Affordable places you would actually want to live

Otter said:
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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Both the US and Canada are good countries.

Both Americans and Canadians are good people in almost ALL cases.

My issue was that I was 22 and just graduated from UC Berkeley and moved to graduate school at UBC.

Canada is socially a very conservative country. It was even more so, in 1973. Being from Berkeley didn't help my perceptions.

I remember the Dean of the UBC forestry school saying "Sometimes I just wish the foreign students would just leave (he meant the Americans). Why don't they just keep their mouths shut, get the degree, and go off with good jobs??" At 22 getting a good job was the least of my concerns in graduate school.

I really had a problem with the Queen. In 1973, she was everywhere. On the money, at the post office.....EVERYWHERE. I know it sounds silly now but it reminded me of a gentle 1984!! Everywhere I turned there she WAS!!

The most serious issue was Canada's environmental record. It was awful. I could not see practicing forestry in Canada with my land ethic.

I do owe a debt of gratitude to Canada. I was born in Venezuela, raised by Ukrainian-White Russian parents, and educated in the US. I wasn't sure I was an American until I lived in Canada.

I pretty much lived with a 150 miles or less from the border after I left Canada. So I have spent lots of time up there. Now at 75, I do appreciate Canada much more than I did at 22.

I always liked the expression "children of a common mother", even though I myself was adopted.
 
509 said:
Both the US and Canada are good countries.

Both Americans and Canadians are good people in almost ALL cases.

My issue was that I was 22 and just graduated from UC Berkeley and moved to graduate school at UBC.

Canada is socially a very conservative country. It was even more so, in 1973. Being from Berkeley didn't help my perceptions.

I remember the Dean of the UBC forestry school saying "Sometimes I just wish the foreign students would just leave (he meant the Americans). Why don't they just keep their mouths shut, get the degree, and go off with good jobs??" At 22 getting a good job was the least of my concerns in graduate school.

I really had a problem with the Queen. In 1973, she was everywhere. On the money, at the post office.....EVERYWHERE. I know it sounds silly now but it reminded me of a gentle 1984!! Everywhere I turned there she WAS!!

The most serious issue was Canada's environmental record. It was awful. I could not see practicing forestry in Canada with my land ethic.

I do owe a debt of gratitude to Canada. I was born in Venezuela, raised by Ukrainian-White Russian parents, and educated in the US. I wasn't sure I was an American until I lived in Canada.

I pretty much lived with a 150 miles or less from the border after I left Canada. So I have spent lots of time up there. Now at 75, I do appreciate Canada much more than I did at 22.

I always liked the expression "children of a common mother", even though I myself was adopted.
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Sounds like you were too good for them. Get back to Berkeley where the beautiful, smart open minded people are
 
I appreciate your extra info, 509.

As to the Queen, we didn't gain full control over very important national matters, like our foreign relations, until 1982! It was a long time coming, with Canadian resentment of the UK's power over us going back to events like the UK's giveaway of SE Alaska to the states around 1903. The UK "owned" Canada back then, and ignored us in that dispute, favouring its relationship to the U.S. We lost over a third of our B.C. coast. Thankfully, I haven't seen the Queen's or King's portrait in any public place these days.

As to Canada's environmental failures, yes. B.C.'s forestry practices have been, and continue to be, horrible. As an angler, I only have to think about our decimated steelhead populations around Vancouver Island and the south mainland coasts. I think you were wise to avoid working in the industry up here. I don't know anything about U.S. forestry, but I hope it's better managed than ours has been, and that your career has been good.
 
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!
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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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ouch. a friend of mine, carpenter, got on the late night show, when he took the xray of his , i think, framing nail, into his leg, or arm... cant remember.
 
goinoregon said:
hmm, where were u at 22 dustin? i was in the army, i europe. maybe u were in puyallup?
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You'll have to translate this or distill down for the point. I'm pretty sure it's a sick burn and you're owning me but I don't get it. I definitely wasn't in Puyallup though.
 
Stonedfish said:
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
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Nothing like headin in to 'Worth and seeing the BARS LINE UP. Couple beers!!! Ah. What the helljust stop in to 'Worth for a few beers. Seeing the Bar Signs. CANT AFFORD TO LOSE THE BIG BAR CAPABILITIES OF 'WORTH!!!!
 
JimTravers¤£a!!Travers said:
Nothing like headin in to 'Worth and seeing the BARS LINE UP. Couple beers!!! Ah. What the helljust stop in to 'Worth for a few beers. Seeing the Bar Signs. CANT AFFORD TO LOSE THE BIG BAR CAPABILITIES OF 'WORTH!!!!
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It's a tourist trap catering to outdoor vomit enthusiasts that can't handle their Octoberfest pints. Not even any good fist fights, just sickness and weakness. Total bullshit. There's nothing more pathetic than a dude in lederhosen with a dad bod puking outside the hotel shuttle door as Mom distances herself by standing in the hotel alcove pretending not to be associated. The Worth is a worthless blight on the area now. Traffic, tourists, and that tacky ass theme park.
 
being retired, if we get into a smoke cycle from fires (this year was smoke free), we head to the coast and rent a house for a couple weeks at a time, Newport and Florence area our last two hangs, both good.
Forests throughout Canada and the US are becoming tinderboxes due to temps and disease, and nowhere is exempt from forest fire smoke adjacency.
 
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