Affordable places you would actually want to live

Mossback said:
My cousin has a cabin on the St Croix, they float in a drift boar and flyfish for Bass, it's in Wisconsin.
Area is nice, but too much winter for me.
:)
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We saw a couple boats come by. I caught a couple nice smallies there. It’s supposed to have good musky fishing. I ran into a water quality technician and he mentioned all the different species he’d caught in the river. One thing I read from the MN DNR was it has like 60 species of fish.
Totally different fishing than we have here.
SF
 
Shawn Seeger said:
So, today I was thinking more about this thread and several things to consider or keep in mind.

When your retired or planning on where you want to live (and maybe how), be 100% realistic and honest with yourself and partner. If you have always wanted to be a farmer or homesteader really do realistic don't fall for the social media everything is great BS. I have always been an outside and exposed to farming and I wanted to be away from the rush of cities.

* If you but land and want to"farm" or "homestead" this week take a lot of your time. I recently told my wife that maybe we should live in a condo because I could fish more. Like my spring trip (generally a month) when I get home I will be mowing and weed eating for a week! Then there will be tons of gardening prep/planting, etc.

* My brother is a bully haha, a few years ago he came up, and was pointing out what i was doing wrong in the garden. The things I needed to build or shore up. All the while just sitting in a camp chair watching me sweat expanding the garden "fortress". Then the final nail... he says "Remember you only have so many growing seasons, and every mistake shortens the number of seasons to be successful." This is VERY true! Also if your partner doesn't want to do gardening it will be all you!

* As someone who live and studies history, I came to understand and developed this quote "There is a reason you don't see pictures of FAT farm hands or cowboys!" The more property you have the more WORK you have! And as I am aging things get harder and get more! After pounding in 16 T-posts and wrapping the posts to keep the deer/elk from eating the new apple trees, my body HURT, and I had more to go!

Not complaining about any of this I love where I live and all I have to do, it's just not "sparkly and smiles" as online! Like the new chicken coop and run only cost me one trip to the ER (30 minutes away) after shooting a 3 inch 16 penny nail (that deflected off a knot) through 1 finger and part way into the next! That SH*T hurts! Especially having to slide the finger off the nail.
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The rewards are good at the end of the day!
View attachment 173187

I really hope you and anybody else that are looking are successful and you have a blessed and joy filled retirement!
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I can relate. People can tell when I’ve been working on a construction project by the smashed fingernails and other wounds. I live on 1/3 acre in town and that is plenty for me. Like you, every year gets more challenging managing our property. Not ready for condo life. Did that when we were looking for this house..We’ll be simplifying the landscaping on our property as we age. Will eventually hire someone to cut the grass and clean up the leaves in the fall, but we’re not ready for that yet.
 
Yeah they get muskies, pike, bass, walleye ...other stuff I can't remember

Cabin is about 90 minutes for the Twin Cities

They toss streamers and poppers at the bank out of the boat for smallies and then ge some bigger surprises.
 
Mossback said:
Yeah they get muskies, pike, bass, walleye ...other stuff I can't remember

Cabin is about 90 minutes for the Twin Cities

They toss streamers and poppers at the bank out of the boat for smallies and then ge some bigger surprises.
Click to expand...

I talked to the guy (John) who runs Great Lakes fly shop in Duluth. He used to live out here.
He shared some great stories about fishing in that area. I’d like to float the upper Mississippi in the fall some day for big ass smallies.
SF
 
Yeah they get big 'uns up there, my cousin takes his canoe up there, and to BWCAW for camping and fishing.

Bugs....like lots of them.
🤣
 
2 seasons up there

Winter and Road Construction

When I was a kid, we'd go there on vacation
Bugs...just like swarms of them.
I fished for bluegills, crappie, sunfish all the usual kid fish.
The older folks fished for Pike, Muskie and such.
After all that was out of the way we'd load up on Walleye for eating, and Sauger if they were around.
 
Shawn Seeger said:
So, today I was thinking more about this thread and several things to consider or keep in mind.

When your retired or planning on where you want to live (and maybe how), be 100% realistic and honest with yourself and partner. If you have always wanted to be a farmer or homesteader really do realistic don't fall for the social media everything is great BS. I have always been an outside and exposed to farming and I wanted to be away from the rush of cities.

* If you but land and want to"farm" or "homestead" this week take a lot of your time. I recently told my wife that maybe we should live in a condo because I could fish more. Like my spring trip (generally a month) when I get home I will be mowing and weed eating for a week! Then there will be tons of gardening prep/planting, etc.

* My brother is a bully haha, a few years ago he came up, and was pointing out what i was doing wrong in the garden. The things I needed to build or shore up. All the while just sitting in a camp chair watching me sweat expanding the garden "fortress". Then the final nail... he says "Remember you only have so many growing seasons, and every mistake shortens the number of seasons to be successful." This is VERY true! Also if your partner doesn't want to do gardening it will be all you!

* As someone who live and studies history, I came to understand and developed this quote "There is a reason you don't see pictures of FAT farm hands or cowboys!" The more property you have the more WORK you have! And as I am aging things get harder and get more! After pounding in 16 T-posts and wrapping the posts to keep the deer/elk from eating the new apple trees, my body HURT, and I had more to go!

