<p>OOH,Susan, that does sound nice. I'll remember that thought when it's 107 and the ground is hard as a formica countertop and just about as productive .The only thing that will be green around here is the money flying out of my hands to buy feed. All the grass will have been gone since mid-June. </p>
<p>This is really our best time of year on the ranch. Full moon tonight in a window of clouds. Looks like it's just close enough to just grab it out of the sky. From my front porch it's near enough a mile to the gate, and it's a good mile and a half by road to the neighbors. Very little ambient light out here. Just the moonlight.</p>
<p>The turkey are roosting in the big elms by the lake and I've got three long bearded gobblers strutting around this year. Probably 20 hens, and 12 jakes. I just park on the dam of Lake 3 and watch them courting. All fanned out. They are not the least concerned with me. There's women about!</p>
<p>Ooh - love the description, Curmudgeon. Makes me think it would be nice to have various people posting descriptions of the scene beyond their monitor, a way for each of us to travel at the keyboard.</p>
<p>Regarding houses and escalating value, here's our story. We moved to the crowded east because of a job 15 years ago. Were shocked at the housing costs and what that cost would buy you, but buy we did - a 1,000 sq. ft. house in desperate need of renovation (for a family of 4). It's taken us 15 years to add 400 sq. ft. and make many improvements and it's still not 'done'. It is worth twice what we put into it. Our in-laws that stayed in the midwest started out as young families living in new houses with twice the sq. ft. and all the amenities. Those houses are not worth what our 'little' house is worth. I feel like we paid our dues for the value of our house and it's all come as a surprise, nothing we ever expected. It's balanced what happened to our IRAs in the last few years. </p>
<p>On the question of applying for financial aid: would everyone please just DO IT! Unless you know you have tens of thousands of dollars available for all your children's educations, you simply don't know the answer until you apply. None of us knows what can happen while our child is in college - job loss, stock market losses, death of a parent, illnesses, (fill in doom of your choice here). These things happen at the most inopportune times and if you have a FAFSA on file for that year, you are in much better shape. Beyond the outright grants that some kids are eligible for, I believe you have to fill out the FAFSA in order to qualify for loans and work study (and the work study jobs are usually much better in pay and nature of work than kids can get off campus). It's just a form, you've done your taxes, what's the harm in filling it out and seeing what if? Once you've filled it out, subsequent years are much easier.</p>
<p>I agree with ya LefthandofDog! It does not hurt to try for financial aid. Ya never know 'til you do and there is no harm in trying. As well, you never know if circumstances would change and I've always heard that it is better to have filed these papers freshman year as a good step. </p>
<p>We are not a low income family and we do get some financial aid.
Susan</p>
<p>curmudgeon: That sounds so peaceful. I grew up and have lived in megapolis all my life and have always romanticized the life in the setting you described.</p>
<p>I grew up in a small city in India with a population of more than 120,000. There was no light. But I tell you when I came to USA, my son insisted on joining scouts. My wife and I were afraid of his safety and did not want him to join. However we let him join as a 7 year old and in order to protect him I went to camps with him. To tell you long story short he attained the rank of Eagle Scout but I am hooked. I love the scouting and camping. Boy Scouts are responsible for themselves. Adult leaders cook for themselves. Since I am not a good cook, I contribute by cleaning the dishes and prepping for food. I love camping. It is so much fun.</p>
<p>A few things not yet mentioned in this thread:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>some merit aid (at some schools) will only be awarded if you apply for fin aid and are not eligible. See CMU for an example.</p></li>
<li><p>There are some real strange things built into the formulas. In the FAFSA, income set aside in a 401K is considered income for fin aid purposes (but NOT the account balance). But the same amount set aside by a company in a defined benefit plan is not counted.</p></li>
<li><p>Under the institutional formula (schools using the Profile?), private school tuition for younger kids is subtracted, so can increase need. This could be one reason high income families get awards.</p></li>
<li><p>The FAFSA has essentially no cost of living adjustment. As near as I can tell, the only geographic adjustment is for varying tax rates.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It is also curious that the profile includes some curious institutional specific questions, on things like auto ownership.</p>