do it, I'm aiming for spring.

Telling my family will wait, they will not understand and not be supportive, I will get snarky criticism from sibs. Just because they couldn't conceive of it for themselves does not make it a terrible idea for me, and I am not yet up for their pooping all over it. I would not expect my sister to ever visit me there, and I'm ok with that. I feel at home there. I very much want to help build the place out and attract guests. There are a lot of parts of her plans that she was hoping to outsource to others and many of those assignments are right up my alley, so, we complement each other nicely. I have more ideas, she has more of the plan and build knowledge. She has little patience for gardening, while I took lots of vegetables and flowers and continued the beautification.

It would be great if I could get my mother to move south with me. I would be within 2 hours of her only brother, so she could live near them and my travel time to her would be less than it is now. That's just a dream, I don't have any belief that she would move, but, you never know. I plan to word carefully, to include "get rid of the overwhelming homesite and expenses I have now" as that parallels her situation.

Travel-wise, much more traffic than I expected. Depending on where and when, masking was hit and miss, although many businesses did post mask required to enter. It didn't seem to be enforced but I did my part. From the touristy areas we visited, it looks like people are very much wanting to "get out there". It is not clear that small town down town is going to be much open for a while, but, it depends on which downtown, and what the biz is. Few dine inside options, but plenty of outdoor seating in the shade has been created.

welcome back - North Carolina mountains are great for summer vacations .... (and permanent homes)
 

TravelTime

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So.....yesterday on our drive out of NW IN we were on a 4 lane highway and we saw a big turtle crossing the road. It's a turtle: it goes slow and the road is big. It seemed inevitable that a car would hit it. My friend pulled over to alert cars and to get this big old turtle to safety. He reached out to grab the turtle and the thing went crazy -- it was a snapping turtle. It was like a scene from City Slickers. Fortunately a more capable person pulled over and lent a hand getting the turtle to safe spot with a stick. I'm sure we were the butt of this guys jokes all night.

Nonetheless, it reminded me that suburban life is probably better suited for me.

There is a compromise. We live in a semi-rural area. We are close to Roseville, Lake Tahoe and Sacramento but far enough away to feel like we are in the country. Within a 10 minute drive, we can go to Auburn, CA, for all of our shopping and medical needs for ourselves and our pets. If we need more, then we drive 30 minutes to Roseville, which is a suburban town. I feel like it is the best of all worlds. We live on a 1.5 acre lot with a 10 acre lot behind us. The community has a golf course, walking paths, a country club, restaurants, gym and tennis courts. We do get a lot of critters. This week, we saw a family of red foxes - mom and 4 babies. They came around several days and played in our front entrance and front lawn. It was really adorable to watch. We can see many animals at various times. We see deer almost daily. There are some coyotes in the community but I have only seen one once and it was at a distance. This is my only fear especially because we have 3 small dogs. We are very careful when we take the dogs out and they are always supervised. We have not had problems with critters in the house. We have a monthly pest service and they nip any problem in the bud. We have owned this house for 5 years and only seen ants inside once. Maybe you would like semi-rural living better. I, too, could not live in a true rural area. I need to know I can drive to nearby locations for necessities and entertainment.
 

TravelTime

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I don't know if you'd consider Santa Fe "urban" or a "city" but we have everything from squirrels and rabbits to deer and bear.

I've lived in many suburban communities and there are always critters of some type. Snakes, deer, gophers, etc., etc.

This is true in California too. When we lived in a busy suburb in the SF Bay Area, we had to be careful of coyotes. They would come down from the mountains and attack small pets. We also saw deer in the town too. We were close to the mountains so we could see just about anything. The town was named after mountain lions, LOL.
 

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It's not that I care what anyone thinks, it's just that I don't wish to subject myself to loud condescending thoughts laced with ridicule from my sibs. There is nothing I've stopped myself from doing just because they hated it. I'm used to it, just not in any hurry to hear it, and don't quite understand why they feel it is necessary to try to run things down and call me stupid. Decades later, they remain bully children. So, I tell them as little about my life as possible. Their loss. No visits from sister is a good thing in my book. She's an exhausting critic that is a pain to host anywhere. She wouldn't like it, I wouldn't offer.

Winters are more mild than I have here, I plan to sell or give away my snow shovel. I will want a wood burning stove, just depends on what size of cabin I build as to how big that should be. What I have here is massive, much too much for down there. I wouldn't move it, of course, just happy to have a reference point.

Layers, hat, gloves, really good footwear. I have more than I need! I don't expect to see ice storms and will probably be done with tornado warnings. If I miss seeing snow, well, I can book a timeshare in the middle of it!

The plan keeps taking shape, too. I can live fairly rough for a while but will want to add running water sooner vs later. Planning for well and septic is ongoing, some will depend on what we can do, then what we want to do, costs, etc. Part of making use of the natural springs will be to send water to parts of camp that might not be on well service.

It's a good mix of work hard, play hard. I could move at any time, I don't have to have regrets if I don't end up living there by spring. I do need to make sure that I really am done living where I am. There is no going back once I sell the joint. If I don't like living at camp, I can move anywhere, so, not worried about that end of things as that move would be even easier, and likely not necessary.

