[yorkiemini]

Originally Posted by Smokey2011

City folks, me included at one time, dont realize the challanges of living in the country. I got tired of the city and moved to upstate Vermont to get away from it all. I could walk to the Canadian border. The nearest big city in the US was 3 hours away and accessible only by back roads. The nearest Walmart was 3.5 hours away unless I wanted to go to the one in Canada, which was a 'close in' 1 hour up the road a piece. I had to order every thing online, including bed linens, small appliances and underwear because there was nothing to choose from 'in town'. TOWN consisted of one street with 6 operational stores and 15 abandoned storefronts. The local 45 bed hospital was only a place where you either went to get born or to die.

I lived at the end of a dirt road which was icy and treacherous in the winter and all mud in the spring and fall. Power outages were frequent and could last for days. My annual heating bill was $6000. During one particularly bad blizzard I didnt leave the house for 10 days. I had my choice of a number of competent vets who were also 'horse doctors' but nobody had ever seen or treated whippets or greyhounds. Nobody had diagnostic equipment such as sonography or MRIs, and you either waited a week for 'the guy' to make the circuit with his 'machine' or drive 1.5 hours each way to the facility 'down the road a piece' that I had very little use for or confidence in.

With gas prices the way they are, a 6 hour round trip drive to the city cost $50 in gas, or I had to board the dogs at $75 a night and find a hotel in town or a friend to stay with in addition to doing whatever business I needed to do.

After 10 years 'enjoying' the peace and quiet of the country, I sold my house at a net loss of $40k, yes, $40k since real estate values in farm country are still tanking.. and I moved to 'the city'. 46,000 people in this city, but we gots all the modren conveniences like box stores, a world class teaching hospital and CHINESE TAKE OUT!!!!

The only way I will ever leave the city again is in a plain pine box.

I hear you. Lived in an area where cattle & horses out numbered humans. I, too, am now living in a small, suburban type area and loving the convenience. Don't miss the blizzards and being snowed in for days at all! My current Yorkie has never experience running out the back door and totally disappearing in the snow