Not complaining about any of this I love where I live and all I have to do, it's just not "sparkly and smiles" as online! Like the new chicken coop and run only cost me one trip to the ER (30 minutes away) after shooting a 3 inch 16 penny nail (that deflected off a knot) through 1 finger and part way into the next! That SH*T hurts! Especially having to slide the finger off the nail.
View attachment 173186
View attachment 173184
View attachment 173183

The rewards are good at the end of the day!
View attachment 173187

I really hope you and anybody else that are looking are successful and you have a blessed and joy filled retirement!
Click to expand...
Not to make light of you or your injury, but if I could remove the nail myself, I skipped the hospital visit. That's kind of how it is when it's a semi-regular occurrence.
Except for that time I slightly pierced my eardrum. The boss made me go afraid that I would lose my balance or something. That incident did not involve a nail gun or I wouldn't be here to talk about it. :)
 
Evan B said:
I consider myself quite tech savvy and do everything I can to keep up on staying that way.

But if I could dial back our computer technology to like... 2006, I would. Right before algorithmic social media and news feeds, before AI, and a long list of other things. Back when the internet was fun and not a giant revenue-generating behemoth for major tech companies.

For example: This very forum style you're on here is a relic from that era that stood the test of time. But it also struggles to hold the attention of anyone much younger then mid 30s or so since they were too young to appreciate that era of awesome internet.
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Great thread. I've enjoyed and got something useful out of every post. I have nothing to add to the core topic that hasn't been said already, and much too think about around the ascendance of AI and best places to inhabit in an AI world.

I've re-posted Evan's post; can't say 'yeah verily' loud enough. Something went into high gear when tech companies became extremely adept at being digital 'hoovers' giving away free services in order to suck up information and sell it to the highest bidder -- it's been rightly called surveillance capitalism. AI is the latest and perhaps most disturbing tool(weapon?) being used to that end. I don't have a recipe for unwinding surveillance capitalism. I do suspect that real people having thoughtful and meaningful conversations like this is a big part of it.

Apologies to the OP if this is too far off topic.
 
the_grube said:
Great thread. I've enjoyed and got something useful out of every post. I have nothing to add to the core topic that hasn't been said already, and much too think about around the ascendance of AI and best places to inhabit in an AI world.

I've re-posted Evan's post; can't say 'yeah verily' loud enough. Something went into high gear when tech companies became extremely adept at being digital 'hoovers' giving away free services in order to suck up information and sell it to the highest bidder -- it's been rightly called surveillance capitalism. AI is the latest and perhaps most disturbing tool(weapon?) being used to that end. I don't have a recipe for unwinding surveillance capitalism. I do suspect that real people having thoughtful and meaningful conversations like this is a big part of it.

Apologies to the OP if this is too far off topic.
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Just get the robot girlfriend already and consume the food like substance and shut up already.

Sincerely,

Your overlords
 
If you angle with an old Hardy Perfect those evil forces will stay afar.
 
Shawn Seeger said:
Hey @jaredoconnor another thing to consider is what does the night sky look like...

I love stepping outside to take a pee before bed, listening to the night sounds and looking up! Being able to see the stars/planets/comets/northern lots is AWESOME!
View attachment 173228

Seattle makes a LOT of light pollution really visible on high cloud cover nights.
View attachment 173229

Small things matter too...
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I like welcoming Orion back this time of year!
 
Shawn Seeger said:
Hey @jaredoconnor another thing to consider is what does the night sky look like...

I love stepping outside to take a pee before bed, listening to the night sounds and looking up! Being able to see the stars/planets/comets/northern lots is AWESOME!
View attachment 173228

Seattle makes a LOT of light pollution really visible on high cloud cover nights.
View attachment 173229

Small things matter too...
Click to expand...

Since that light source looks to be slightly NW of you, I’d consider blaming it on my old home town, Tacoma.
SF
 
Shawn Seeger said:
Hey @jaredoconnor another thing to consider is what does the night sky look like...

I love stepping outside to take a pee before bed, listening to the night sounds and looking up! Being able to see the stars/planets/comets/northern lots is AWESOME!
View attachment 173228

Seattle makes a LOT of light pollution really visible on high cloud cover nights.
View attachment 173229

Small things matter too...
Click to expand...
I can see the light pollution dome from Seattle at my house in Wenatchee. That is an incredible waste of electricity.

Good thing that Seattle is covered in clouds most of the time.
 
Yeah, Seattle is the only city on the I-5 or 405 corridor that uses lights and wastes electricity. 😂😂😂
SF
 
Buzzy said:
Come on Brian - Chelan County PUD gifts electricity to the major tourist attractions - why not turn on the lights?

View attachment 173237


I don't think anyone ever said "Will the last person leaving Leavenworth, turn out the lights".

☮️​

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Pat,
Once they turn them on, I’ll be sure to complain about the Leavenworth light pollution I can see from my house…..in Seattle. 😉😂
SF
 
509 said:
But in the early 1970'd when I moved to Vancouver, I found it to be a incredible city. Unfortunately, it had lots of Canadians!!! I would get together with other immigrants and we would tell Canadian jokes. I did make an exception for Albertans and French-Canadians, but those "English" Canadians were a different kettle of fish. I left as quickly as I could.

Don't believe those stereotypes everybody quotes. I moved from Berkeley to southern Idaho and met the LDS church. They were wonderful folks, and though our lifestyles and values, were pretty different I had a great time with them.

I moved to Coeur d'Alene thinking my southern Idaho experience was typical of Idaho. Nah, the folks in North Idaho had more in common with Canadians!! It was awful.
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I’m surprised to hear that you had such a negative experience in my country back in the 70s. That was a pretty laid back era. Give us another try sometime. But be prepared; we might be worse now!
 
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