I love hearing about your upcoming adventure. It is so brave of you to consider living in the camp, as you call it. Will you keep time sharing after you move? Time sharing will really be a vacation for you then and also a snap back to the outside world, depending on where you own your time shares. It will be interesting to hear how living without running water goes. Do you have electricity there or will that come with time? What about toilets?

I can relate to not wanting to tell your family about your plans yet. Sometimes I reveal too much to my family and they criticize me too. They do not understand why I travel. My father says I just get pretty photos to post. Now I am self conscious about posting so many photos because I wonder what my FB friends and family think. I used to post a lot until my father criticized me. But I am trying not to worry about what people think and starting to post more photos. I can‘t wait until this Covid thing is over and we can travel again. I did not expect this to last so long. Now thinking it could go into 2021.
 

WinniWoman

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It's not that I care what anyone thinks, it's just that I don't wish to subject myself to loud condescending thoughts laced with ridicule from my sibs. There is nothing I've stopped myself from doing just because they hated it. I'm used to it, just not in any hurry to hear it, and don't quite understand why they feel it is necessary to try to run things down and call me stupid. Decades later, they remain bully children. So, I tell them as little about my life as possible. Their loss. No visits from sister is a good thing in my book. She's an exhausting critic that is a pain to host anywhere. She wouldn't like it, I wouldn't offer.

Winters are more mild than I have here, I plan to sell or give away my snow shovel. I will want a wood burning stove, just depends on what size of cabin I build as to how big that should be. What I have here is massive, much too much for down there. I wouldn't move it, of course, just happy to have a reference point.

Layers, hat, gloves, really good footwear. I have more than I need! I don't expect to see ice storms and will probably be done with tornado warnings. If I miss seeing snow, well, I can book a timeshare in the middle of it!

The plan keeps taking shape, too. I can live fairly rough for a while but will want to add running water sooner vs later. Planning for well and septic is ongoing, some will depend on what we can do, then what we want to do, costs, etc. Part of making use of the natural springs will be to send water to parts of camp that might not be on well service.

It's a good mix of work hard, play hard. I could move at any time, I don't have to have regrets if I don't end up living there by spring. I do need to make sure that I really am done living where I am. There is no going back once I sell the joint. If I don't like living at camp, I can move anywhere, so, not worried about that end of things as that move would be even easier, and likely not necessary.


Gotcha. I will say that after we moved here- and sometimes still even now- I would think about our former home and even wished we were back in it. I think we miss the land and the privacy more than we miss the house itself, though I do find myself comparing the kitchen and living room (with fireplace) and having all those windows and scenery to this little cottage with hardly any windows and no views, no fireplace, no privacy. The kitchen is nice but no island and cabinets not as nice as the ones in the other house, etc.

But then living here these past 4 months I realize how it was a smart move. We have neighbors who help each other and we actually have several things to do on our social calender now, despite COVID. The other night we were watching an early movie- very relaxed- and the doorbell rang. What? Someone is at our door? What a unique concept for us! LOL! That right there would/ could never happen where we used to live. Heck- we did not even have a doorbell. No need for one. No body was ever coming.

It was a neighbor who evidently saw that our hose was lying on the ground and he was getting rid of his hose reel (as he just purchased another type) and wanted to know if we would like to take it. Funny- hubby and I were just talking about getting one that afternoon.

Another time the door bell rang and it was another neighbor stopping by to help with some magnetic tape because I had mentioned during our group walk that hubby needed to get some to fix our toaster oven door.

So I do know it was the right thing to move here. Yes- there are some things I do not like about it (like the loud motorcycle camp behind our home as one example) but overall it is good.

We are both still waiting to get that "home" feeling here but it really has been such a short time. Our other home we lived in for 32 years and in the area 42 years (previous home to our last was 10 years). NYS our whole lives. Here it has been 4 months. I need it to feel like "home". Others do not. They have this "house' and they have another place elsewhere like Florida or maybe even a third place. They aren't even in those houses a lot as they travel often.

We are not like that. Our home is like a part of our skin or a shell around us. We are more introverted I guess. Homebodies. I am social, but need a lot of alone time also. (not always easy for either of us in a small house with a spouse)

Right now we still feel like we are on a vacation. We vacationed here for years as it is. The house is like being in a timeshare condo size wise. We have the pool and the beach nearby. And the mountains. We are not working any longer. It's so weird. Have no desire to travel one bit right now. Hoping to even get rid of one of our timeshares and keep it to one week with day use right here just an hour away.

Soooo- I guess my point is the biggest part is just making the decision to go ahead with this next phase of your life if it feels right. I kind of go with my gut feelings (yeah- my brain argues with them lots of times). But for me- if when I am considering something my heart soars- then that means it is the right thing to do. I do go through the mental gymnastics of debating the decision but usually end up doing what my feelings dictated anyway. LOL!

Good luck!
 
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@WinniWoman Your post makes makes me really happy. I know how awful and exhausting your move was so hearing you feel like you are vacation is what it's all about.
 
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