[Grovenet] Re: Yamhill

[Eric Canon]

I'm no expert, but at one time, Forest Grove
merited the description of sort of back woods by
a Realtor who knew what he was talking about.
Property values were much less than Portland in
Forest Grove. Going to Gaston was another step
down the price ladder, and Yamhill and Carlton
were bargain basement areas due to their distance
from everything else. I suspect that hasn't
changed much. I know some people who have bought
in Carlton who have big bucks and built
magnificent homes in that area and that's true of
Gaston, too. So it's sort of like what you have
described where you live.

It used to be that any telephone call from Gaston
and beyond was long distance. They may still be
in Yamhill and Carlton. Cell phones out there
search for towers that are few and far between.

One thing I failed to mention earlier is that all
these areas are flat out gorgeous. Rolling hills,
fields, beautiful skies, greens and browns and
golds and yellows. Streams, ponds or lakes. Just
beautiful country, here in FG and everywhere
we've talked about (even Vancouver!).

As for "friendly", I lived in California for a
few years, and the pace there is much faster than
here. I remember coming back home and sitting in
a restaurant and the talk was quieter between
people here than in California. Oregonians
weren't showier, but much more "what you see is
what you get". They struck me as grounded and
real. A californian once called us "dusty",
meaning perhaps not fresh and active.

I was in Kentucky a couple years ago and they
were like that, too. We may be reserved, but
we're friendly, too.

That reminds me of a story: I lived outside of
Gaston for a while, and I worked at home. To get
to town, we drove down our road past a very well
kept farm. The farmer sometimes would be doing
something or other in his front yard, and, when
I'd drive by, I'd give him a toot and wave, and
he'd look at me with no acknowledgment other than
a stare. After several trips like that, I stopped
waving, and I thought what a cold neighbor I had.

Maybe a year went by and I was mentioned in a
local newspaper article. Next time down the hill,
he looked up and gave me a wave. I nearly drove
off the road, it was so unexpected.

I later found out that his family had lived on
our hill for over 100 years on the same piece of
land. His grandfather had been governor. So here
I was, newly moved in and with five acres of
scrub land, but I never drove to work. How was I
able to make a living? He figured I was selling
drugs. Then he read the article and his view of
me changed. And we became great friends and he
was a huge resource as we planted a vegetable
garden and witched a water well. I can't imagine
a more friendly and helpful person than he turned
out to be. It just took a while for him to find
out I was OK.

And when you've lived in the same place as long
as he had, maybe there is some sort of right to
be less than quick with a smile and a wave.
Friendly? Unfriendly? I changed my opinion of my
neighbor.

--- JBlair2154 at aol.com wrote:


> Eric!  Thank you SO much for your thoughtful 
> response!
> Actually, one reason I asked about counties is
> because in my  cyber-poking 
> around Portland Metro, for about 5 months now,
> I have just now  wandered down 
> the map into Yamhill...and I noticed that
> Forest Grove is near its  border. (In 
> the Greater Memphis area, our present stomping
> ground, crossing  into another 
> county -- and in our case, state -- can make
> big differences in  quality of 
> life, costs of services, etc. I wondered if the
> same is true there.)  We had 
> hoped to get closer in to Portland, as that is
> where our daughter plans  to live, 
> but housing costs have skyrocketed, and we've
> observed that areas  around 
> Memphis which seemed "far out there" 10-20
> years ago are no longer  considered 
> remote. Services and amenities seem to catch
> up, rather rapidly,  with 
> population growth, as do housing costs. This is
> one reason  I've been looking so hard 
> at Forest Grove...and why, at this moment,
> McMinnville  really looks inviting.  
> (As a writer, I've worked with many artists,
> some  who have become long-term 
> friends...and our daughter loves to sample
> wines.  <G>) I have a Yamhill 
> Valley Visitors Guide which lists many 
> activities we could enjoy, even as we age, 
> and there's a small modern hospital.  And the
> rolling, agricultural terrain 
> has an aesthetic serenity that is very 
> appealing. Looking carefully for 
> drawbacks, all I've found so far -- aside from 
> the distance to Portland and of 
> course, the higher cost of living which is 
> endemic to your section of the country 
> -- is that McMinnville needs to beef  up its
> fire department. But that will 
> surely happen. If you've heard any  complaints
> on other topics from Yamhill 
> Valley dwellers, please pass them  along.
>  
> Thanks again for your invaluable help. (I've
> been told that  Oregonians are 
> not as friendly as Southerners, but you folks
> may prove that  statement to be 
> erroneous.)
>  
> Joy
> In the case of good books, the point is not to 
> see how many of them you can 
> get through, but how many can get through to 
> you.
> 
> -Mortimer J. Adler
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