Life on the Farm
What a surprise… our journey has taken us from our sustainable farming adventure to big city life in an apartment. Like CRAZY. But again, it’s an education in what many people must deal with.
It, of course, is about following the money. We were finally able to close on a foreclosed piece land that met the requirements we were looking for, for a future farm.
Need Dollars
In order to get a construction loan to build on that 4 1/2 acres, someone had to have a formal job. Thus Jim put out the “word” and got four serious offers back. Amazing considering he is 64 (ancient wisdom & experience) within two weeks (in the Xmas holiday season, no less.
But none of the job offers were local. The closest (and most appealing because our youngest daughter was here) was San Diego. We moved into a senior apartment complex in N San Diego, University City.
Instead of the gentle breezes and crickets in the distance, we are now serenaded with breakneck traffic, screaming sirens, and trucks lumbering down the road, shaking our windows day & night. Our precious little patio is virtually unusable except on Sunday mornings, when the traffic load finally dies down.
I’m quite convinced that our brains and our psyche where never meant to endure the constant onslaught of noise & fumes that filter through the windows.
Interestingly, where there are jobs, there are fairly high rents. Not just a SF-Bay Area phenomenon. There are many academic, science, medical, and high tech complexes. Very much a mini-silicon valley and toss in some of the most advanced medical facilities in the world (education, research, and patient care). Decent wages but the rents reflect that.
The only advantage we had in a senior complex, the deposit was minimal. We, at least, have a bit of green around us and some trees, plants, flowers, etc. compared to the 
huge beehive complexes that are 5 – 15 stories high apartment complexes, packed shoulder to shoulder to each other. 
Depressing and claustrophobic.
But the rental rates are marching their way up to the stratosphere. We started at $1900 (1,000 sq ft) and will be at $2300 -$2500 (depending on a 6 month lease or a 12 month lease) at our next renewal. Sad that it is such a waste of monies we would rather put into building the farm. There goes any discretionary income… and I wonder how those raising a family can cope with the chipping away of the income they have while dealing with the increases in expenses just having kids, incurs.
Yes, you can get rents slightly cheaper… and then spend 1-3 hours a day commuting. Really. Someone asked how far we live from the airport, “depends on the time of day. At the right time it’s only a 18 minute drive. At the wrong time, it’s at least an hour. Same 10 miles.”
We opted for a higher rent, biking to school and work, less commute hours in the car, and more quality home time. It’s all about trade offs.
Someone asked, “How do you like living in San Diego?”. Well, it is true, the weather is wonderful. The evenings are spectacular on the coast, rarely too cold & the dry heat is moderated by the ocean so that those living within 10 miles of the coastline live in 70-80 degree weather almost year round. A lot of people like living here because of the
the beach in San Diego, 2016 4th of July
weather… and I mean ALOT of people… as in San Diego is the 3rd largest city in California (I had no idea). It’s now almost non-stop town between the cities of LA & San Diego. That’s a vision of the near future: LA and San Diego merging into one huge metro-complex.
San Diego county has enough water for 800,000 people, I’m told. With a population of 3 MILLON water has to be “brought in”. Not just water, but food as well. Very little arable land to grow; good crops of boulders, rock and sand. Not enough water or food to support the population base in San Diego County, by a long shot. If one could subsist on avocado’s, strawberries, and flowers one would do just fine.
Just pray that the “next really big one” is not down here in San Diego, as a significant earthquake would take the whole county down rather quickly. Any significant disruption of the transportation or water systems would bring it to it’s knees. 
The good part of an EQ in this part of the country; it’s two plates sliding past each other. San Diego is headed toward San Francisco. NOT the subduction type EQ that happened in Japan, where one plate is pushing beneath another (and triggering a tsunami).
Folks here live day-to-day, without a thought to what the future might bring; they just party on into the night.
But they do enjoy the weather, and we do as well.
Ruminations 