Hello, World!

This blog chronicles our journey into the North Country, living simply in a tiny cabin in the Adirondack High Peaks. Our little cabin is located on a lot of land: 75 acres. 

We bought the place in April, 2000. the 600 sq ft cabin is over 60 years old, but we have a little kitchen and indoor plumbing. We've restored it over the years and have comfortably survived below zero (F) conditions. Weather is a big deal up here!

My wife's name is Suzy and the beagle's name is Lilly...but we call her Willy. This photo captures their spirit, bringing in firewood while returning from a long walk.

I'm Frank, the person cleaning the chimney. A woodstove is essential in the North Country, so we spend a fair amount of time cutting wood, stacking it, gathering it, building and stoking the fire, cleaning the stove...and the chimney. It's far from a pushbutton existence, but it's more satisfying. 

Nearby is the town of Jay with its recently restored covered bridge. It also has a new building on the little town square that serves as a theatre for local plays and events. 

The Adirondack Park Agency requires a minimum of 42 acres to build a single family residence but the cabin predates the APA restrictions so it is permitted on the 30 acre lot.

That means we can someday build on the 45 acre lot but new construction has to be secluded from the road, a minimum of 400 feet set back from it. That's a long driveway to plow in the winter.

Recently our neighbor Bob showed me an old farmhouse foundation close to the road so we are legally permitted to build on that site. But we only plan to build a small barn for Suzy's horses near the cabin. We are trying to escape overdevelopment, not contribute to it. 

We're also constrained by the resulting property tax assessment increase. New York's property taxes are the 4th highest in the nation - but they also have some of the best government services. Most retirees wouldn't consider living in a high tax area, but I think they have their priorities wrong. Louisiana has the lowest property taxes, but we'd be miserable there.