Robert Plamondon's Rural Living Tips

As a returnee to the country after many years in the city, I saw the topic of rural life with new eyes. I grew up in the country after my parents tired of city life in the Sixties and tried their hand at building and operating a campground in the California redwoods.

After graduating from college, my wife and I worked in Silicon Valley until our oldest son neared school age, when we decided it was time to return to a more rural setting. We bought a 37-acre farm in Blodgett, Oregon, where we raise free-range chickens and stuff like that. Karen's a full-time farmer. I farm part-time and have a freelance technical writing business.

We've learned a lot since returning to the country, and I've begun writing some of it down for these pages.

Affordable Robot Vacuum Cleaners

If you live in the country, the outdoors keeps trying to come indoors. Cute, affordable iRobot vacuum cleaners will patrol your floor and keep it tidy! They will also amuse your cats.

Using Window Air Conditioners as Replacement Cooling Units in Big Refrigerators

Lots of people need a big refrigerator like the glass-door units in grocery stores. You can get old ones more or less for free, but their cooling units are always shot. A window air conditioner can replace the original unit. Put in a new thermostat, cut a hole in the side of the refrigerator, and slide it in. End of problem!

Tractor Tips

I have a 1957 Ford 640 tractor, and my tractor pages tell you what I've learned about tractor ownership over the years.

Chicken Lore

I have a whole Web site devoted to poultrykeeping: http://www.range-eggs.com.

Audiobooks Make Chore Time Interesting

Living in the country means we spend a lot of time driving and doing chores that don't need our full concentration. Recorded books on tape, CD, or MP3 players can provide us with entertainment or education. I find that I have a lot more time to listen to books than I do to sit down and read them, and in many cases I enjoy recorded books more.

Why You Need a TiVo

We're all too busy to be in front of the TV when our favorite shows happen to be on, and we're way too busy to watch commercials. A TiVo will record the shows you like automatically, so you can watch what you like, when you like. And you can fast-forward past the commercials!

TiVos for DirecTV satellite TV are especially cool, which means that folks in the country who don't have access to cable TV anyway are steered towards the best product.

I've had a TiVo and DirecTV for several years, and it's just the thing for busy people who don't have much time for TV, and can't arrange their schedules to match when their favorite shows are on.

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