# Tell us about where you live



## Kaya (May 16, 2014)

Not exactly where you live, mind you. This IS the 'net and one must be careful what one posts. But in general...what you like about your town or area. And if you have pics..that would be great too.  I know we have a lot of people across the pond...so I think it would be neat to hear what it is like in your neck of the woods. 

For myself, I live in a beautiful little town about 15 miles from a pretty big town. We have a few gas stations, two grocery stores. The weather here usually stays around the middle 60's and 70's all year. I like it here because it is not too hot nor cold. I have lived here for 25 years and hope I can stay until I go meet my maker but since I rent, that is up to the landlord. I have my furbaby that I walk when I can, otherwise I stay in my back yard garden during the day when not online. 

And you?


----------



## Steve (May 16, 2014)

We live in a small village (980 people) just on top of Lake Huron in Northern Ontario..
We moved in this area when I retired in 1997 from Montreal and simply love the quiet life..
We have an "A" Frame house sitting on one acre of land sourrounded by forest.. Loads of wild animals such as Black Bears, Foxes, Grey Wolves, Timber Wolves, Coyotes, Racoons, Deer, Moose, and tons of Rabbits..

Our village doesn't have very many stores but we seem to get almost everything except a grocery store which is about 25kms east from us..

Winters are long and somewhat cold, but that is what we want as we do enjoy the out of doors in winter as well as the summer..

I have a Bass boat and do lots of fishing in season..  All kinds of fish but mostly Musky.. Fill up the freezer with our caught fish for winter.......
We have a travel trailer (21ft. Prowler) that we use often in the summer to get away..

I can go on and on but I think this pretty well sums it up..........

Like my dear wife says.... "Its a great life if you don't weaken"......


----------



## littleowl (May 17, 2014)

Our Village


----------



## Bullie76 (May 17, 2014)

littleowl said:


> Our Village



Very nice. 

I grew up and live in central Mississippi. My town(pop 40k) is fairly small, but big enough for me. Pretty terrain with nice rolling hills. Nothing like the flatlands of the MS delta. 

I also have a condo on the AL coast with a pretty view of one of the back bays. Totally different environment from my home town with a lot more people during the tourist season. A nice change for me, but nothing like going back home after a visit.


----------



## Justme (May 17, 2014)

We live in a semi-rural village where the people are very friendly.


----------



## Kaya (May 17, 2014)

Is that what is called a thatched roof, littleowl? Love it!


----------



## Ruth (May 24, 2014)

I grew up in one of the largest southern cities in the South (USA). At retirement we moved 100 miles away to a small agricultural town of 30,000 population and lived among horse pastures and corn fields for 12 years. Newly divorced, I am back in my big city. 

I did not like small town life as everyone knows your business.


----------



## CPA-Kim (May 24, 2014)

The view from my home office.  I live on a small lake in a coastal community located in Florida.  I work as a college professor/CPA and have been here since 1978.  I moved here from a small village in Upstate NY.


----------



## DRK (May 24, 2014)

Here is a photo montage of our area of Wisconsin.


----------



## Kaya (May 24, 2014)

Nice.


----------



## BDBoop (May 24, 2014)

DRK said:


> Here is a photo montage of our area of Wisconsin.
> 
> View attachment 6923



/waves

Howdy, neighbor! I'm in the next state over. I do believe you have our football team, yes?


----------



## Capt Lightning (May 25, 2014)

When you live in rural Scotland today, you might as well be on the moon.  I live in a 'planned village' which was founded 250 year ago.  These were villages built to house estate workers and initially were fairly self contained communities.  Looking at old maps and parish records, this village once had two churches (The kirk and the free church), two schools (the village school and the free church school) , a hotel,a blacksmith,several shops - even a local police constable.

Today, although many of the original houses remain, all the ameanities have gone as families left to work in the cities and the government concentrated on improving the larger towns.  This leaves the village more of a hamlet with a lot of in-comers and retirees, but few local residents.  The nearest shop and health centre are 3 miles away, and the nearest large stores are 14 miles.

On the positive side, is is a beautiful area, virtually crime free and where people look after one another.  In other areas, a village like this would be an expensive area to live in, but prices here are very modest.  It is mainly an arable farming area, with emphasis on barley for the whisky industry.  It's also only a few miles from the sea and a number of Scotland's  main fishing ports.

 I've posted several pictures of the area in previous posts, but here are a few more...



Notice the distinctive colour of the sky over the sea.



The river Spey - one of the world's great salmon rivers

.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





MacDuff - one of the local fishing ports.  Fish and Shellfish landed here will probably be on the tables of posh London and Paris restaurants that evening.


