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Hi Gatormama, Do you miss that steamy Florida weather? We were thinking about Hampden as a place to retire. We also have our eye on a beautiful Belfast victorian. With so many nice places to choose from why did you pick Hampden if you don't mind me asking. I wish I was there to help you garden. I love playing in the dirt. (I'm so not climbing that mountain. You be careful with that.) I'm so happy for you.
Location: Land Of Moose, Blueberries and Chickadees
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Quote:
Originally Posted by animalcrazy
Hi Gatormama, Do you miss that steamy Florida weather?
Hi animalcrazy: Absolutely not. Contrary to the belief of some, I look forward to cold. I know, oh how I know, I've been told countless times, I just don't know what I'm wishing for...because, apparently, my whole life experiences were the past 6 years in Miami...I couldn't possibly know what cold is. Besides, it only snows and gets cold in Maine. Nonetheless, I do not miss the heat one iota and frankly, the past several days when it was upper 70s low 80s, I thought it was far too hot. I like the cold and I look forward to it.
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We were thinking about Hampden as a place to retire. We also have our eye on a beautiful Belfast victorian. With so many nice places to choose from why did you pick Hampden if you don't mind me asking.
I wanted some place near Bangor but not be in Bangor. I looked around, giving myself a 30 mile radius and read about the little towns. I then looked for places to live when I knew I was moving, found the one I'm living in now and it just happened to be in Hampden. No offense to a single soul on here, after driving around and getting to know the area, I'm so glad I live here and not in some other little towns. I don't think I'd be quite as happy. The particular area in Hampden that I live in is very nice, quiet, clean, and people are generally friendly. Yes, of course, there are Grumpy McGrumpersons in Maine but I think it's funny. I just moved from Miami. Have you ever been there? They've got grumpy down...a few here is nothing compared to the majority there. First of all, there's nothing to be so dang grumpy about, take a look around and see how beautiful this place is and second of all, not my problem why they are so grumpy. I'm loving it here.
I will not publicly list the towns that I have explored that I was really not fond of at all because I don't want to hurt anyones feelings if they like them...but I think you could find happiness in Hampden. Seems some like to make fun of it, always talking about the dump, which, a) is not unsightly, it looks like a hill and b) does not stink. But I think a lot of it is joking...and it's just a matter of figuring out the people here and how they joke. I have a desert dry sense of humor myself but I usually wait until I know someone before I start using it...just in case they don't get it.
Nonetheless, this is not where I would retire for the simple fact that when I do retire, I want to be in a house, with acres and acres of land around me, I don't want to see my neighbors, I want to feel like I'm isolated. (Without truly being isolated or I would have moved to Alaska, instead.) But that is my personal preference and says nothing at all against Hampden. (Which I'm still trying to pronounce right...not that I can't, I just don't remember the 'p' is silent.)
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I wish I was there to help you garden. I love playing in the dirt. (I'm so not climbing that mountain. You be careful with that.) I'm so happy for you.
I wish you were here to help me garden, as well. It's a LOT of work and a helping hand, (cough, neighbors who live here as well, cough), would surely be nice.
The mountain...I'm pretty adventurous so maybe I won't get it the first time or second time or even third time but I'm going to keep trying until I do make it. Never met a challenge I didn't like. I'm here, aren't I?
Edit: Forgot to ask...when are you getting here?
Last edited by Three Wolves In Snow; 07-03-2011 at 12:03 PM..
It was great to meet you this week and talk gardens for a bit while we worked.
I have been out in mine most of the day, taking to the between-rows with the flame weeder this morning and then getting set up and doing some planting this afternoon. Still more of both to do, but the planting should go more quickly as K put the plow on the little tractor and made the furrows for me.
The tiller is still not working; he found a mucked up bearing when he went to reassemble after the welder fixed one part and we have to order them, hence the flame-weeding to try to knock down the mess between rows until the tiller is up and running again.
Hi GatotMama, Yes we've been to Miami and one of my fondest memories was seeing the city at sunset while driving back from the keys. I do hate Miami airport though and avoid it as often as possible. I'm used to the cold as it gets below zero frequently here in the windy city. I was so depressed after we returned from Maine last February because there was so little snow here. Imagine my surprise when a huge blizzard appeared 3 days after our return. It hit on our first day back to work. I couldn't call in sick even though I had a terrible cold. I packed a bag as I knew I wouldn't be home for a day or two. I worked from 3pm until 3am and slept about 5 hrs. and worked 15 hrs. the next day. It was a fantastic snow fall and I was dying to get out and play in it. I was working a 6 day stretch and couldn't play until the 7th day. We took some neighbor kids sledding and I came home and shoveled the ally for 3 hrs.(My husband kept looking out to make sure I wasn't lying dead out there.) I knew the snow would be gone soon and it was my one and only chance to enjoy it. So you see I belong where there is a lot of snow. We were down in the keys and went to Atlantis in the Bahamas in June of 2010. It was so hot I couldn't do anything but stay in the water. We hope to retire within the next 2 or 3 years, but we want to buy a house there as soon as we can do an exchange on one of the rentals. I never had a 401K at any of my jobs so I put my retirement money into income properties. With the appreciation, positive cash flow , and tax advantage they have out performed most 401K's. Yes the properties have lost hundreds of thousands, but they all have still made money as we only buy distressed real estate. I have a pretty good instinct for a bargain, but I need to do a lot more research in Maine. I keep seeing the same listings from the 5 towns I've been researching and the properties are still sliding. I would love to be there tomorrow but for us its going to be complicated trying to liquidate everything and not pay Uncle Sam a ton of money. We do need to make about 5 or 6 more trips out there to see where we will end up. Here are some pics of my garden and pond, there is no grass in my yard. I wanted to plant corn on our parkway in the front of our house but my husband wouldn't let me. It's the only grass we have.(He has no sense of humor, buy neither does our village.)
With all due respect to the various folks involved in the thread, it seems to have become a personal "chat" type thread.
Rather than posting personal conversations on the public boards, it's more effective all around if the DM is used.
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