There go the neighbors?

The weather got above freezing so everyone was out and about yesterday. It was a good day for me to go outside and do some walking. I got to talk with folks living around the lake. Apparently, it was a rough winter for all of us.

My side of the lake is hilly. Driveways are steep. One neighbor told me he’s thinking of selling his place. His driveway is long, winding, and steep. We had a storm that left us with four inches of slush on the ground that froze solid. It took him four days with am ice chisel to clear his driveway. The guy is well up into his 70s so maybe he probably shouldn’t be messing with that anymore.

We give up on parking next to the house. One of the first projects I did after buying the place was to make some parking spots on my land across the road. That gave me parking on the same level as the road. My driveway by the house becomes a narrow path that we sand heavily.

Another neighbor just came back from from two weeks in Florida. She’s starting to catch on why her sister spends six months of the year down there.

My new neighbor across the street has spent the winter plowing using a 4X4 ATV. He’s been out there all hours of the day or night. The guy already needs a back operation so he’s constantly in pain. Arizona is looking good to him.

The thing is, most of my neighbors are getting up in age. One of the things that puts people in nursing homes is taking a bad fall. When you are dealing with ice on the ground for half the year, the odds start to run against you.

I’m not a kid anymore myself. While I’ve no plans to sell the place, I definitely don’t want to spend the winter here in the frostlands. Aging kinda sucks.

-Sixbears