Is Rural Living a Hobby?

[lman]

I get one cutting, about 300-400 small bales of hay off my land. The guy that bales it keeps the other 2 or 3 cuttings. I guess you could say I am getting some financial compensation since I don't have to buy my hay.

 

[JethroB]

I rent out 20 acres to a nearby farmer/neighbor who grows cotton or peanuts on it. That covers my property taxes and maybe a couple of happy meals. He recently picked the cotton so it will be quieter until spring.

 

[cpy911]

It is a hobby for me. Any excuse to get outside to do “work” is good to go. Woods, mowing, feeding animals, fencing, bridges, cleanup, mending, repairing, cutting, etc. I’ve lost 20 lbs walking/working around the 18 acres since moving here after two years. Best lifestyle I can imagine.

 

[PuffyC]

Nah, this isn't settling, it was built crooked. Doors/windows aren't even square to the walls/ceiling. Actually the doors and windows are reasonably level & plumb. Walls and floors, not so much.

What I always say is it doesn’t need to be level, it just needs to look level

 

[beowulf]

It is a hobby for me. Any excuse to get outside to do “work” is good to go. Woods, mowing, feeding animals, fencing, bridges, cleanup, mending, repairing, cutting, etc. I’ve lost 20 lbs walking/working around the 18 acres since moving here after two years. Best lifestyle I can imagine.

cpy911, could not agree more. A couple of days ago after working with my wife and daughter on a project we had just finished, I said, well, one more memory in the basket. We reminisced a bit on all we had done. Got me to thinking about the kind of memories we have from living here for 35 years versus the kind of memories we would have had if we had continued to live in L.A. A bit scary to think about it.

 

[Oaktree]

What I always say is it doesn’t need to be level, it just needs to look level

Which is, of course the challenge during any remodeling...building cabinetry, built-ins, etc. crooked so it looks square when it's done. Over the years I've gotten pretty good at it.
Off the shelf cabinets don't cut it, nor do bold patterns (wallpaper, flooring).

 

[JethroB]

I just had a porch addition built by a fellow that was highly recommended. It seems
both level and square are still eluding some to this day.

 

[arto98607]

I have hired contractors three times in my life and hope never again!

Shortcuts etc. whenever they think they can get away with it.

 

[beowulf]

I have hired contractors three times in my life and hope never again!

Shortcuts etc. whenever they think they can get away with it.

I've had great contractors and really bad ones. Still, if it is something I can do myself that is the way to go.

 

[chinawall]

A while back a friend from the city came to visit. As we sat enjoying the bucolic setting with an adult beverage, he said “Man, I could really go for this”. I pointed out that, well, this is half of it, but if you want this lifestyle there is also the work half – you need to enjoy that part as well. He went on to discuss his hobby of collecting stuff with his metal detector. Then he asked if I had any hobbies. I thought for a very brief moment and then told him “You’re looking at it”.

Anyway, this made me realize that living rurally, having never ending projects, caring for animals, tractor tasks with seat time, figuring out solutions to unexpected events, repairing and maintaining things, and such, was in fact my hobby. And, as a hobby, it is a pretty good one – keeps you mentally and physically active, a lot of satisfaction, enjoyable, you are outside and not watching TV, you are doing things together with the family, and though you are spending money on things, you are likely increasing the value of your property by constantly improving it. Overall, maybe the best of hobbies. I need no other.

Love the rural life, but it has challenges and expenses.