----------



## Warrigal (May 25, 2014)

I live in a suburb of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, Australia.

Here is what is happening in Sydney right now: http://www.vividsydney.com/?gclid=CJ7Ozfrvxr4CFQpxvAodO44APg


----------



## rkunsaw (May 25, 2014)

We had this thread once before. I still live on 25 acres with a 6 acre lake behind the house. We are located just outside the city limits of Clarksville, Arkansas, population about 9,000. A few pictures are in my albums.


----------



## littleowl (May 25, 2014)

Yep it is a thatched roof


----------



## Pappy (May 25, 2014)

My summers are spent here at Sylvan Beach, NY. A small resort town located on the Barge Canal and Oneida Lake.


----------



## Bullie76 (May 25, 2014)

DRK said:


> Here is a photo montage of our area of Wisconsin.
> 
> View attachment 6923



Nice but no pictures of a block of cheese?  There is an old country store about 40 miles from here that sells Wisconsin hoop cheese. A friend of mine stops by the store every couple off weeks and buys a pound. He  loves the stuff. Every now and then I'll have him buy me a chunk, but I'm not into it as much as him. It is good stuff though. Hoop cheese was the standard back when I was a kid, but hard to find in your average grocery store around here today.

Lots of pretty pictures here. Would love to visit Scotland and Australia one day.


----------



## Jackie22 (May 25, 2014)

I live in a small rural community in North East Texas....a lot of agriculture around here, the main farming and ranching product is cattle and hay, the last 6 or 7 years we have been cursed with drought and high temperatures, I live in the country and have 50 acres of land that I lease out for the hay.  I have lost many huge oak trees due to the drought, this is heart breaking, but right now everything is beautiful and green.


----------



## Falcon (May 25, 2014)

I live on a hillside on the Palos Verdes peninsula overlooking the Los Angeles harbor. Always something of interest
going on there. We have many vacant rolling hills surrounding us and have several nightly visitors on my patio in the
form of small feral animals; raccoons, possums etc.  and all sorts of birds;crows, seagulls. hummers, hawks, sparrows etc.
Had the house built in '59 and still love the area.


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

_*I live in the Pacific NW..It used to be a small town, but not anymore, but its home. I spend a lot of time in my back yard. *_


----------



## CPA-Kim (May 25, 2014)

Beautiful back yard.  Very peaceful.


----------



## Raven (May 25, 2014)

Good topic Kaya.  It is interesting to read where other members live and I enjoyed the lovely pictures.
My husband and I live in a rural country area.  We have a large lot, 1 3/4 acres so do a small bit of gardening.
On one side and the back of our yard are farmer's fields.  They have different crops, sometimes grain, corn or hay.
The closest small general store is 3 miles away, also a church.  The fire department is 5 miles as is the post office.
We get our groceries and do errands in the nearest town about 14 miles from us.
Where we live is quiet and peaceful and we know almost all of the folks in this small community.


----------



## Raven (May 25, 2014)

Vixenator,  If My backyard was as lovely as yours I would spend a lot of time there.
It is beautiful!


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

Raven said:


> Vixenator,  If My backyard was as lovely as yours I would spend a lot of time there.
> It is beautiful!



Thank you, Raven. That is just one spot of it, I will probably share more, as it is my hobby.. I've lived in a rural area like you, a few times. Loved it when our sons were young, and when my husband first retired, but now that I am on my own, I like being closer to everything, but still feel like I have a little oasis, even though I have neighbors..


----------



## Bettyann (May 25, 2014)

As you can see on my post info, I live in Denver...since '74 and just love it. I love in Capitol Hill where there is SO much diversity, so many life styles, and, for the largest part, people get long together just fine...live and let live. 
I was raised in a tiny town of around 250...and also taught in small towns (mostly in Kansas) and you could not PAY me to live in one again... (the exception being a tourist town like Georgetown, CO) ... I have a very difficult time with narrow minded people who generally populate small towns... 
Small towns tend to be very provincial...not my thing.
Then again, I guess I sound narrow minded about narrow minded people.  I have heard the remark, "oh yeah, he has such an open mind that you could drive a Mack Truck through it" ... well, at least SOMETHING can get through!


----------



## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

Love your yard, Vixenator. I love being in mine too, but the past few days have been June Gloom.

I live on the central california coast, halfway between SF and LA. I love it here because the weather stays 60 to 70 year round with a few cold months now and then. 

I won't say exactly where I live due to this being the internet and people who have nefarious natures. Suffice it to say...it is very pretty here near Hearst Castle.


