Country living isn't exactly glorious sometimes

Makes me wonder why we continue to live out here on occasion. Got back from Toledo Bend after six days. PTO on tractor has decided not to engage for some reason - I'll look at it this weekend. The Cushman electric cart having problems as well. Gauge on the charge indicator showed low, so I plugged it in after checking the water level on all batteries. I could hear water boiling as well as a distinctive smell coming from them a short while later. Not good, unplugged it - I'll look at it this weekend. Fallen leaves are everywhere and I have to tend with them.

Trying to finish the addition at the same time. I leave for work for 11 hours a day, dark when I leave and dark when I get home this time of year. Weekends out here are sun up to sun down to keep up. Then there is the big garden..... Fellas, think about it before deciding to live in the country. One of these days I'll be able to post regular on fish being caught. Sorry the rant, close to being burnt out.

sorry ya workin so hard!!! sounds like ya need a "boy Friday"!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been here out in the country living on my farm for 39 years now....yep I have some days like your talking about but.......I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by "G"

I have been here out in the country living on my farm for 39 years now....yep I have some days like your talking about but.......I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

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X2!

I have lived in the country all my life other than a few years after high school and I have also had days like you are talking about but I too, wouldn't have it any other way! Hang in there Randy, it WILL get better!

Hey Randy......remember what you always say......life is good

Good morning Randy, I'm with you brother...... I wonder daily about selling out and moving to the lake and just fishing instead of dealing with the upkeep. We are on a 300 acre farm and lease out 150 acres to hay farmers but the rest is high mantinence . I could live at the lake and cut the grass once a week and fish. But my wife Hates the lake sooooo I guess I'll man up and enjoy the fruits of hard work on the farm....... It's all good

"with age, comes wisdom"...........

Thanks fellas, it'll all work out as usual.

Randy, here's what you do. Forget the leaves, they'll take care of themselves besides they haven't all fell yet anyway. For the cart and the tractor, whack em with the hammer, if that don't fix it your gonna have to spend some money on em. One of those two options should clear it right up. Lastly for the addition, if the winds blowing like a hurricane work on the addition, otherwise go fishing......

Country livin wasn't meant to be glamorous, but i do hope it gets better....... :fish

P.S, Santa says hi :santa

Country living all the way.

I don't live in the country, but even my meager 1 acre yard is more than enough to try to keep up with, while the wife and kids keep me hopping on weekends. I'll have to go with everyone's comments...it'll get better...but I like Jimmy's idea the most. Forget the leaves and split the work/fishing time.....this time of year it seems there are plenty of non-fishable days available. We can always vent our frustrations to friends, but...I think most of us on the board are still better off than some folks out there, still blessed in many ways, with a sprinkle of challenge on top. :) Keep your chin up Mr. Randy!

Yo Randy. Got to let you know. After 30 years taking care of just 20 acres and working on the railroad............'bout to change it all. Put our 20 acres on the market and
looking for a place on or near the lake to really retire from all the maintenance required to keep it all looking good. Going a little further into the country with only an
acre to tend. Got to get more involved with the reason for retirement. Travel & fish places that interest me before I can no longer pull the 5th wheel. Fought the last
12 years to enjoy tending the 20 acres and home and work in some fishing time too. Finally getting tired of all the work and just want to play. Worked hard to make a
lot happen in my 72 years, now it's time to have lots of fun.

I hear you Joe, it's just acreage makes good neighbors.

I am with Joe......I am gonna scale down.....going to sell 241 acres and keep my house and ten acres.

"G", Joe has the right idea. Sounds like a good plan to me. Wish I had a nearby lake to retire to.
"gene"

When I look at game pics like these, it kinda brings a tear to my eyes knowing they will miss me.

Attachment 181543Attachment 181544Attachment 181545

Congrats Joe. Guess I learned early to not be a slave to maintaining a big place. But we all know when the timing is right for ourselves.

I look at it like this....we all have the freedom to choose the path we take.....Randy (and Cappy) loves what he is doing.....I can see it in all his posts.....and I love to read them.....he is in "hog Heaven".....I am very happy for him that he has found something that gives him such great pleasure....live your dream......

Joe, I'm living on .28 acres roughly 12,000 sq. ft. On that small plot I have two gardens, one 23' X 35' and one 20' X 20'. In those two small plots I raise all the snapbeans I can eat plus give a bunch away to the kids. Beside all we ate fresh and what we gave away, we canned 50 quarts to use during the winter. The same for okra, we ate and gave away a bunch and we put up 50 plus quart bags of smothered okra in the freezer. It has onions and Rotel in it and ready to make a gumbo or just smothered over rice. In the fall I plant onions, beets, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and who knows what else. I also have 6 hens which give us 3 dozen eggs a week plus do all the weeding and bug eating in my fig orchard. Oh, and I have 21 fig trees in the ground plus another 100 or so in pots and one peach tree. l have a tangerine tree that bears hundreds of taste oranges and a grape vine. Along one fence I have 15 or so blackberry vines which are great for fresh eating or making jelly.I have a loquat (japan plum) and had a mulberry tree but the squirrels killed that one by eating all the bark off of it. I have another young one to replace it with. I'm in the process of building a greenhouse that is 10' X 16'. Looking forward to fresh tomatoes next winter or even later this winter. Even with all of that I still have some space available. So don't think that downsizing means that you have to do without, it just means you have to think about it a little bit and then go wide open. Dag-gone-it, I'm tired just thinking about all I did this past year and what I have to look forward to next year. Life is good and God is Great.
"gene"

Great post, Gene. You makin' the most out of life!

Leaves are finally down (we have very large trees):

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Satsuma's doing well, too many actually:

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Lemons as well:

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Grapefruit coming along nicely:

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Serious produce this year. Gathered some palmetto seeds from one of my plants:

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I start them and tend to them. Difficult, takes a long time. Give them away to friends. One of my beds:

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All is well. Thanks for looking.

Beautiful photos Randy. Somehow age snuck upon me and work has become a four letter word. While I can, I need to catch up on crappie fishing and cookin' 'em
in my deep fryer. Miller Lite has become my marinade for soakin' steaks and chasin' 'em down. Would probably find Toledo Bend more to my liking for winter fun
and Colorado for the summer heat. Still giving some thought to which way we might go.

Retired RR --- Stay out of Tornado Alley, There are not enough Lakes there.

He needs to head over to the Toledo Bend area so we can visit him - I know I will.