TOP TEN TUESDAY: Reasons I Love Country Living
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!
I want to make this a quick list that won’t require extra photos, nor a lot of your time to read.
1. Privacy (in a physical sense). Folks will want to know who your grandfather was, where you’re from, why you’re here and lots, lots more. But most of them “don’t mean nothin’ by it”. It’s just the country way of knowing people. And they leave you be to go out on the deck in your robe (or less!)
2. Quiet – You’re usually far enough away from your neighbours that the noises you hear are the spring peepers, summer crickets, autumn leaves, and winter wind. Much nicer than someone else’s stereo on full blast, sirens and horns, and squealing tires.
3. Friendliness — It might take you a while to be accepted in the country but while you’re waiting you can pretty much know that everybody on Main Street will smile and say hello. It helps to try do things their way instead of showing off your city learnin’.
4. Traffic — There isn’t any. Except during haying season when the farmers drive their tractors down the highway. Three cars behind one is a traffic jam. (The school buses here pull over and let you by.)
5. Clean Air — No traffic carbon monoxide, no factory particulates or smells. Country air smells green; here it sometimes also smells like the ocean.
6. Clotheslines — outlawed in lots of cities, but pretty much de rigeur in the country.
7. No Water or Sewer Bill — not that we waste water; it is a limited earth resource after all. And every few years we have to pay to get the septic tank pumped. But it still beats having that monthly bill.
8. Wildlife — Okay, the bear getting into the green bin was a little much, but I never tire of seeing deer in the yard, or catching a glimpse of a fox or a ferret crossing the road and disappearing into the woods. There’s red squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, muskrats and lots, lots more.
9. The View from My Window
10. House Accounts — at the pharmacy and the hardware store. Enough said.
To be fair, there are a few things that I miss about living in the city. I’ll share them with you next Tuesday.
A few months ago, I left New York City for the country side! You start to get raw in the city. I missed the friendly people and just the general kindness of strangers. I do miss the noise a bit, but sometimes a little quiet is nice! Great take on Top Ten Tuesday!
That’s quite a move, Jen – out of NYC! I think people are friendlier in the country because they’re not is as much of a hurry.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post and welcome to Exurbanis. 🙂
Wow. You’ve made me totally jealous — life sounds idyllic — and more appreciative that by semi-accident, we have some similar perks where we live. Enjoy!
Sometimes life does seem idyllic here, Jane. I’m glad you share some of these benefits!
Your life does sound idyllic! We live outside of a small village, but within striking distance of of a midsize city… the best of both worlds.
Jo Ann – Not so nearly idyllic as your winters in Sanibel sound. But it sounds as if you have the best of both worlds in NY too!
Omg the view from your window though….?? I AM A LITTLE JEALOUS. hahhah. Actually I live on the very edge of town, so my backyard is a valley and hills and it’s really pretty. <3 But I still have neighbours super close. Boo. I would absolutely LOVE to live in the country, preferably with no one nearby.? I love the quiet! And also the wildlife is epic. We get wallabies and kookaburras in our yard which is nice. And the occasional python. NOT NICE. ?
I loved your post!
Here’s my TTT!
Hills and valleys sound beautiful, Cait. We are at the edge of the Cobequid Hills here (actually part of the Appalachian range) and a short walk out the back door brings us to the top of a field with a semi-distant view. I almost think I’d take our bear to your python, but I’d love t see the Australian wildlife someday.
Welcome to Exurbanis!
Great list. I love where I live because it is a little town on the edge of Los Angeles where things are calm, there are lots of trees, and we have all the wildlife:peacocks, coyotes, racoons, birds, butterflies, and bees.
Oh, you have peacocks, Judy – peacocks – how lovely!
We also have coyotes. It’s interesting to listen to them on summer nights. 🙂
Preachin’ to the choir here. Except we have a water bill. :O)
Bummer, LuAnn. Well, console yourself that you don’t have to worry about the well running dry (or pumping out the septic tank). And how wonderful to have all the other perks!
I don’t live in the country, but I live in small city after many years of living in large ones and I love it. I recently visited family and the traffic nearly drove me to distraction, and the wall to wall development made me feel claustrophobic
My TTT list
The traffic is a killer, isn’t it, Jeanene? I sometimes think I’ve reached a stage in my life where I don’t feel road rage – then I drive for just a few minutes in the big city . . .