Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #64 – Countryside and/or Small Town
The theme from Amy for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #64 is: Countryside and/or Small Town.
I live in the big cities most of my life. The advantage of living in a city is the accessibility. But I realize that needs are relative. Lifestyle is a learned taste and habit. People can feel satisfied with a simple living. They may not know the existence of certain things and do not have a need for them; therefore, they may not miss them.
We bought a 10-acre land 35 years ago in Sequim, Washington Peninsula at the foot of the National Forest. It was an undeveloped parcel. The previous owner logged most of the big trees. They made a profit from the sales of logging. They poured gravels on the logging trail as a road to access the property. The purchase was to build a retirement home.
We rented a trailer to camp out there to do some inquiry. The minimum necessity to make the land livable was to have electricity hooked up, dig a well and connect the sewage pipe. The first thing we needed was water. Upon inquiry, we realized that drilling a well cost $5,500 per drilling for an average depth of 150 feet. If they detected no water, we needed to pay to drill another spot to find water.
I started to walk around the property and do some thinking. Even though the price of the land was reasonable, it required a lot of effort and resources to make it livable. One discouraging thing to me was that the closest neighbors were 10-acres away. It was hard for me as a city girl not to have neighbors close by. Eventually we sold the property.
When we travel, I appreciate going to see countryside that frees my mind and gives me a sense of tranquility such as Denali in Alaska, Bavaria in Germany, places we passed by in Amsterdam, Longleat and Stonehenge in England.
Denali, Alaska
Bavaria, Germany
Amsterdam
Longleat, England
Stonehenge, England
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #64 – Countryside and/or Small Town
The Showers of Blessings 
Beautiful photos, great variety!
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Thank you for your comment, John.
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Beautiful look at the contrysides you’ve seen in your travels, Miriam. ❤
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Thank you, Olga! I have some photos from Spain also but grabbed the ones easy to find. ❤
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wonderful pics
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Thank you for reading!!
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Lovely series, Miriam! Stonehenge is a mysteries and eerie place – but I love it. I am sure you made the right decision to sell. When there is too much work to make it work, then it is better to leave before you are all used up. You found the right spot now, it seems!
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Oh wow, what big changes you’ve experienced from sounds of nature to sounds of traffic and human. It’s interesting to find out about all of your studies. I thought I was a professional student 😉😊. I grew up in Hong Kong with people elbow to elbow day in and day out. Cars literally bumper to bumper that you can’t put a hand on between. Their driving skills are incredible. They wait in traffic but don’t ever home. The talking in restaurants are LOUD and you hardly hear each other. Then I came to Portland (Milwaukee) for my graduated study. I told my family that I was in a forest. Then went to Seattle for another study and came to LA in 1980 and now live in Orange county. We live in a quiet neighborhood but are close to everything. We love to go to the beach and listen to the seagull and waved. 🙂
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I was born and raised on the small island in the West Indies. Most of the islands I lived in have a population less than 100,000. We lived close to the major cities, so neighbours were close by but not literally on top of us (like in a large US city). The loudest noise was the wind blowing in the trees and the other kids playing in the yards. When I visited my grandparents, who lived near the sea, I could hear the sound of surf and seagulls.
I moved to the USA for college at Drew University in a small town in New Jersey. The campus was small and wooded and sparsely laid out. Quiet. The loudest noises were the students. In the summer, I stay with my mother in Queens, New York, while taking classes at St. John’s University. All-day long I heard the sounds of traffic, trains, and planes taking off. Car horns. The homes were packed in tight. Ugh!
I was on a 3-2 degree program, so I moved to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech. Atlanta is not as big as New York or Philadelphia but still densely populated. The campus is right in the middle of the city. LOUD!! LOUD! Crowded. Then to Ann Arbor, MI, for graduate school. Big campus, lots of students, noise.
Upon graduation, I moved back to New Jersey, where I have lived for 30 years. I live in the suburbs. New Jersey is the most populous place in the USA. I have lots of neighbours. It’s hard to get away from people, but at least I have access to parks, hiking trails, lakes, ponds, rivers, etc. instead of a forest of concrete.
I would prefer that my closes neighbour was 10km away. I could always travel to New York City or Philadelphia if I wanted the noise, offensive smells and the crush of people.
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This is a beautiful countryside series, Miriam! Enjoy seeing these photos from your travels. Country life can be a dream, but not for every one.
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I need human contacts. Thank you for your comment, Amy.
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You were lucky to find a buyer Miriam! I’m sure it was a difficult decision for you to sell. Country life is definitely not for everyone and you were really “out there”! The answer is to make and enjoy visits (as you obviously have!) while living in a more developed area. Good for you for recognizing it before further investment!
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One pressing situation was too far away from people. It’s harder to make friend in old age. Yes, Tina. I’m glad we made the right decision!
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Neighbours 10 acres away would have suited me, but the older you get, the more you need facilities close by!
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That was my considerations, Peter. Now everything is within 3 miles radius!
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Lovely Miriam. Come to Australia I don’t have neighbours close by and you can see what bliss is all about 🙂
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Yes, Brian, I saw photos of your garden, the birds. I can imagine you don’t have neighbors close by. It must be peaceful. 🙂
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The serenity Miriam………….the serenity 🙂
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I know, I wish I could live in two worlds. 🙂 🙂
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Bliss is a neighbour I can’t see, hear or smell. What a shocker it was coming home to see my neighbours lingerie drying in her front yard. Now I know her measurements whether I wanted to or not. 😬
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Haha, interesting to hang laundries outdoor.🤣😊
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I can just hear mine but not voices….their dogs and chooks or when they use chainsaws, tractors or mowers. Well at least knowing those details it will be easy to buy her Birthday presents Khurt 😀 😀
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🙂 🙂
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Your story of the well reminds me of the old film “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.” I’ll bet Washington was pretty.
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Yes, Chelsea, Sequin is very nice. Port Townsend and Port Angela are not too far away from there. We now take the ferry from Port Angela to go to Victoria, BC. Thank you for mentioning the film. I used to watch Car Grant and Sophia Loren.
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These pictures are gorgeous, Miriam. I am also not a rural girl, I like the city.
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Robbie, thank you. I like the city also for the convenience and acceptability of ways of life.
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Beautiful places all! I understand your problems with maintaining a rural property. My family owned a cottage on a lake for 50 years, but eventually our generation could not maintain it anymore. My siblings had different ideas about what to do with the money instead, so we sold it. The first thing my sister and I did with our share was to book a Baltic Cruise! Although I miss vacations on that quiet idyllic spot where every night we heard the loons calling and during the day my husband fished on the lake, we have done a lot of traveling around the world since.
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Hi Amoralegria, thank you for sharing with me about your cottage on a lake. It must be a beautiful and tranquil place. I can understand the problem of maintenance. Good that you and your siblings agreed on the solution.
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You’ve been to some amazing and beautiful places, Miriam. Your photographs are stunning. I’ve only been to one of these places (got a nice picture of Denali while riding the Alaskan Railroad.)
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I’m glad the weather was good when we were at Denali National Park. When I was an administrator the last 10 years of work, I had 22 days vacation days plus 10 sick leaves days. I had to use them so we traveled. I haven’t been to many states though.
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Beautiful shots of amazing places, Miriam. I don’t think I’d want property without the well in place, either. It did sounds like a place I’d enjoy to hike around.
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It was a good place for hiking, Denise. There was a brook in the back of the property. We went back to visit, the new owner built the home at the spot we anticipated. Thank you for your comment. 🙂
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The new owner had to put a lot of money into it, with a well, electric, and sewage.
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Yes, I’m sure they did! Thank you for reading.
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