Is Rural Living a Hobby?

[MossRoad]

I think of a hobby as an activity that you choose to do for enjoyment.

My father had a stamp collection, a fossil collection, created art, traveled when he could, and inspected homes for HUD, all as hobbies.

He also had a family with wife, children (my mom, me, my siblings, his parents and cousins, etc), was an architect and construction specifications writer, and his house was another hobby, as it was an ongoing experiment in architecture, building materials, and techniques.

I’d have to say my dad’s entire life was a hobby and he enjoyed it immensely.

We should all be so lucky.

 

[beowulf]

I’d have to say my dad’s entire life was a hobby and he enjoyed it immensely.

We should all be so lucky.

Same with me. If I don't have a list of challenging things to do I sort of feel empty. I keep adding to that list and in fact I am always thinking of things I can do, build, fix, improve, or try. It's frequently hard but not exactly work. The satisfaction is the reward. I think most here will understand immediately, others never would get it. Sometimes my wife will say "we don't need that", I will say, true, but I need to build it, or do it anyway.

 

[check]

Sorry you feel that way Check. I've had a number of 'income producing hobbies' over the years. Rural living is just another way of enjoying life, call it a hobby or whatever. Calling it 'work' isn't in my vocabulary.

Good point, and I am sorry I went a bit overboard. What I was reacting to was the implication that seniors are old and useless for anything except a hobby. Hobbies of course can be a lotta fun, like making model airplanes, or flying drones.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

I'm getting to the point now where I'd rather down size and live closer to town maybe. But then I think of all the BS in town.

 

[MossRoad]

Good point, and I am sorry I went a bit overboard. What I was reacting to was the implication that seniors are old and useless for anything except a hobby. Hobbies of course can be a lotta fun, like making model airplanes, or flying drones.

I don‘t think seniors doing hobbies are old and useless. I think they’ve put in their time, and enjoy the fruits of their labors by doing things they WANT to do VS HAVE to do.

 

[Eagle1]

Moved out to middle of nowhere USA when I got fed up with the high tech gig and air travel. Bought a campground with 90+ acres. It was tough financial adjustment and lot learning. 15 years later the place is paid off and we are winding down. Thought hard about selling to move further out, but I really like living here. We converting much to homesteading and will close the place down end of summer 2024. We are surrounded by National Forest and I know every square inch of my property and 100's of acres around me. It would take me years to get that intimate with new property. Never was much on city life and rarely leave the holler these days. Few people in the little town up the road know who I am, the ones that tried stealing here do and they know my dogs.
It's a full time job but I'd rather be outside working, hunting, fishing than inside, bad weather excluded. Hanging out with critters is good for the soul and work let's you sleep at night.

 

[ljjhouser]

I have 12-14” standing snow on ground in area i dont plow. Been snowing steadily since last night. Now there predicting 10-20” new snow thru monday.

looks like it may be sleigh time soon…..

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Nice picture of you and your best friend. There is a DOG Picture thread here on TBN. I think you should post that picture there. (if you haven't already)

 

[deezler]

....I know every square inch of my property and 100's of acres around me. It would take me years to get that intimate with new property.

But isn't that also kind of the fun part? I love discovering the hidden topography of my land and surrounding parcels, and will be sad when there's zero surprises left to discover. For now, working full time and two kids, plenty of projects near the house, I haven't covered large portions of my 10 acres and the hundreds around me in quite a long time. Between the ticks and deer flies, it's easier to stay in the yard during mid summer. But I sure love exploring the woods in the fall, winter and early spring.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I detest the word work, yet here I am.

 

[Eagle1]

But isn't that also kind of the fun part? I love discovering the hidden topography of my land and surrounding parcels, and will be sad when there's zero surprises left to discover.

There is always more to find. I took me years to find all the places different mushrooms grow and they still surprise me every year. Well not this year we've been bone dry since the morel season.
Deer change travel routes, squirrels explode in a different sector every year. Picking berries and wild black cherry. Draggin firewood. Still always have pond work, fences to put in or fix, cattle to feed, dogs to run and a million other things. Always more to do then I get done but I love the life. Don't make real money but eat well off the land. Once I don't have pick up after other people or work around them I'll get things done my way. Well actually I'll just wind up fixing more fence and less time cutting grass.

 

[check]

I don‘t think seniors doing hobbies are old and useless. I think they’ve put in their time, and enjoy the fruits of their labors by doing things they WANT to do VS HAVE to do.

My upcoming hobby is to finish the basement. The family WANTS me to do it, meaning I HAVE to do it! LOL

Carpenter coming Saturday to scope it out. Guess I’m in for it now!

 

[MossRoad]

My upcoming hobby is to finish the basement. The family WANTS me to do it, meaning I HAVE to do it! LOL

Carpenter coming Saturday to scope it out. Guess I’m in for it now!

Yep.

 

[hosspuller]

Many things I do around on the acreage I did as a professional. That was work. The difference is I choose when, where, how, and IF to be done at all.

I used to volunteer at the local hospital. There was a job I did that the employees hated. It was boring, drudgery to them. But to me, I enjoyed the task... But I could pick when, how, and for how long. I could quit at any time, work at any pace, and still enjoy the task accomplished.

Any definition of hobby has to include the self direction aspect.


Edit to add ... And has the opportunity for a nap.

 

[beowulf]

could pick when, how, and for how long. I could quit at any time, work at any pace, and still enjoy the task accomplished.

Any definition of hobby has to include the self direction aspect.

Yep.

 

[MossRoad]

Naps are good.

 

[ultrarunner]

Many things I do around on the acreage I did as a professional. That was work. The difference is I choose when, where, how, and IF to be done at all.

I used to volunteer at the local hospital. There was a job I did that the employees hated. It was boring, drudgery to them. But to me, I enjoyed the task... But I could pick when, how, and for how long. I could quit at any time, work at any pace, and still enjoy the task accomplished.

Any definition of hobby has to include the self direction aspect.


Edit to add ... And has the opportunity for a nap.

Care to share the job?

 

[scaredychicken]

Hobby Farming - a lot of enjoyable work

 

[hosspuller]

Care to share the job?

Scanning pathology lab test documents. Interesting to see individual results and information. STD's were rampant in the community... for example... Staff would accumulate the documents. One day a week, I would come in for whatever hours I desired. Even whatever day I chose.

The scanner and I had quite a relationship. I figured out how to keep it feeding well. The staff had no patience for it, nor machinery feel.

With the advent of Covid ... I stopped.

 

[ultrarunner]

Scanning pathology lab test documents. Interesting to see individual results and information. STD's were rampant in the community... for example... Staff would accumulate the documents. One day a week, I would come in for whatever hours I desired. Even whatever day I chose.

The scanner and I had quite a relationship. I figured out how to keep it feeding well. The staff had no patience for it, nor machinery feel.

With the advent of Covid ... I stopped.

Thanks for replying…

My guess was record retention or destruction…

 

[MossRoad]

Scanning pathology lab test documents. Interesting to see individual results and information. STD's were rampant in the community... for example... Staff would accumulate the documents. One day a week, I would come in for whatever hours I desired. Even whatever day I chose.

The scanner and I had quite a relationship. I figured out how to keep it feeding well. The staff had no patience for it, nor machinery feel.

With the advent of Covid ... I stopped.

My wife loves jobs like that. Repetitive tasks. She’s a machine. I don’t mind tasks like that either. Something about getting in the zone and the work just flies along.