Soon to be Tractor-less

[lilranch2001]

I am at the other side of the spectrum. Will turn 69 in a few weeks. Got my first tractor last year and traded up this year to a "real" machine.

Have 20 acres and mow 2 with a Husky rider. Might get a zero turn to replace it down the road. Enjoy my tractor time....grading, clearing land, and doing chores. Looking forward to blowing snow with my new pull blower. Had twenty loggers cords delivered last week so need to get them processed and put the new grapple to work. Wood should last 3 years or so.

Being retired makes a difference. The tractor work keeps me occupied.

No desire to ever leave my little slice of heaven.

:thumbsup:

 

[Gem99ultra]

Strange how the more things change, the more they stay the same... I grew up in the city. Regular little house on a regular little lot. Concrete everywhere except a postage size place they called a "lawn". Neighbors on all sides, some so close that you could spit and hit their window. You could hear every conversation they had, and those were usually depressing. ahhhh - the good city life! Great pay, raised a family, nice new cars, and lots of free time to relax (NOT).

Hung in there with the city life for 70 years. Sure - that was where the good paying jobs were. And it took every penny to maintain the living standard. The simple truth is that it takes all you make to stay the same. On the downside, even if you move to an area that has great neighbors, great streets, light traffic, and a hundred TV channels to gaze at all day and night - that will soon all change. The neighbors all seem to migrate to another place, and their old house becomes either rental property that's rarely maintained, or by those that are looking for an opportunity to either impose on what's yours, or simply steal it.
The crime rate never goes down. It only goes up - and often it has a direct impact on you or your belongings.

After retiring, I found a nice place in the country, nearby town of <500, one red light, and 15 acres to do whatever I wanted to do. I can have a big yard to mow, or a little yard, or heck - even no yard if I wish. I don't have a HOA telling me what color I can paint my house, or how many storage sheds I can have. Traffic? Yeah, when there are more than 2 cars ahead of me at the only red light, I get nervous about the 'traffic jam'. That's a little different than sitting in a line of cars a half mile long just to get past one intersection.

There are no Big Box stores within 30 miles any direction of my place. No problem - with Next Day or Two Day delivery of anything I want or need, the only thing that has changed is my schedule. There's always something to do or needs to be done. That's why my 'schedule' is flexible... I can either schedule anything to be done immediately, or tomorrow, or even never if I choose. I'm my own boss with no peer pressure to do a thing, other than my own desire. I don't farm and I don't have a garden. And don't plan to either. I do need my tractor though; if I decide to dig a hole - fine. Or if I decide to fill that hole back up - fine.

Correct that last comment - I don't NEED a tractor, I simply WANT my tractor. Its more fun than the hundreds of cars and motorcycles that I've owned. We have plenty of wildlife to watch and interact with, and thousands of trees. I call that nature at its best. A breath of fresh air doesn't come with an acetic order from someone's nearby factory.

BUT - different stokes for different folks. Often those that grew up in the country yearn for moving to the city, and vice versa. Change is the choice for everyone. So, I wish you Best of Luck with your change.

 

[lilranch2001]

Great post Gem!

 

[Gary Fowler]

In my case it may be a tad different. I've been out here so long and am so set in my ways. I don't think I could change to fit into an "urban" environment any longer. Also - I DON'T WANT to fit into an urban environment. You can't make an old dog do new tricks. Square pegs don't fit in round holes -

I visit my son in Spokane. I get an uncomfortable feeling when I look out his windows and can see other houses. Everything is so close and packed in.

Just not my lifestyle any more........

I too have the same feeling as Oosik and Gem99ultra. I truly hate the hustle and bustle and bumper to bumper traffic we get when I visit the kids and grandkids in the Houston Texas area. I lived there for 35 years but now have no desire to return. I will take the country life for as long as possible. If it gets to where I cant manage my property, I will just let it go back to nature just like it was when I bought it. I can reduce the lawn area and hire it mowed if needed and still have the peace and quiet of the country.
I spent the first 24 years of my life on a farm, then the next 36 years in the big cities of the USA and the last 10 on my country estate . I sure dont miss the big city at all.

 

[MossRoad]

I know, right?!? Still not far, if I ever need a tractor fix, I'll give you a call. We'll be in Goshen!

Nice! Up and coming downtown, pumpkin vine, Bonnyville.... you know the drill. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

You ever been to any of the Acres Land Trust properties? There's a bunch of them. Usually some nice walking trails. Can't remember any bike trails, but they are great for hikes, numerous around NE Indiana. Some are small, but we've been hitting a couple in a day in our travels between here and Fort Wayne.

Preserves Map | ACRES Land TrustACRES Land Trust

 

[lilranch2001]

I have been to 40-50% of the Acres preserves.
Hanging Rock over the Wabash is by far my favorite, but then I was visiting it 30 years before it was offered to Acres.

Last time I went, I was by myself and decided not to try to get to the top, since I was alone and if I fell, no one would probably find me any time soon.....

 

[gsganzer]

I've enjoyed the projects around my place over the years, but now I'm ready to start relaxing instead of always working on something. We've spent the last year completing our "Big projects", like horse stalls, outdoor patio/kitchen, fencing, driveway paving etc. We're now transitioning to "maintain and relax" and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

I enjoy working on things, I'm just tiring of the full scale demolition, construction type stuff that disrupts everything and is an eyesore while in progress. I'll now just work on "piddle" type shop projects or yard maintenance chores.

 

[gsganzer]

I've enjoyed the projects around my place over the years, but now I'm ready to start relaxing instead of always working on something. We've spent the last year completing our "Big projects", like horse stalls, outdoor patio/kitchen, fencing, driveway paving etc. We're now transitioning to "maintain and relax" and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

I enjoy working on things, I'm just tiring of the full scale demolition, construction type stuff that disrupts everything and is an eyesore while in progress. I'll now just work on "piddle" type shop projects or yard maintenance chores.

 

[MossRoad]

I have been to 40-50% of the Acres preserves.
Hanging Rock over the Wabash is by far my favorite, but then I was visiting it 30 years before it was offered to Acres.

Last time I went, I was by myself and decided not to try to get to the top, since I was alone and if I fell, no one would probably find me any time soon.....

We were there last summer. Never knew there were any rock formation in northern Indiana before that. Thought the glaciers got em all. I'd like to get a closer look at the big four cut in Wabash, but it's on private property.