You were warned and NOBODY to the Left of Center . . . listened or thought anything through.

I gave up fast food for mom and pop operations. Just trying to help save a few small businesses.

Yes, that's the way to do it. The wife and I ceased going to restaurants well over a decade ago. We got tired of pouring money down the drain. We cook instead; and are damn good at it. Saves a vast amount of money and the resulting health benefits are significant.

We grow raise or barter for food, both for ourselves and stock. Last year alone I planted hundreds of fruit trees across several plots of land. We have to have a careful balance of what grows where to keep animals out of fields, predators under control, creek banks healthy.

Trips to town involve the same levels of planning, stop at Lowes for X, Tractor supply for X, the hardware store for X, swing by and pick up (random friends) tractor, drop off X, and so it goes. The only chain restaurant we stop at is Waffle House. Mom and pops depend on where we are going to stop and direction of travel, most are 30 minutes to an hour away.

Dealing with trespassers, animal drop offs (usually dogs) poachers, random idiots that want pictures with stock, logging trucks taking short cuts, generally, life is never predictable, weather, equipment failures, there is always something. Our houses are anywhere from 80 to 180 years old, same with barns, buildings, even equipment. Yesterday I ran a machine built in 1903, all day, no issues with it. Saying that at some point, everything requires maintenance. I live in a world of networking, farmers, ranchers, welders, mechanics etc.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Aye, independence and mutual respect between peers. You shoulder the full responsibility for your existence. It's not an easy existence but then freedom isn't free. It never has been. Leftists thinking otherwise are merely demonstrating the fact that they do . . . not . . . think.

The leftists keep us busy too, I could drive an extra hour and double my sales in big liberal ran cities, but I choose to grow less, sell local and let the leftists do without. Some of what we raise, grow and keep serves a single purpose, it keeps speculators, developers and other scum away. The offers to buy us out end when we tell them about the rare breeding areas of (it doesn't matter), we can play that game too.