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R E A L E S TAT E
Facing page: Marianne’s view while atop Lily. Above left: Marianne and Bill outside their home. Above right: Bill plays with the border collies. LOVE FAMILY PHOTOS
The Scorecard
blog, Slight Detour (www.slightdetour.blogspot.com).
“This is how we were raised,” explained Marianne. “The neighbors don’t socialize much, but they’re all right there when someone needs something. People keep track of what’s going on in the neighborhood.” There are drawbacks to the small farm lifestyle; the biggest, said Marianne, is being tied to the farm. Animals and gardens require daily attention, so leaving for more than a day requires planning—and someone to come in and do the chores. Bill added there is no “economy of scale” in a small farm. “It’s a way to spend a lot of money,” he said. “You do it because you love the lifestyle, not to make money at it.” Other drawbacks are those who think living on a small farm means it’s okay to let their dogs freely roam the neighborhood. But that pales in relationship to the benefits. “It’s so amazing to see the stars,” said Bill, who added that light pollution, even in Sandpoint, dims the true magnificence of our night sky. And there are all kinds of wildlife, from deer and moose to wild turkeys and pine squirrels. “On any given day there’s some kind of adventure going on here,” said Marianne. “It’s never boring.”
FARMLiving
PROS: Community feeling, room for animals, the night sky. CONS: Demanding of time: “You never get caught up on work,” said Marianne; living on a farm can be expensive. WILDLIFE: Deer, moose, bear (not often), wild turkeys, squirrels and lots of birds. TECHNOLOGY: Can be spotty, but available; must keep satellite dish (for internet) free of snow in winter. ADVICE TO OTHERS: “Don’t buy the last house on a road—they have to do the most plowing,” said Bill. Also, “Don’t buy a piece of property until you’ve seen it during spring break-up.”
Hope you’re sitting in the new Lodge and enjoying the view with a brew, while reading this!
Residential • Multi-Family • Commercial • Planning Studios at Schweitzer and Sandpoint Cutting-edge 3D technology/images AIA, NCARB, USGBC Member Living, working and pLaying at Schweitzer for 30 yearS! www.BodenArchitecture.com
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