Advantages and Inconveniences of Living in the Country

A few years back, we like so many others, grew weary of the rat race and escaped to the country. Which for the most part
is all it is cracked up to be. You can literally feel the stress of the day melt away as you leave the city behind. And there isn't anything like sitting on your porch with a cricket orchestra playing softly in the night. Now with that being said, there are
some down sides to living in this rural paradise.

The major problem with country living is without question 'the inconvenience'. For instance, there is no running down the street to a corner grocery store. However, there is the local gas station with sky-high prices and small town pleasantries.
The people inside tend to be a lot friendlier than those in the city. Yep, when you go in to pay for your gas, Joe is telling
Sally all about last week's ruckus at the Jamison farm. Now don't even think about getting impatient - remember it was
you who wanted the slower-paced living. Besides, it may be aggravating at the moment, but these same people won't
hesitate to stop and help you fix a flat tomorrow.

Then we have the quaint updated verison of the outhouse - the aerobic septic system. Still, it is miles ahead of the old
septic systems. Today's aerobic systems are like having your own little water treatment plant right in the backyard. Oh,
its perfectly safe, all you have to do is drop a few tablets in to maintain the chemical balance, watch out for the sprinkler
heads when mowing (dreadful pain to replace), have the water purity checked regularly and don't flush anything that will
cause problems. It will make you long for the good old 'thought-free' sewers of the city.

Of course, you can't get cable out here, but with the advent of mini satellite dishes that problem has become obsolete.
The internet though is still a test of endurance, with the average connection speed being about 26.4. This is because
they 'don't offer DSL or cable hookup out in the boonies'. Not exactly what you were thinking when you opted for a slower lifestyle.

The occasional wandering of the neighbor's cows into your yard is to be expected, even though they do tend to leave
behind unwanted presents. At least its good fertilizer for the lawn and the grand kids love it when the cows moo back.
You just have to ignore the hubby mumbling something about hamburger meat under his breath.

You trash pickup will become a weekly lesson on the native wildlife. As you discover just how many critters live in the
vicinity and how much trash each species can scatter. And let's just skip right over the contracted trash company,
with their unique and varying reasons why they failed to make this week's pick-up. Just thinking about it still makes my
head throb.

Mowing the yard will no longer be a leisure morning event for the husband. It now takes the better part of the day - if not
two, depending on whether or not you cut the back of the property. Believe me, riding lawn mowers are a necessity in
the country and a lush lawn is not nearly as desirable as a short one.

Yes, there are some down sides to country living, but it is still a small piece of heaven and we wouldn't trade for
the world.