City Dwelling versus Country Dwelling

[Hugh R]

Recent posts about my cat and my RV got me thinking. You can read about it here. My Very Lucky Cat and RV Story-Today

It may have sounded irresponsible that I didn't find the cat in the RV for three weeks. I searched for it a few times, but the fact is that animals disappear on ranches and farms. I have a big piece of property in Los Angeles County. Yes there is big property in LA County. I have 18 acres of California Live Coastal Oaks and am backed up on several thousand acres of wildlands. I have deer, coyotes (lots) rattlesnakes (I kill about one or two a year), rabbits, skunks, possum, racoons, and once in a while a Bobcat. I saw a mountain lion once, but it got killed crossing the I-5 freeway which is over the hill from my place. No I don't kill them, I only kill rattlesnakes if they present themselves on my patio.

My point? I think those that live in cities have no appreciation of the fact that nature is an unfeeling force. When I'm clearing brush, I know I'm not at the top of the food chain. When I'm clearing brush, I bring my cell phone and a walk-talkie because some areas of my property don't get one or the other. I also insist that someone be at home while I'm clearing brush due to snakes.

I caught a big fat rat in a trap once and I saw it outside and meant to dispose of it that night, I forgot, the next day the trap was licked clean by some animal, I mean not a morsel left.

I work in the City, but sort of live in the country, but I have all the amenities of City living like water, power, supermarkets, etc. Your thoughts?

[Embraer]

I grew up on 50 acres on a farm. ive lived in many cities. I now live in the desert. I agree that people who have never lived in the country have a very provincial outlook on a lot of things...which is ironic, since they tend to look down on those who "only" have lived in the country.

something to consider.....different natural environments have different risks. when I lived out on 460 acres of prime Mojave scrub, I learned a lot of rattlesnakes, that I didn't know being in the Midwest. I wore my snake gators and carried my shotgun with birdshot whenever I went out hiking.

Most people in LA wouldn't realize the dangers that can lurk in a Midwest US basement...IE Brown Recluses. (no...they don't exist here, contrary to what some people think).

I guess the thing to know, is just maintain situational awareness at all times.

[Hugh R]

Agreed, I take a flashlight with me when I take the trash cans out. I've only seen a rattler on the warm asphalt once or twice in the 16 years I've live here, but I darn sure don't need to step on them.

[Bill Douglas]

I like it at the beach. It's kind of like going country but with built in entertainment and city things a few minutes away. I like being out on the water and that gives me "all the space" I need.

[HardDrive]

Put me in a deer blind 100 miles north of Green Bay, and I'm happy as a clam. Love walking the north woods. But at the end of the day, I live in the city. Too much good food and good schools to resist.

[diverdan]

Making the most of your surroundings is the key. My life in L.A. was great as most f the time I was near the beach or up on a mountainside overlooking the city. That gave me the visual space that kept some country in my perspective. Now, my abode looks down a sparsely populated valley dominated a huge farm field framed by forests. On the surrounding roads rarely is there a car in eyesight. Driving is bliss and the scenery beautiful and serene. I can do what I want with no zoning so its great for the car hobby. The nearest store is ten miles away and Walmart 20 miles away. As a single man, it also means that meeting women is more difficult. I miss the convenience of walking to shopping or hopping on my old 650 twin and riding a short mile to the campus or college town center. I miss the mental stimulation of the arts and college philosophers. The athletic facilities of the university are in the same radius whereas its a 20 mile drive from my country place. If it wasn't for my huge investment in my cars and their garages, I'd probably go back to the college town in the 300,000 populous metro area.

[Embraer]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Agreed, I take a flashlight with me when I take the trash cans out. I've only seen a rattler on the warm asphalt once or twice in the 16 years I've live here, but I darn sure don't need to step on them.

everynight, id hear the familiar rattle of my "guest" under my wooden stairs that led up to my trailer. I kept a garden hoe out there. id just move him around the corner. never felt the need to kill him.

the black widows...that's another story. cant tell you how many I killed out there. the worst part of living in a trailer in the desert....

waking up to the sound of stuff crawling on the blinds, that was big enough to make them move. ...and feeling spiders crawling on me at night. too scared to smash them for fear of being bitten, id just let them crawl off. made me a changed person.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Agreed, I take a flashlight with me when I take the trash cans out. I've only seen a rattler on the warm asphalt once or twice in the 16 years I've live here, but I darn sure don't need to step on them.

