Lynn Manes

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Welcome from the other coast, VA.
Thank you got the welcome. I lived in VA a very long time ago. My daughter was born there. Her father was stationed at the Ft.Lee Military base just outside of St. Petersburg, I think the town was called. We lived in Colonial Heights, but moved back to RI where we eere from after his military stint ended. That was 46 yrs ago :)

Hope you find a locale you love and get to settle nicely.
Welcome from the other coast, VA.

Hope you find a locale you love and get to settle nicely.
 

Lynn Manes

Enjoys Recycling
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Hi Lynn,

Welcome to SS! Nice to have you with us, and thank you for that great "newsy" introduction. It's always nice to learn what others are doing.

PA has many of the requirements you and your hubby are looking for, except it also has snow! Hate it!

Canned meat...Have you tried Grabill Meats? I just bought some of there ground beef and turkey to add to my emergency supplies. I did a lot of reading about canned meats before I decided to buy Grabill. They cook their meat with nothing but a little salt and pepper in it's natural juices. It's not organic, but canned organic meat costs an arm and a leg. I am going to try their ground beef for the first time tonight. I made some "quick chili" mixing a 13oz can with a jar of our mild black bean salsa. Tomorrow, I want to make turkey salad. I'm hoping it lives up to the reviews I've read. If so, I'll add more.

Where in CA do you live? My son lives in San Jacinto.

Once again, welcome!
Jim
Hi Lynn,

Welcome to SS! Nice to have you with us, and thank you for that great "newsy" introduction. It's always nice to learn what others are doing.

PA has many of the requirements you and your hubby are looking for, except it also has snow! Hate it!

Canned meat...Have you tried Grabill Meats? I just bought some of there ground beef and turkey to add to my emergency supplies. I did a lot of reading about canned meats before I decided to buy Grabill. They cook their meat with nothing but a little salt and pepper in it's natural juices. It's not organic, but canned organic meat costs an arm and a leg. I am going to try their ground beef for the first time tonight. I made some "quick chili" mixing a 13oz can with a jar of our mild black bean salsa. Tomorrow, I want to make turkey salad. I'm hoping it lives up to the reviews I've read. If so, I'll add more.

Where in CA do you live? My son lives in San Jacinto.

Once again, welcome!
Jim
Jim, we are in Bakersfield, CA. Bakersfield is about a half million in population, agri and oil are the top industries here. Summers range from around 103° on a "cool" day to around 113°+. We get rain in Winter, but have been in a 6 yr drought, so haven't seen much of that here either through those years. But no snow, which I like. This is an unhealthy place to live, as we have the 2nd worst air quality in the Country. Sad. We are just 2 hrs drive N over the mountain from Los Angeles and live in the San Joaquin Valley. Years ago, people here blamed L.A.'s smog, saying it was infiltrating us, which might have been partially true, but I've lived here 35 yrs now an d have seen this poplation quadruple, so now I don't think we can put that blame on anyone else. We like to get away to the mountains for fresh air as much as possible.We've never tried the Grabill Products you mentioned. We bought our canned meats from Survival Life, I believe. We didn't try them. Figured if we are ever in an emergency situation where we need food badly, we'll eat it whether we actually like it or not. Lol. It has a 25 yr shelf life.
 

MoonShadows

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Hi Lynn,

I made a "quick chili" the other day using a can of the Grabill chopped meat (hamburger) and a jar of our Mild Black Bean Salsa. It was pretty good. The beef did not taste like hamburger as much as it tasted more like a stew beef...but I am not complaining. next I'm going to try a can of the turkey from the case I bought.

103 to 113...I'd melt!

Jim
 

Land of Lincoln

Lovin' The Homestead
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Hello fellow newbie. That's wonderful that you can take care of your mother, kudos to you for that.

When the time does come for you all to pick up and move, and you want to live in a warmer climate, I would suggest Mississippi to you. I go there every year for a week long fishing trip and absolutely love it there. The weather is pretty mild, I think snow there is a rarity, and the people there are very friendly and hospitable. I'm a bit biased because I've been there many times but I'm sure you'll find the same friendliness anywhere you decide to move.

Good luck to you in your endeavors and enjoy your journey along the way.
 

milkmansdaughter

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Hi Lynn,
Im pretty sure you were asking a rhetorical question, but since you asked...:lol:
I like Wisconsin too. Fantastic people, and 500 more lakes than Minnesota boasts about. Tons of hunting and fishing, and summers are fabulous, mid 70's all summer long and great soil for gardening without the huge temperature swings that OK, MO, and IN have. BUT they do get snow... My sister bought her house from a California couple who bought and restored an old one room school house. It was beautiful. They came, fixed up the house, stayed one winter, and sold out to move back to California. :gig
I'd also second a vote for Arkansas or northern Mississippi. They are beautiful beautiful states for people who love the outdoors. So are Kentucky and parts of Tennessee. They would all meet your criteria. Comfortable summers, tons of things to do outside, mild winters, and great land for growing things. Kentucky's state parks are all free.
I'm in North Central Alabama, which is cooler than further south in the state. Land is cheap here, and the soil is great for gardening. You can find lots and lots of hunting and fishing all through the state. Fresh shrimp and sandy beaches in the southern part of the state and foothills in the north.
I'd second the notion of get out of Cali while you can. Selling out there would get you a LOT more land here, and the cost of living is fabulous. I do understand staying for your mom though. That's a tough call. Wildfires and droughts there are getting worse every year, and all the water is going to the big cities. I've got a bunch of cousins and friends all through California.

If it weren't for the high cost of living, the Olympic peninsula in Washington also meets much of your criteria, although I can't remember what their policies are on hunting. I know we use to eat fresh salmon and crab there routinely. We lived there for 8 years and absolutely loved it. There you drive to the snow, go skiing for the day, then drive home when you're tired of it. None at the house. Or in 4 hours you can be in Canada. Tons of Cali folks move there, because its beautiful and cheap by Cali standards. Surrounded by a ring of snow capped mountains and water everywhere, you can catch a ferry to Seattle if you want, but the Peninsula is quiet and green, green, green. (I was just there 2 weeks ago, and had almost forgotten how much I loved it there!)
Welcome to the group!
 
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