Have you ever lived in a rural area?

[Butterbean]

What did you like and dislike about living in the country?

[~flower~]

 No, but if I ever do I now know the true meaning of "once they get the taste of blood" !!   

[BayGBM]

Years ago, when I was finishing grad school, Virginia Tech wanted to hire me (and several other folks) so they gave us a fellowship to come and live/work there for the summer.  The school was the biggest employer in the town (Blacksburg, VA).  The nearest "big" airport was in Roanoke, VA about 35 miles away.  From that airport you had to fly to a Washington DC airport to really go anywhere.

The pluses were:

• peace and quite.  Easy to get (academic) work done as there were few distractions.
• safety.  I felt very safe there.  I was probably the most dangerous guy in town
• cheap.  Low cost of housing/living.

the minuses were:

• boring.  Nothing to do.  I mean nothing!  Thank god for cable TV and the internet.
• small minds.  Off campus (and in some cases on campus) the population was not very sophisticated or curious about the outside world.  The KKK was in the neighboring town of Christansburg!
•  not much muscle around.  Although I do remember a bodybuilding contest being held on campus that summer.  Skip LaCour was the guest poser.

They did eventually offer me a job, but I said "no thanks."  I couldn’t wait to get out of there and back to civilization.  Now that my wild days are behind me, I don’t mind a rural setting anymore, but I still want ready access to a big city.  For example, Ojai, CA is cool, cause you have ready access to Santa Barbara or Los Angeles.  Santa Cruz or Monterrey is cool because you have access to San Jose.  Parts of Napa and Sonoma counties are cool because you have quick access to San Francisco/Oakland.  In effect, you get the best of both though even the “rural” parts of California are expensive now.

Rural parts of California are great for having one or more dogs, horses, or other pets.  Access to the beach is also cool.  The ideal situation is to have a house in the country and a house in the city.  That's pretty typical around here.

My city view of downtown with and without fog... I'll get some rural pix up later.

[Princess L]

What did you like and dislike about living in the country?

I live in what some would call the boonies.  There certainly are pros and cons, but I wouldn't trade it.
The nearest store is 5 miles away (the gym is only 3), but the grocery store I shop is 8+ miles
The nearest "big city" is 30+ miles
There's no trash pick up included, so "Waste Management" is contracted
No city sewer or water - we have a well and septic
Neighbors are far enough away to not "see" them or hear them (no need to close the shades)
No silly subdivision rules
No sidewalks
Lots of space, but also lots more yard work
Volunteer fire and rescue
No traffic lights
Quiet
Lots of wildlife

There's more...
I'll keep adding to the list.

[knny187]

I live in what some would call the boonies.  There certainly are pros and cons, but I wouldn't trade it.
The nearest store is 5 miles away (the gym is only 3), but the grocery store I shop is 8+ miles
The nearest "big city" is 30+ miles
There's no trash pick up included, so "Waste Management" is contracted
No city sewer or water - we have a well and septic
Neighbors are far enough away to not "see" them or hear them (no need to close the shades)
No silly subdivision rules
No sidewalks
Lots of space, but also lots more yard work
Volunteer fire and rescue
No traffic lights
Quiet
Lots of wildlife

There's more...
I'll keep adding to the list.

good list

I can add that when a snow/ice storm occurs...you're usually longer without power because you're one of the last to get to.

When an ice/snow storm occurs & the plows can't make it....you have a real reason to call into work

More critters on the road & more of a chance of hitting one.  My oldest sister was like a magnet for 6 years in a row hitting atleast one deer a year.

You don't cut the grass...no one will care or send you a letter in the mail

You can shoot out your back door....just becasue you can

Damn rabbits eat everything you plant or grow in the garden.

The first time you experience letting your dog outside & there's a black & white cat in the yard your dog wants to play with.

Shoveling snow....& then snow melting making mud.

Alot more bugs in the sticks than in the city for sure.

The local farmer spreading manure.

[Princess L]

good list

I can add that when a snow/ice storm occurs...you're usually longer without power because you're one of the last to get to.

When an ice/snow storm occurs & the plows can't make it....you have a real reason to call into work

Actually, the plowing out here is MUCH better than in the city.  Pain in the a$$ plowing my driveway tho.

More critters on the road & more of a chance of hitting one.  My oldest sister was like a magnet for 6 years in a row hitting atleast one deer a year.

Yes, lots of critters, although I've been very lucky.  I am extra careful when they're most active.  Very sad when I see a family of racoons slaughtered on the road. 

You don't cut the grass...no one will care or send you a letter in the mail

Big reason I chose not to live in a subdivision.  Ever see the movie Over the Hedge? 

You can shoot out your back door....just becasue you can

I don't own a gun.

Damn rabbits eat everything you plant or grow in the garden.

Never really been a problem, but I've come close to running over their nests with the lawn tractor.

The first time you experience letting your dog outside & there's a black & white cat in the yard your dog wants to play with.

  Scout and the welfare kitties pretty much ignore eachother.

Shoveling snow....& then snow melting making mud.

    No dirt piles around here.

Alot more bugs in the sticks than in the city for sure.

    Guess I don't know any different.  Never seems to be a problem.

The local farmer spreading manure.

Okay, I'm a little weird, but I don't mind the smell at all.

[calmus]

  Scout and the welfare kitties pretty much ignore eachother.
 

he wasn't referring to a cat cat. 

[Princess L]

he wasn't referring to a cat cat. 

(blond moment)
duh
 

[onlyme]

Does this count

[Butterbean]

Thanks for all these!!

[w8m8]

What did you like and dislike about living in the country?

I like the lack of crime , the real friendly atmosphere with neighbors , not contrived or phony , the scenery is special , and lots of open space

I dislike how far away things are like better grocery stores , a gym , and even a movie theatre 

[Deicide]

To me, everything in the USA that is not NYC is the boonies...

[knny187]

he wasn't referring to a cat cat. 

My parents have a fenced yard in the back for the dogs.  You still have to open the back door & walk about 25-35 feet to lead them through the gate.  When I was 5, I remember watching my father yell at our German Shepard (Sandy)...."No!" as she saw the Skunk about 100 yards away.

Needless to say.......she spent the week in the Garage after a tomato bath.  BTW....the skunk never got touched - lol

[benchmstr]

i love living in the woods.

i can shoot everything
have huge ass parties(i hate parties,but i still have the option)
i can pretty much do whatever i want

houston is 52miles away,and i have several medium sized cities within 5miles,so i never really get that backwoods feeling.

bench

[JasonH]

I used to live on a farm in Somerset (south west of England) between 1992 and 1996. My step-dad was the warden of the game reserve around the area and the farm was reasonably small (we had ten acres) but it was surrounded by farmland owned by other farmers.

I took it for granted back then because I was a stupid teenager who didn't appreciate things like that but I'd give my right nut to have something like that now. It was a bit boring in the winter because of all the mud and muck but in the summer you couldn't have wished for anything better - we had our own private pond where we used to fish in and horses to ride. The council kicked my mum out the house when my stepdad died in 97 and she had to move elsewhere. Still quite rural but not the same.

I sometimes go visit that old house whenever I'm down there and the people that took it on have spent more then half a million buying the house from the council and doing it up. They showed me round once and they were cool about it but it doesn't beat the memories.

If I could ever have the money I would buy that place back for my mum.

[windsor88]

My city view of downtown with and without fog... I'll get some rural pix up later.

Nice pics. 

Did you just up and go to Cali without a job or did you already have roots there?