You should get some boots for that sort of work. I like the ballcap/headlight combo. Bill of the hat keeps the glare out of your eyes, both hands free and light goes where you look. Look like a bit of a dork, but I don't care if a skunk or raccoon think I look stupid when I am out walking the dog, as long as I see them.

When my wife was a kid, her dad would not let her go out and pick blackberries without a pair of boots.

[MT930]

The more remote the better for me. Prolly why I live in Montana.

I was in Las Vegas for 3 days last week had a blast but I was ready to leave. 5 days I would have been in a high speed wobble.

I don't want my anti civilization/ city tendency to rub off on my kids they love the cities we take them to a good one every year, the city is fun in short doses for me.

My skill set is better suited for the middle of nowhere. High density living is out for me. My best vacations have been AK, MT, WY, ID, MN, BC

[Evans, Marv]

I like living in the country vs. in town, although I lived in town when I was working. Now I have more time to enjoy the outdoors. In 4 & 1/2 years, I've only seen 5 rattlers and a few other types around here. Two of the rattlers were large, three were small, and one of those was already dead. We have lots of different kinds of animals around here, and two weeks ago an interesting thing happened. I was in the back of the house and heard a soft but sort of heavy thump. I first thought my wife had dropped something heavy but sort of soft on the living room floor. When I heard it a second time, I decided to investigate and was walking through the bedroom when I heard it a third time. However, it came from the right toward the patio. When I looked, I saw a bobcat pressed up against the glass of the french door. I believe it was trying to jump through the apparently open part of the door but didn't understand what the glass was. I jumped toward it, and it took off quickly. It was a pretty odd thing.

[on2wheels52]

I've only spent a few years as a city dweller. At present we live in a small subdivision just outside city (of 14,000) limits, our 3 acres is next to 10 acres of woods. I like not being able to see any neighbors from the house. Only one snake fatality in 15 years.
Jim

[Rick V]

I was born and raised in Philly, every time I move I go further away from people, my next move will be in the desert outside of Tuscon. I like people I just don't want them around me when I go home.
My kids grew up in my current one horse town and both swore (when they were younger) they would be out of here on the next thing smoking when they hit 18. Now they have a few years beyond that age and both are happy for this area.
Me in the city would lead to me in jail.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Rick V

I like people I just don't want them around me when I go home.

Good quote, exactly how I feel. My next move will be out of the city. My wife and I have no desire for a huge fancy house, just take the one we live in today and plop it down on 20 acres somewhere, preferably with plenty of trees and a good fishing pond. It's common to say that good fences make good neighbors, I would contend that no neighbors make good neighbors.

[oldE]

Reading your comments on rattlers and poisonous spiders makes me very happy to put up with a bit of snow part of the year!

Self-professed "Country Mouse" here.
Even when we travel, the Wife and I are far happier outside of the larger centers.
At the same time, I've spent enough time in the woods that I feel no need to go there again.
33 years ago, we built a small house at the bottom of her parents' property and now we hobby farm the acerage. We are midway between two tiny towns and when we work, the commutes are roughly ten minutes.
We are not theatre goers and when we do choose a restaurant, we likely know the owners.
The East-bound bus goes by at 15 minutes to the even hour, the west-bound bus a half hour after that.
It is about a 1/3 mile walk from my doorstep to my nearest neighbor's. Most of that is my driveway.
No homeowner's association.
We can open the door and let the dogs out and not worry if they are dumping on someone's lawn.
We have the coyotes passing through, which means our cats do not free range, but they have access to a kennel through a porch window.
We can watch bald eagles, ospreys, red tails, northern harriers and just about anything else fly over our front fields and the river.


Sunrise over the Annapolis River. (from my deck.)

We chose this place because it suits us. No plans to ever move.
Best to all
Les

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

My wife and I have no desire for a huge fancy house,

Our house is on the market and we are of the same mindset. We are selling the 4br house and looking at 2br ones. I just have to find an octagonal one so she has lots of corners to cram crap into.

