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  • From: Tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] What have I been up to
  • Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 12:15:50 -0700

Don Bowen wrote:


My wife announced that we were selling the house and she was moving to a place closer to work, the 25 mile commute was just too much. There was little I could argue about and I expected it as it is the best solution for her. I lose my garden and shop so the business was shut down again and possibly for the last time. The thought of living in a tract home with cheek to jowl neighbors makes me more than sick so it was agreed that I do not have to go. I am instead moving into a 27 foot travel trailer and heading out to see the country.


tvoivozhd---I would have thought a twenty five mile commute to be short---one time mine was seventy miles each way and from here to either Roanoke or Blacksburg fifteen to twenty five miles. Of course a valley with a couple hundred thousand residents does not produce the insane amount of traffic that I had to live with in Houston or what you see in California.


The last few months were filled getting this place ready to sell. I have no idea how many trash bags were taken away or hor much was put in the neighbors dumpster but I do know that I hauled almost 9000# to the scrap yard, 3000# to the dump. put up 45 lots in the auction, sold 5 cars and two tractors on eBay, took a pickup load of computer stuff to the Boys & Girls Club, and a pickup load of books to the Friends of the Library, and I still have one short load for the scrap yard and another for the dump.

We had a huge garage sale and I had a second Corvair only garage sale. Much of the shop was moved into storage, filling half of an 8X20. The other half is filled with household things, most of my books, clothing, etc. I have no cars, only two tractors, few antique tools, very little project steel and wood left. By the end of July the house was placed on the market, just in time for a complete softening.


Hard to crank up a shop initially or second time around in crowded, high land-cost, high-tax cost California. I don't envy you, though there is some merit in getting rid of excess garbage and planning a new, ultimately more efficient shop. We (my oldest daughter and I) are trying to clear the decks, emptying two barns and two storage buildings, changing vehicles, computers etc. to fit her future use with one, perhaps two of her sisters, doing the snowbird bit between Roanoke and probably Florida at a still-unknown site. My oldest daughter has been offered a high-paying job in Clearwater by her former boss, but I have no idea whether she will take it or try the computer-commute bit. Really can't do the latter until broadband becomes available in November..

The old 1989 Reliant will be kept as a backup, the 1983 Ranger Pickup replaced by a Nissan Extra Cab four wheel drive that will get out of this hollow, which the Reliant often could not do in winter snow and ice. We gave the Subaru two-wheel wagon to a young couple who used to help us on occasion, and who moved to Syracuse for better income opportunities. That seems to have worked out well, somewhat gratifying. The 1983 Ranger was a good farm vehicle, but not something that could be used getting back and forth to town except for emergencies. We have generally taken a long time to select bargain vehicles, six months for the Nissan, which looks like it just came out of the box., and is eminently suitable for commuting as well as providing freight transport the Subaru Wagon could not.


My plans are to move myself and some tools into a 27 foot travel trailer and see what I can make of the wreckage.

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/Index.htm



Don Bowen
*Awl Knotted Up Woodworking
*Valley Center, CA http://www.braingarage.com <http://www.braingarage.com/>








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