Pulling up stakes

[bones1]

"In many ways I envy the thought of being able to just pull up stakes and start over somewhere else".

No, sir, I envy you. What an excellent post.

 

[redlevel]

We have 4 distinct seasons

We have four seasons in Georgia, too. Summer-August-Christmas-March

 

[bones1]

We have four seasons in Georgia, too. Summer-August-Christmas-March

I like that.

 

[riptides]

I like that.

cold-warm-hot-hotter

-Mike Z.

 

[redlevel]

Like Spiveyman, my roots are too deep here to think seriously about moving. I have been thinking about it for the last year or two, though. The problem with Georgia is that there are just way too many people here now. I read last week that the estimated population is just over nine million. That is up over a million since the 2000 census, and more than doubled since 1980. I still own and work the land my Daddy bought in the late 1930's and early 40's, and my family uses my wife's homeplace, purchased by her family in 1913, as a country home. I was born and raised in the county I live in now, have farmed in for 40 years, and taught school in for 21 years. There are many more people here, and it's still rural, that I do not know than those I know. I own, by myself or along with my brother, 335 acres in three parcels, 60 acres, 100 acres, and 175 acres. That is a fair amount of land for here, but not nearly as much as someone in, say, West Texas might call a spread.

I have thoughts of selling out and moving. If I moved, it would probably be to a very sparsely populated area of Texas or Oklahoma.

It isn't the heat, the humidity, or the gnats that make me think about leaving. I can put up with August as long as the AC works. I love to be able to hunt in January and February with just a long sleeved shirt or light jacket on. What makes me think about leaving are all the people and the problems they bring with them.


One hundred miles from Atlanta isn't nearly as far now as it was forty years ago when I was getting out of high school.

 

[Spiveyman]

Thanks bones, not sure what you liked, but that's the way I see things.

redlevel, I hear you man. I have a brother who lives in Buford, GA. He's the only person in my whole family more than 40 min away. Besides the heat in the summer, the thing that gets me when we go down there are all the people. Holy cow, it's like New York! KY is getting that way a bit too, not like NY, but more crowded than I care for. So much growth it is ruining the place. If I ever moved that's what would cause it, but then I'd be the problem that the Texan's and OK people complain about! All those southerners moving west!!

 

[bones1]

Redlevel, I agree with you on the population explosion in Georgia.I used to travel through there in the 90's and just last year had to drive the outskirts of Atlanta at evening rush hour.I have never seen so much traffic around a city.I have to say it was not a pleasant drive.

 

[curly]

... What makes me think about leaving are all the people and the problems they bring with them.

One hundred miles from Atlanta isn't nearly as far now as it was forty years ago when I was getting out of high school.

Yes sir, I heard that. I grew up in SC, and so did my wife, we didn't know each other growing up though. Then I joined the Navy when I was 17, and never really made it back to SC for long. Well, long enough to meet my wife and then start her on the gypsy road. We lived all up and down the east coast from the Boston area to Miami and plenty of places in between. Our last place was Atlanta. We were there for 10 years...way to many people there.

My wife's mama had land in rural SC and gave my wife 20 acres and her twin sister 20 acres (which we may buy, cause she don't want to live here). As soon as that happened I said we're moving if I can find any work...which I did, and we did.

This is the land my wifes mother grew up on, and her grandmother and great grandmother lived on this land for many years. I'm still amazed when we see her relatives all over town. We love it, I've really not had any roots since I was 17 (35 years) but I'm putting them down now. We couldn't sell the log cabin we built for half of what we paid for it, plus, the thought of another move is about all it takes to make me start to cry. My 9 year old daughter just loves living in the woods too. I'm very glad we are here, and that my wife get's to live near a lot of her kin folk...and glad that my daughter will grow up knowing them well. I just wish I had done it many years ago.

I like the stories about people who have lived in one place all their lives, and they know everyone and all they ever did. I'll never have that, but my daughter can. You can't buy them kinda roots, that's some good stuff in my book.

 

[higgy]

I work a lot in rural GA. Even with all of the people in we Atlanta really is not GA there are some very nice places.

Last week I was in Swainsboro, Waynesboro Wrens and a few other smaller towns. All very nice, but as there are so many small towns close to each other the tax base and prosperity for any one town seems to be difficult.