[recycled sixtie]

Good thread Hugh. We live in a large city pop. one million. In the river valley here coyotes seem to be an increasing threat. A woman walking with her 3 dogs was threatened by a pack of 9 coyotes. She walked down to the river and stepped onto an ice flow to escape the coyotes. She got on her cell phone and called for help.
She did get help from fire dept. , police etc but coyotes badly injured one dog.

Other incident I have heard of was a pet dog wanders into the bush and does not return. Likely a coyote.

Recent trips to Palm Springs we have hiked lots but never seen a snake yet. Heard of one hiker sitting on a rock, puts his hand down, rattler feels threatened and bites the hiker. He went to a local doc's office but they had no snake antidote. It had to be helicoptered in. What the heck don't they stock this stuff?

Noticing in Palm Springs we witness road rage incident happening about once every trip. The bigger the city the worse it is. Not so much in our part of the world.

Used to live by myself in the country in an old farmhouse. Way too quiet for me. A plus about living in the city here is that we have a dentist and a doc within a 10 minute drive. That does mean a lot especially as we get older.
Guy.

[flatbutt]

I grew up in the city Paterson NJ. Even though I was born into the environment I was never quite comfortable there. Then as I became mobile and discovered the outlying areas of forest and farm I moved out as soon as I could. Yes NJ has forests and farms.

[willtel]

I'd like to live further from the city but the commute would kill me. Maybe when I retire in another 25-30 years.

That said I live within the city limits of Atlanta and I've seen whitetail deer, foxes, hawks, owls, coyotes, and of course raccoons and possums. A few years ago my dog was bitten by a copperhead in my yard.

It is funny to read my neighborhood message board seeing people concerned about coyotes that are snatching up house cats with regularity. One lady asked if there was some type of fence she could put up in her yard to keep snakes out.


Copperhead by willtel, on Flickr


Cooper's Hawk by willtel, on Flickr

[jwasbury]

I'm a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll

For nearly 10 years, Jersey City has been my home. For over 8 of those years, I have worked either in walking distance, or a few subway stops away in midtown Manhattan. So long as my workplace is in a densely populated area like the greater NYC metro zone, I need to live within walking or close mass transit range. I love cars and driving, but I loathe traffic. You easily can live without a car here, and many people do. I typically only drive on weekends, or later on weeknights. Newark airport is 10 miles, and from there you can go anywhere in the world.

I spent 10 years in Vermont, 5 of them in the boonies. 50 acres, heating with wood, shooting guns, riding 4 wheelers, etc. I like that too.

Today I am fortunate to enjoy the best of both worlds: row house apartment living during the week - in the heart of one of the greatest metropolitan areas on the planet, country home living on the weekends in Pennsylvania, 13 acres, privacy, peace & quiet, outdoor recreation. I've got the space, so future plans include an auto workshop with a lift.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Good quote, exactly how I feel. My next move will be out of the city. My wife and I have no desire for a huge fancy house, just take the one we live in today and plop it down on 20 acres somewhere, preferably with plenty of trees and a good fishing pond. It's common to say that good fences make good neighbors, I would contend that no neighbors make good neighbors.

+1

After 10+ years in southern CA jammed in close proximity with 7 million of my closest friends I'm never, ever going back to urban or communal living of any sort. I like my place in the country - I'm an hour from a major city but I can see stars (lots of them) at night, hear the blissful sound of silence, maybe leaves rustling or water running rather than the endless white noise of car tires on pavement, etc. no more dealing with a-hole neighbors, not being able to find a place to park, constantly worrying about thefts, break-ins or crime, insane ticky-tack local government laws, fees and fines, etc. I have a road on one side, conservation land on on another and the nearest neighbors house is about 200 yards away behind trees so I don't even know they're around. I like it.

I think people are like snow - they're (it's) occasionally pretty to look at and fun to be around but I want to go to them (it) on my own terms - when I want, not the other way around.

I'll never go back to urban living again. Suburban perhaps, rural certainly and I'll likely work in an urban area - I just don't want to ever live in one again.