That's good. Me dino's Florida family lake house (inherited ownership now shared by one brother and a deceased brother's widow/two other siblings and me took $$$ for our shares) at Compass Lake is located well up a shore line's hill.
Despite a small dam under what was once part of the old two-lane Highway 231, I've seen the surface level of that lake repeatedly rise and fall since old dino's childhood.

The moat is self contained no stream in or out of it.

We haven't 'worked' in about 8 years. We sold our paid for house about 2 years ago and moved into a rental in very gulch like community where people mind their own business. But I got to thinking about what is happening to our money - the trillions being created out of thin air and we decided to buy a home with a big mortgage - interest at 2.375%. With inflation being well over the 'official' 1.2% I figure we are coming out ahead by still having the money in our hands and making a mortgage payment less then half the rent we were paying. (And that was less then the costs of our owning a paid for house given taxes, maintenance, etc. in Illinois.)
Can you believe a bank would give a 77 year old couple a 30 year mortgage :-) What a joke!
But I think the joke is on those who don't know TANSTAAFL!

I will ... choose wisely.

I pulled back a few years sgo but I can't afford to retire as yet. So I work within the system as a high school teacher. I do what I can to save the few who will listen.

Choose carefully the regime(s) you file it in. Would you have it become property of the CCP? Would you have your efforts legally stolen?

Of course I would see this post on shrugging as I take a brief break from a very productive AM writing a patent.

I wish I could divulge what I've seen lately. Maybe someday. But I'll just say that those who the people have put in charge are very dangerous to the people. Gross stupidity has completely infiltrated the ranks of those in charge of everything. I'm getting out this year. I could go the way of Robert Stadler. But, I won't do it.

Sounds great, Commander!

See my post to Markus, below. ??

Perhaps our respective Gulches begin trade.
And as we dot the landscape....refuse service to high density population zones. Autocorrect without politics, just equitable economics.

We also find it important to work or otherwise have something to occupy the mind. I also cannot stand TV and am currently finding it difficult to even concentrate on reading. Video games have never been appealing to me, or hubby either.

We are within 11 months of mortgage pay-off. Not bad, since we only bought the house less than 5 years ago, but we will be living on the edge of a very red city - but it’s still a city. Not sure what comes next. This year will be the determining factor, I guess.

I pretty much do the same WRT masking. I have a doc’s appointment on Monday - can’t go without the mask. They will not allow me in the door. But other than that, I stay out of places that require it. Since I live within 500 yards of a town that has no mandate, I’m in pretty good shape, because I can go grocery shopping without it, no problem. Every once in a while I get the Black Stare of Death which I don’t even acknowledge.

Let it all go might be the best way to drain the swamp. Imagine all those Republicans RINOs begging support for the BS and getting zero. Imagine the Dems begging their unemployed base for scraps. Better think offshore though, find someplace with good rx and integrate.

OMG! These evil times has made me dino mind become really pessimistic.
Just imagined all that restoration work on the chateau rewarded by that lake flooding.

Trying to hold a grip upon the wobbly tiller. I read you brother.

Atlas shrugs in many ways, doesn't he?

10 years ago I left a county of 300,000 for a county of 14,000. I have not regretted it at all. I live in a state where the governor has gone on a power trip. Using the state and federal constitutions as toilet paper. When the edicts were ruled unconstitutional, in court. A court that is also corrupt and was kicking that can down the road as far as it could to avoid ruling what was obvious. The governor got sneakier. And has still accomplished 90% of her agenda.
In my county I have a network of farmers, ranchers, mechanics, medical professionals and foresters. Surprisingly we also have oil,natural gas, hydro, wind farms and solar farms. We also have a small power plant that burns the waste products of our local sawmill. We also have rail access. And 75% of our county is of the same political mindset. I have raised beds. I have lakes. Forests. I’m $10k away from everything paid for. I have skills to repair. My employer is on the correct side of the political coin. But, the governor has forced their hand to enact stupid and ineffective measures that complicate daily life. Which is why I choose to participate no longer. I will become the 1099 superior race. And, if I’m required to don the requisite Virtue Signaling Devices to service customers, there will be a hefty “safety” surcharge on the invoice. I’m done playing by the “rules” of a system that seeks to enslave me.

Time to sell the rental unit.

I am not familiar but I will check it out. Peace! Btw did you see the Minneapolis nightmare last night? Of course this article is propaganda.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/12.... The reality was 150 or so people hurling frozen water bottles at the police. The police requested using non lethal force against the thugs for defense and were told no. It will be a skeleton crew of police in the near future.

Hi Markus. After 30 years I just told my customers to go pound sand, moved from 2.5 mil to a county of 75k, brought some of my machinery with as contingency and find I'm happily immersed within a very conservative rural community. Urban is uncertainty.

D! I "Thrive".
Energy up and blood pressure down. Rendering lard next week. Billy would be proud of me.
I may have one of my closest relocating here in the next year, from Blaine. He's a "Jack" of trades and a master of a couple.
Mentioning Thrive; Thrive 2 is out, if you're familiar. These are Foster Gamble productions.

We finally found something to watch and I highly recommend it. It is called “Escape to the Château”
We watch it on demand at “peacock”. https://youtu.be/E9ozkJmFLuY

So you are a PIMP. Lol. Permaculture Is My Passion. Happy New Year Mike.

I'm out in front of you pal.
2018 and 19 were prep years to remove as much debt as possible. Finished a move end of March 2020. I have a 60k debt structure and lifestyle that requires less than 25k a year.....this allots time. First is network of relationships outside a work environment...this is blossoming far beyond expectations. In planning stage of pseudo-permaculture living....network is major part of this. I have a 1/4 range fed cow in the freezer and a full hog coming in a week....traded my labor doing some repairs.

This week...oy...rotated tires on both trucks and changed fluids. Went 2 hours north and repaired a semi trailer spindle on a farm. Cut down a small grove of Cedar (15 mature trees) to stop "rust" on my 2 apple trees, limbed and removed brush to disposal. Planned a 15 bed raised garden and identified seeds to procure. Housemate moved out and I re-arranged 2 rooms for office and bed. Met three times with my garden / food support network. Welded a plow frame for a friend. Still two days left this week. Tomorrow I pick up 12 logs of hard maple and take them out to make the garden frames, stakes for a trailer....and possibly 8 to 10 slabs for furniture grade stock. Sunday....rest?...slow down? I'm having too much fun involved in relationships that sustain my life....literally. I'm usually up at 5 and down at 11....enthusiasm...
I'm in my Gulch.

When you find that special place, peopled with hearty outlook, .....let me know....that'll make 2 Gulches.