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Re: Welcome to Arkansas

By: micro in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (0)
Sat, 09 Oct 21 8:15 PM | 18 view(s)
Boardmark this board | 6th Edition Pope Board 		Msg. 25165 of 60008
(This msg. is a reply to 25159 by Decomposed)
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I do hope you and mrs. De get a lot of enjoyment from the homestead you have developed and gone thru some hardships awaiting that project to come to fruition. Now I understand.. Thanks. DO you think you will move into the house before winter if you have not already?


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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Welcome to Arkansas
By: Decomposed in 6TH POPE
Sat, 09 Oct 21 7:46 PM 		Msg. 25159 of 60008

micro:

Re: “For the life of me I cannot quite wrap my head around what the lure and appeal of New Hampshire and its cold, snowy winters had for a retreat from leftwing radicalization. You just drove through Tennessee which has pretty nice weather AND is a moderate climate. You can live in the wilderness areas or suburbs or big cities. They have mountains as well and is a conservative state with more conservative states surrounding it.. SO, that is kind of why I am wondering somewhat..”That's a fair question. The answer is complex, but I guess it's mostly rooted in family.

I have a lot of cousins, aunts and uncles near Hartford. That's where my parents were born. I hadn't seen many of these relatives for about 30 years but they're still kin. In 2002, one of my two brothers reconnected with a cousin he'd been close to as a child. The cousin was now a builder in New Hampshire. My brother liked the area and its conservative bent so he asked the cousin to build him a home in the area.

Around 2002 or 2003, my brother and I decided to drive cross country to see how the house was coming. I found that I loved the area. It reminded me of the Tahoe region of California, a posh part of the state that I couldn't afford. I was sick of California by then anyway and wanted out.

So there I was in New Hampshire helping my cousin build a house for my brother. He said he could build one for me as well, if I wanted. I asked him to keep an eye out for a good deal on land.

I returned to California and made an offer on two parcels adjacent to my brother's wooded lot. They were both expensive compared to what he'd paid so I passed.

During the winter, my cousin called to tell me that a really nice property almost across the street from my brother's house was up for sale. Its house was ramshackle and would have to be torn down, but I'd save a lot of money by using its well, driveway and electricity.

The seller was motivated. His mom had died owing the town 16 years of back taxes and the town now wanted to be paid. I had the cash and the ability to pay off the town's lien, so I jumped and got the property sight unseen based on my cousin's description of it as "about 10 acres, 900 feet of road frontage that could be subdivided if I wanted, and 3 acres of field."

That's what drew me to New Hampshire.

There are a couple ironies worth pointing out. The first is that my brother spent a winter in the state and HATED it. He sold the house and vowed to never be here again in the winter. While I thought it would be great to have my brother living right across the street, it never happened.

A second is that I'd almost bought the forested lot adjacent to my brother's. By the time I moved to New Hampshire, I'd rented a forested house in Virginia and realized what a bad idea it is. Critters get into your attic from the roof. An incredible amount of debris falls on the roof. Trees and branches constantly fall, causing damage. Gardens don't do well due to the lack of light, and mosquitoes LOVE the woods. I figure I dodged a bullet. I love trees, but I don't want my house to be amongst them. You'll note that my new house and barn are pretty much in the MIDDLE of the field. That's from a lesson learned in Virginia.

Third, New Hampshire... which has the motto "Live Free or Die"... changed dramatically in the fifteen years between my first visit and when I finally moved there. It WAS overwhelmingly conservative. It still is in most places, but the cities have most of the population and, like Virginia, they've moved the state to the dark side. I should have known it would happen. Early on, I had a discussion with my cousin (who had fled Connecticut liberalism) and pointed out that it would be tough for "an island of conservatism" to survive when surrounded by the liberal ocean of Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. He thought the state would never change and I didn't pursue it any further. These days, guess who is talking about moving away? My cousin.

As for Tennessee, I've only heard good things about it. When I was trying to decide where to retire... before I found New Hampshire, Tennessee was near the top of my list (along with Utah, Idaho, North Carolina and Virginia.) These days, it would probably be my top choice. If I ever decide to leave New Hampshire for a place that's warmer or more conservative, I'll probably look at Tennessee.

Any other questions? Smile


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