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

Kaya said:


> Love your yard, Vixenator. I love being in mine too, but the past few days have been June Gloom.
> 
> I live on the central california coast, halfway between SF and LA. I love it here because the weather stays 60 to 70 year round with a few cold months now and then.
> 
> I won't say exactly where I live due to this being the internet and people who have nefarious natures. Suffice it to say...it is very pretty here near Hearst Castle.





 I have been there. Lived in the Bay area a time or two over my lifetime. My hubby was in construction and we moved a lot. As a child I moved a lot as well..It is nice to finally be settled. Petaluma was the last city I lived in down there, and loved it out of all the other areas..


----------



## GeorgiaXplant (May 25, 2014)

*DRK*...I was born in the UP because that's where the hospital was (and still is!) so I'm a native Yooper, but my parents took me home to Hurley. Yup. Hurley. As in Hurley, Hayward and Hell. Two brothers, three sisters and an aunt still live there.


----------



## Bettyann (May 25, 2014)

Pappy, that place is absolutely beautiful!! Thanks for sharing it!
:wow:


----------



## BDBoop (May 25, 2014)

Bettyann said:


> Pappy, that place is absolutely beautiful!! Thanks for sharing it!
> :wow:



Isn't it just!?


----------



## Pappy (May 25, 2014)

Thank you. It is a charming place during the week. Bike rides along the lake and canal and so quiet until the weekends and holidays. This place really jumps then.


----------



## BDBoop (May 25, 2014)

Pappy said:


> Thank you. It is a charming place during the week. Bike rides along the lake and canal and so quiet until the weekends and holidays. This place really jumps then.



Sounds like Stillwater, MN. Crazy busy on the weekends, nowhere to park ... I sometimes thought they should open a parking lot down the way, and shuttle bus people in.


----------



## BobF (May 25, 2014)

Nice reading all these various places where it is home to some.   Surely nice to read all those California names.    Petaluma was where my sister in law and husband lived for many years.    Brother in law is now gone and I believe sister in law has moved to a care home nearby.   I would consider moving back to California but don't believe I could afford it these days.   Back in the 1960's we bought a brand new home in San Jose for $14,600.    Last I check on that address a couple years ago it was close to $500,000.   Small house on a small lot, certainly not worth anywhere near that much.   Other parts of California are just as high and some areas much higher.   I traveled south and north on the coastal road when living in California.    Very pretty drives.   I also lived in San Diego, before the big explosion in population, could not find a job so moved a bit north and tried to live in Los Angeles area.    I stayed with friends and visited many plants but finding a job was hit and miss so I went to San Jose and again lived with friends.   This time I got lucky and found good temporary work that eventually grew into a permanent job.   But after a short bit, got married, started a family of boy then girl, and the company I was working with offered a job to me in South Florida, so we went to Florida for a few years then up north into Colorado for my sons better health.   Stayed in Colorado till I retired.   After retiring I moved to south west corner of Colorado and until two years ago was quite happy where we lived.    Then my lungs started to fail at 6,300 fft altitude so I was told to get air tanks or move to lower altitude.   So now we live in south Arizona between Phoenx and Tucson.

Still liked Californa but will never think of living there again.   Too expensive and the state government is runniing bankrupt so hard to see them as long term protectors of the elder ones.
.


----------



## BDBoop (May 25, 2014)

@BobF - I have a friend who is a physicist, he and his wife moved to Chicago because the Cali cost-of-living was so insanely high. I can't imagine having his career, and not being able to make it on one income (and have kids), but he assures me it really is just that bad.


----------



## i_am_Lois (May 25, 2014)

I lived most of my life in Philadelphia, PA. It was a life of living in a row home. There is so much to see and do there. I was never bored. Public transportation will take you easily and afford-ably anywhere you want to go. Chinatown, the Italian market, the zoo, the Reading terminal market, South street, Penn's Landing, Pennypack Park, or the historical district. There are several huge malls, too large to go through & see everything in one day. There are many museums.

Life in a big city is noisy. Crime is a problem. The cost of living is high. The winters in Philadelphia are harsh.

I now live in Palm Bay, Florida. There is very little to see and do. Here people live in single homes.

The cost of living is cheaper here in Palm Bay, the weather is warm year round, and crime doesn't seem to be a problem.