There are many places I like there, some I do not.

As I travel all over the US for work I see many places I like. In Texas there is a little town called Hico, on the edge of the hill country, I could live there, Dallas FT Worth, no way in he**.

I agree about the shades of green, the west has a more sage green color than the bright grass green, but that is ok.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's a link to a thread I posted with pics of our vacation to South Dakota this year. It will give you a good idea of what the area looks like and why we love it so much.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/photos/105617-pics-our-vacation-south-dakota.html

Eddie

 

[Phils]

When I quit riding submarines in the '70s, we did not know where we wanted to settle down other than NOT in the town we originally came from.

I persuaded my wife to drive truck with me cross-country, see the whole US, then decide. We did that for 9 years. Been to 49 states extensively (lived in Hawaii while riding those subs).

We chose Paradise, CA, since it was fairly close to family and we got a killer deal on 45 acres. And it is aptly named. (Cherokee is about 7 miles south of town).

But the place we actually liked the best was western North Carolina, as has been already mentioned. Not too hot nor buggy, like Florida. Not too cold or snowy. Not too humid, not too dry. Green (something we rarely see here).

Phil

 

[bones1]

Nice pictures Eddie and Steph. Just look what a quick search found in South Dakota LandAndFarm.com - Land for Sale - Schaeffer Ranch - Horse Property - 98.84 ACRES - Pennington COUNTY, South Dakota, United States

or LandAndFarm.com - Land for Sale - Elk Creek Area Lot - 10.11 ACRES - Meade COUNTY, South Dakota, United States
And just look at this!!! Kjerstad Realty Group: Custer County Ranch

Unbelievable for the price and look at the views.
SD is starting to look real good.Nearer to Sturgis too!

 

[wdscot]

Bones, this is Wayne from Spearfish SD. I have two motorhome pads on my property that are fully functioning (Water, electric, sewer, etc.). If you would like to use one while you look around the South Dakota and the Black Hills you are welcome. I can also provide some insight into the area and help you refine your search. I am so glad Eddie sent you some pictures since I am pretty limited on my picture sending skills. Any help I can provide is available, all you need is to ask. We can take this off line, if you will send me your telephone number/email address (confidentially/privately) I will give you a call. Wayne

 

[bones1]

Thanks for the great offer.We have a lot of places to research first but I am leaning toward South Dakota, the better half is thinking the Ashville NC area.I want to be a cowboy and she's the artsy-fartsy type.We'll see about that.(you know **** well who will get their way).
Thanks again Wayne for the kind offer,does that include beer?.

 

[higgy]

Oh man, take the dakotas way before Ashville. They are trying to make a major city outa Ashville, nice area, but gonna be a big non rural area soon.

 

[Alan L.]

Red River, NM. Mid to upper 70s in summer with 15% humidity (lows 30s & 40s), skiing in the wintertime.

 

[higgy]

Red River, nice area, one way you go to Angle Fire, the other Taos and the third way you end up in Las Vegas NM. That whole area is very very nice, a bit pricey but I would live there.

 

[bones1]

Alan, I just heard anything with the word Mexico in it is out also.
Does look nice to me though.

 

[knute_m]

Wow Bones!

You live in paradise. Up until a few years ago, I spent a lot of time on your side of the river and on the Virginia side too. I know Waldorf ain't what it was 30 years ago, and I'm sure California (Md) isn't either -- I'm not sure if that is good or bad. But, the water, the weather, the . . . Sheesh.

As someone posted above, the grass isn't greener west of the Mississippi. I'm not sure it is any greener anywhere, compared to where you live. You don't have the biting flies of the Eastern Shore. You don't have mosquitos. You've got crabs. You've got bluefish. You've got rockfish. You've got the most temperate climate in the country.

Have you thought about just vacationing, or maybe getting a cabin, out my way such as in Western, MD, the Cannaan Valley of WV, southern PA, etc. We have a totally different climate (it was 41 degrees this morning), it is lot less expensive out here, we still have the same accents, but you'd still be close to "home."

Good luck,
Knute

 

[bones1]

Hi Knute, thanks for the reply.
Hours:
59 years x ??hours/year.In your profile, is that hours on you or your tractor?.
If you haven't been here lately, Waldorf now runs all the way to Pax river.
It's not at all like it was even 5 years ago.