Daily Obs

About Beth & her OBS

Although I was born in West Virginia, I lived most of my life in either the burbs or city in South Florida. In 1998, my now husband, Mark, and I moved to Northern Virginia, specifically Reston, VA, where we were happy suburbanites for ten years. With a passion for lots of dogs and a need for personal space, in 2008 we bought a house in the middle of the George Washington National Forest in Front Royal, VA, packed up the house and moved to the sticks.

I can’t put into words how much I LOVE living in the country. After years of being lulled to sleep to the sound of gunshots in West Palm Beach, FL, and battling the condo commandos in Reston, I am ready for some peace and quiet. Now, the only ruckus we hear is our dogs barking at deer, rabbits, foxes and yes, even bears.

It won’t come as a surprise that there are many differences between suburban and country living. For one – there is no trash pick-up. So twice a week we load up trash and head to the dump. Our water is also on a well which is a constant concern for me – I’m convinced that someday I’ll turn on the water and nothing will come out. So far, this has not been an issue. We can also do pretty much anything that we want within the boundaries of civil living and the county law. I don’t need permission from an HOA to plant a flower next to the sidewalk. I can park my vehicles wherever I want without fear of being towed. The dogs can bark incessantly for hours with no dirty looks from the neighbors.

Like the t-shirt says…Life is Good.

(Photo: Me & Hugo the mastiff)

You can contact me at bethjbates [at] gmail.com.