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

BobF said:


> Nice reading all these various places where it is home to some.   Surely nice to read all those California names.    Petaluma was where my sister in law and husband lived for many years.    Brother in law is now gone and I believe sister in law has moved to a care home nearby.   I would consider moving back to California but don't believe I could afford it these days.   Back in the 1960's we bought a brand new home in San Jose for $14,600.    Last I check on that address a coupld years ago it was close to $500,000.   Small house on a small lot, certainly not worth anywhere near that much.   Other parts of California are just as high and some areas much higher.   I traveled south and north on the coastal road when living in California.    Very pretty drives.   I also lived in San Diego, before the big explosion in population, could not find a job so moved a bit north and tried to live in Los Angeles area.    I stayed with friends and visited many plants but finding a job was hit and miss so I went to San Jose and again lived with friends.   This time I got lucky and found good temporary work that eventually grew into a permanent job.   But after a short bit, got married, started a family of boy then girl, and the company I was working with offered a job to me in South Florida, so we went to Florida for a few years then up north into Colorado for my sons better health.   Stayed in Colorado till I retired.   After retiring I moved to south west corner of Colorado and until two years ago was quite happy where we lived.    Then my lungs started to fail at 6,300 fft altitude so I was told to get air tanks or move to lower altitude.   So now we live in south Arizona between Phoenx and Tucson.
> 
> Still liked Californa but will never think of living there again.   Too expensive and the state government is runniing bankrupt so hard to see them as long term protectors of the elder ones.
> .



Hi Bob. When my husband had to retire at age 49, we had to leave, because of the cost of living. The hard part was leaving our sons that were there. But two of them moved up here a few years after us. My oldest is still down there, I think he is now a Californian, even though his roots are here where I live. I miss my grands down there, as I have not got to have them spend the night with me, or spoil them rotten, then take them home, like the ones here..Of course now the grands are at ages where their friends are all important, and grammy is loved, but not visited like she once was. I can remember when they didn't want to go home..I guess that is life with most everyone..
Nice to meet you..


----------



## Bettyann (May 25, 2014)

The message you wrote, Vixenator, brought a tear to my eye... its just part of the 'stages' ... but I promise you this...the old THEY get, the more they will love you... You are indelibly written on their hearts.:love_heart:


----------



## BDBoop (May 25, 2014)

Agreed with Bettyann, and I would know. My grandmother is written at the top of my heart, I will never forget how much love she showed me. /watery grin


----------



## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

Hi BobF. 
I wound up here after trying very hard to get to Maui. Never did make it. And now I am too old for the adventure, plus there is no way to get the furbabies there because I refuse to put them in cargo on a plane. Can't afford a boat either. So...here I am. And the only reason I can stay here is because I rent out rooms in my rental house. Hubby and I could not make it on his SS alone and I don't get mine until November. So we make due with roomies.
If we have to move from here...and we might have to...we plan to head north but stay in california because we are on cencal (medi-cal). So after doing my homework the past 6 months, I found that Alturas, Chico, Redding, Susanville...all those places have less rent and they are not in the nasty valley. Fresno is number one of the WORST air places to live in ALL the USA!! Imagine that. ALL the usa, Fresno is number one. It has been Bakersfield for years but Bakes has begun cleaning up their stink and now it all floated to Fresno. Ewww. No way will I live there. Hot, nasty, dirty, too many gangs. So...northern california for me WHEN we have to move. We thought of Arizona near Camp Verde because hubbys family is on the rez there, but...too hot. However, who knows where we will land. We might just throw our hands up and buy a cargo van and live in that..and travel wherever we want. We will cross that bridge when we get to it.


----------



## BDBoop (May 25, 2014)

My neck of the woods. 



> The ParkScore numbers are based on three factors: the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk from a park, median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks, and a combination of the number of playgrounds per 10,000 residents and per-capita park spending, the AP reports.
> 
> The rankings looked at the 50 largest U.S. cities and scored them on a scale up to 100. *Minneapolis's score of 81* earned a "five park benches" rating. According to the Pioneer Press, it's the first time a city has received that distinction since the Trust has been compiling the ParkScore numbers.
> 
> New York City came in second with a score of 73.5, followed by a third-place tie between San Francisco, Sacramento, and Boston at 72.5.



http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/...on_according_to_the_trust_for_public_land.php


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

Bettyann said:


> The message you wrote, Vixenator, brought a tear to my eye... its just part of the 'stages' ... but I promise you this...the old THEY get, the more they will love you... You are indelibly written on their hearts.:love_heart:



Thank you, for that, Bettyann. :love_heart:


----------



## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

I just took pics of my living room (back yard).


----------



## Harley (May 25, 2014)

That is gorgeous!! You're a great designer..Love it!!


