Winter may mean you are completely isolated and power failures can be frequent occurrence. Getting to a hospital during an emergency can be a harrowing experience. Property taxes and other costs can be much higher than in the city.
The author and his wife followed their dream of moving to the country to get back to nature, live off the land, and get away from the city rat race. They planned to build their dream home on the Athabasca Landing Trail that had been used by the gold seekers of the 1890's. The location was quite remote and encounters with wildlife were frequent though not always friendly. Their gardens were attacked by insect pests, deer and woodchucks. They had mice in the well, dive bombing swallows in the garage and nearly every variety of insect everywhere. They struggled to build their house on a slim budget with major transportation problems. Killing their goats or rabbits for food was unthinkable as the animals became pets. The Whites discover much about themselves as they try to cope with land clearing, finding water, strange animals in the driveway and stranger people on their doorstep. Their venture of self-discovery provides a factual and amusing account of the realities of country living.
