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1InAmericamanypeoplehavearomanticideaoflifeinthecountryside.Manylivingintownsdreamofstartinguptheirownfarm,oflivingofftheland.Fewgetroundtoputtingtheirdreamsintopractice.Thisisperhapsjustaswell,asthelifeoffarmerisfarfromeasy,asJimDohertydiscoveredwhenhesetouttocombinebeingawriterwithrunningafarm.Nevertheless,asheexplains,hehasnoregretsandremainsenthusiasticabouthisdecisiontochangehiswayoflife.Mr.DohertyBuildHisDreamLifeJimDoherty1、TherearetwothingsIhavealwayswanttodo–writeandliveonafarm.TodayI’mdoingboth.I’mnotinE.B.white’sclassasawriterorinmyneighbors’leagueasafarmer,butI’mgettingby.Andafteryearsoffrustrationwithcityandsuburbanliving,mywifeSandyandIhavefinallyfoundcontentmenthereinthecountry.2、It’saself-reliantsortoflife.Wegrownearlyalloffruitsandvegetables.Ourhenskeepusineggs,withseveraldozenleftovertoselleachweek.Ourbeesprovideuswithhoney,andwecutenoughwoodtojustaboutmakeitthroughtheheatingseason.3、It’sasatisfyinglifetoo.Inthesummer,wecanoeontheriver,gopickinginthewoods,andtakelongbicyclerides.Inthewinter,weskiandskate,wegetexcitedaboutsunsets.Welovethesmelloftheearthwarmingandthesoundofcattlelowing.Wewatchforhawksintheskyanddeerinthecornfields.4、Butthegoodlifecangetprettytough.Theremonthagowhenitwas30below,wespenttwomiserabledayshaulingfirewooduptheriveronasled.Theremonthsfromnow,itwillbe95aboveandwewillbecultivatingcorn,weedingstrawberriesandkillingchickens.Recently,SandyandIhadtoretilethebackroof.SoonJim,16andEmily,13,theyoungestofourfourchildrenwillhelpmemakessomelong-overdueimprovementsontheoutdoortoiletthatsupplementsourindoorplumbingwhenweareworkingintheoutside.Laterinthismonth,we’llsparytheo,cleanthebar,plantthegarden,andcleanthehenshousebeforethenewchickarrive.5、Inbetweensuchchores,Imanagetospent50to60hoursaweekatthetypewriteordoingreportingforthefreelancearticlesIselltomagazinesandnewspapers.Sandy,meanwhile,pursuesherowndemandingschedule.Besidestheusualhouseholdroutine,sheoverseesthegardenandbeehives,bakes2bread,cansandfreezes,drivesthekidstotheirmusicclass,practiceswiththem,takesorganlessonsonherown,doseresearchandtypingforme,writeanarticleherselfnowandthen,tendstheflowerbeds,stacksalittlewoodanddeliverstheeggs.Thereis,astheoldsayinggoes,norestforthewickedonaplacelikethis,andnotmuchforthevirtuouseither.6、Noneofuswilleverforgetourfirstwinter,wewereburiedunderfivefeetofsnowfromtheDecemberthroughMarch.Whileonestormafteranotherblastedhugedriftsupagainstthehouseandbarn,wekeptwarminginsideburningourownwood,eatingourownapplesandlovingeveryminuteofit.7、Whenspringcame,itbroughttwofloods.Firsttheriveroverflowed,coveringmuchofourlandforweeks.Thenthegrowingseasonbegan,swampingusunderwaveafterwaveofproduce.Ourfreezerfilledupwithcherries,raspberries,strawberries,asparagus,peas,beansandcorn.Thenourcanned-goodsshelvesandcupboardsbegantogrowwithpreserves,tomatojuice,grapejuice,plums,jamsandjellies.Eventually,thebasementfloordisappearedunderpilesofpotatoes,squashandpumpkins,andthebarnbegantofillwithapplesandpears.Itwasamazing.8、Thenextyear,wegrowevenmorefoodandmanagedtogetthroughthewinteronfirewoodthatwasmostlyfromourowntreesandonly100gallonsofheatingoil.AtthatpointIbeganthinkingseriouslyaboutquittingmyjobandstartingtofreelance.Thetimingwasterrible.Bythen,ShawnandAmy,ouroldestgirlswereattendingexpensiveIvyLeagueSchoolsandwehadonlyafewthousanddollarsinthebank.Yetwekeptcomingbacktothesamequestion:willthereeverbeabettertime?Theanswerdecidedly,wasno,andso–withmyemployer’sblessingsandhalfyearspayinaccumulatedbenefitsinmypocket–offIwent.9、Therehavebeenafewanxiousmomentssincethen,butonbalancethingshavegonemuchbetterthanwehadanyrighttoexpect.Forvariousstoriesofmine,I’vecrawledintoblack-beardensforSportsIllustrated,hitchedupdogsledracingteamsforSmithsonianmagazine,checkedouttheLackChamplain“monster”forScienceDigest,andcanoedthroughtheBoundarywaterswildernessareaofMinnesotaforDestinations.10、I’mnotmakinganywherenearasmuchmoneyasIdidwhenIwasemployedfulltime,butnowwedon’tneedasmucheither.Igenerateenoughincometohandleour$600-a-monthmortgagepaymentsplustheusual3expensesforafamilylikeours.Thatincludeseverythingfrommusiclessonsanddentalbillstocarrepairsandcollegecosts.Whenitcomestoinsurance,wehaveapoormen’smajor-medicalpolicy.Wehavetopaythefirst500dollarsofanymedicalfeesforeachmemberofthefamily.Itpicksup80%ofthecostsbeyondthat.Althoughwearestuckwithpayingminorexpenses,ourpremiumislow-Only560dollarsayear-andwearecoveredagainstcatastrophe.Asidefromthatandthepolicyonourtwocarsat$400ayear,wehavenootherinsurance.Butwearesettingaside$2000ayearinanIRA.11、We’vebeenanabletomakeupthedifferenceinincomebycuttingbackwithoutappreciablyloweringourstandardofliving.Wecontinuetodineoutonceortwiceamonth,butnowwepatronizelocalrestaurantsinsteadofmoreexpensiveplacesinthecity.WestillattendoperaandballetinMilwaukeebutonlyafewtimesayear.Weeatlessmeat,drinkcheaperwineandseefewermovies.ExtravagantChristmasesareamemory,andwecombinevacationswithstoryassignments...12、Isuspectnoteverywholovesthecountrywouldbehappylivingthewaywedo.Ittakesacoupleofspecialqua