----------



## Phantom (May 25, 2014)

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/wodonga/photos/


----------



## Ina (May 25, 2014)

Kaya, What a wonderful place to daydream, or just reflect on the many in your day.:happy::happy:


----------



## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

Thanks, guys!! I do enjoy it out there but all day today it was overcast. Sun finally came out, so I took pics.


----------



## BobF (May 25, 2014)

Kaya said:


> Hi BobF.
> I wound up here after trying very hard to get to Maui. Never did make it. And now I am too old for the adventure, plus there is no way to get the furbabies there because I refuse to put them in cargo on a plane. Can't afford a boat either. So...here I am. And the only reason I can stay here is because I rent out rooms in my rental house. Hubby and I could not make it on his SS alone and I don't get mine until November. So we make due with roomies.
> If we have to move from here...and we might have to...we plan to head north but stay in california because we are on cencal (medi-cal). So after doing my homework the past 6 months, I found that Alturas, Chico, Redding, Susanville...all those places have less rent and they are not in the nasty valley. Fresno is number one of the WORST air places to live in ALL the USA!! Imagine that. ALL the usa, Fresno is number one. It has been Bakersfield for years but Bakes has begun cleaning up their stink and now it all floated to Fresno. Ewww. No way will I live there. Hot, nasty, dirty, too many gangs. So...northern california for me WHEN we have to move. We thought of Arizona near Camp Verde because hubbys family is on the rez there, but...too hot. However, who knows where we will land. We might just throw our hands up and buy a cargo van and live in that..and travel wherever we want. We will cross that bridge when we get to it.



If you go to northern California you can find lots of nice places to live.   Go at least 100 miles north of San Francisco and stay towards the coastal areas.   Too close to the coast and you have fog and other problems but if you go too far east you get into some mountain type desert lands with few trees and lots of low growth plants and much drier than the coastal areas.   Takes some looking and thinking before making the move.   One thing to consider would be the volcanic activity under ground.   It seems that I have read something about that hot stuff up through central California.   A few years back one of California's volcano's blew its top.   Due to my aging brain I can't always remember what I have read, just the subject and not many details.

Hope it all works out well for you.
.


----------



## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

I have never heard of a volcano in California erupting. I have lived here all my life and was born here.
I like the Chico area because it is Pine trees and mountainish further up but I also hear it is very hot during the summer too. So I am not sure what we will do to be honest. I am leaning towards getting an RV and just going where we want.


----------



## BobF (May 26, 2014)

OK, I was wrong in thinking Mt St Helens was in California, but that was the big bang I remembered.   While living in San Jose I did tour one such location a short distance south of San Jose, I don't remember a name of the place but it could not have been too far south.    Just looked at a map and it might have been Pinnacles Park or area

Read from this San Diego publication.   It tells of a number of volcano areas in California.

http://readercity.com/products/2-ni...-suite-with-breakfast-margaritas-and-massages
.


----------



## Harley (May 26, 2014)

BobF said:


> OK, I was wrong in thinking Mt St Helens was in California, but that was the big bang I remembered.   While living in San Jose I did tour one such location a short distance south of San Jose, I don't remember a name of the place but it could not have been too far south.    Just looked at a map and it might have been Pinnacles Park or area
> 
> Read from this San Diego publication.   It tells of a number of volcano areas in California.
> 
> ...



We lived through the Mt St Helens deal..ash everywhere. The day it went off we did not know, as we were out with our children in the car, when the sky started turning black, then stuff was falling out of it. We stopped at the local cafe on our way home and found out what had happened. We had to stay in our home for three days. With 3 boys, that was tough..lol..My husband did go to work, but it was very scary. 
Also lived through the 89 earthquake in CA. btw, Kaya, Chico, does get hot. Too hot for me.. We had thought of northern CA as well, but decided to come back home to the PNW.


----------



## Kaya (May 26, 2014)

Still not sure what we are going to do. If chico is hot as Fresno and Bakes...then maybe I am looking in the wrong place. It was cheaper there, hence my focusing on it.


----------



## BobF (May 26, 2014)

That central valley goes to extremes as I remember.    Have you tried staying along 101 if looking for cooler temps?
.


----------



## Mrs. Robinson (May 26, 2014)

I live in Lakeport,CA,on Clear Lake,the largest natural lake entirely confined within the California borders. We do have a volcanic mountain but I doubt that anything will ever happen there-certainly not in our lifetime. We do get pretty warm here in the summer, but not like Fresno as we have the coastal influence and always have a breeze on the hottest days. Rents here are among the lowest in California and the air was once again determined to be the cleanest in the United States!


----------

