Remote Living, Part 4: Work, College, and Predators

Let's jump right back into the questions, shall we?

How is A. able to make his job arrangement work from your rural location?

In short, high-speed Internet and the postal service. 

A. is self-employed, and all he needs to do his work is fast Internet and the ability to mail things. We're close enough to the main road here that we have fiber-optic Internet, and there is actually a (teeeeny tiny) post office half a mile up the road from us.

That said, even if he weren't self-employed, there is far from a shortage of jobs here. The challenge here is not finding a job, but not having several. Since we've moved here, he's been offered three different jobs. And, of course, I took the one at the school and he took the one driving the bus. 

But the perception that there's no paid work to be had in rural places is false (at least, here). There is a LOT of work. The school is always hiring. The highway department is always hiring. The various offices in the county courthouse are always hiring. There just aren't enough people to do all the jobs.

Is Poppy in pre-preschool or playing with the older kids during school time?

Neither. When her brothers are in school, she's home either with me on the days I don't work, or with A. on the days I do work. But of course, that's only four days of the week. The rest of the time, she has her brothers. And she will start preschool this coming school year, two full days a week. 

She's very excited.

Do the kids at the schools in your area plan to go on to college or do they plan to remain on their family ranches?

Most of the ranches here are not family ranches anymore. They're huge ranches with very wealthy absentee owners who employ multiple cowboys to run their ranches. So most of the kids, while they live on ranches, are not living on their own family's ranch. 

Some kids go on to college, usually in New Mexico or our neighboring states. Most of the others choose to do some sort of technical training: welding, wind turbine maintenance, etc. 

Do you plan to push your kids to go away to college?

Pushing doesn't work real well with kids. At least, not mine. They will certainly know that college elsewhere is an option, but it's going to be their decision in the end. 

If so, do you plan for them to get grants or would they be able to get summer jobs in the area?

I have no doubt they can get some sort of scholarship. New Mexico actually has one for residents that covers 100% of the tuition at any in-state school.

As for summer jobs, I'm not really sure. I know the boys around here generally find work on the ranches, but as for the typical teenager summer jobs of working at an ice cream stand or something . . . that's obviously not an option. I suspect it wouldn't be very hard to find something, though. Because again, not a lot of people to do all the jobs.

What sorts of predators do you have to contend with? What sort of wildlife is out there with you?

We have the most problems with the coyotes here, which are somewhat small, but quite aggressive. We also lost a sheep to a bear right by the house awhile ago, although they usually stay in the canyons. In addition, there are bobcats, foxes, ringtails, and, most concerning to me, mountain lions. They don't generally come up on the mesa where we are--they also prefer the canyons, where there's more cover for their style of hunting--but they do occasionally travel through here.

We also have elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, and a LOT of antelope. And far too many rabbits, hares, and gophers. Oh, and prairie dogs.

Are utilities (in ghost villages) available as long as villages are inhabited? Is power generally available if there are lines up? 

Our county is served by an electrical co-op that is astonishingly good at providing electricity in places you wouldn't think there would be any. If the infrastructure is there, then the power is there. Although there are people who live down in canyons on the really old ranches where there is no electricity and never has been.

We don't have a lot of problems with the lines and losing power for the very good reason that there isn't much to fall on the lines during storms. We lost power a lot more in upstate New York, when trees were constantly taking lines down.

Okay! I think I answered everything now. Unless there are more. Are there more questions? Hit me.