Green acres is the place to be
Farm livin’ is the life for me
Land spreadin’ out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just gimme the country side.

The rain, wind, and snow held off for the weekend so my wife and I continued our search looking for our retirement home near Laura Ingall’s stomping ground between Walnut Grove and the big city of Mankato, Minnesota. Specifically we looked at properties in and around, Trimont, St. James, and Comfrey, Minnesota.

Properties ranged in price between 62K and 102K. Some were farmsteads and others were in the city. (if you consider a town of less than 2000 to qualify as a city.) All of the homes had multiple bedrooms and had buildings that could accommodate a generous workshop. All properties had room for a generous garden, which would make Aunt Bea jealous.

Our host for the day, was our trusty real estate agent, James Olson of the Homestead Agency of Winnebago, Minnesota. This was James second attempt to help us find our utopia, but like Atlantis our goal appeared to be doomed.

The first farmstead we visited was located just outside of Trimont, on seven acres of trees and prairie. The property included a two pole sheds, a garage, and three silos. The house was a 1920’s story and a half that had been moved to the farm in the sixties after the original home was destroyed in a fire. The occupied building was left open for us by the owners so we could tour the properties, with instructions to our realtor to make sure the doors were closed when we left.

The main design feature of the home was the fake log siding attached to every wall of the main floor, reminding us of a night in an old Northwood’s cabin. Unfortunately the main scent of the place was of cat, not smoke and pine. There also appeared to be a home rewiring project going on, as part of the wiring on the exterior of the home was spliced together with electrical tape. For safety reasons, we moved on.

The next home was located in Trimont, and was a 1920’s two story with original wood trim. Entering the home we could see hardwood flooring in the entry leading to a carpeted living room and formal dining room. We believe the rug was covering more of the solid maple flooring. Unfortunately the house had a kitchen that had been not brought up to the later part of the century. The refrigerator was placed by itself on a diagonal, a good ten feet from the stove and sink. It was apparent that a kitchen rebuild was in order.

Right next to the kitchen was a half bath which led to a side deck. Obviously that allowed guest to wash up as they came in from the deck for meals.

Upstairs were three bedrooms and a full bath. The second floor was accessed via an ornate wooden staircase featuring a landing and a turn. Again there were hardwood floors throughout.

Outside was a new heated four car garage and an older two car garage. The four car garage would make any craftsman weep with joy as there was room and power aplenty for any type of project.

Even though the kitchen needed work, the property itself remains on our list for more consideration.

The next property James showed us was a farmstead near St. James. Sadly the home seemed as if the previous owner had said “enough” and hastily moved on, leaving a lifetime of junk and cats to fend for themselves. Again we moved on.

We traveled to Comfrey, where we had three houses to inspect.

The first home was an older story and a half with a large garage. The owner, a very nice lady who was unable to move, stayed in her recliner as we walked through the home. She was watching the noontime soap opera and our realtor stuck with her to watch as we checked out the house.

The home itself was small and suffered from a collection of “everything” that spanned decades. There were dolls and doily’s a plenty, mixed in with her son’s Budweiser supply stashed throughout the house and garage. The building was too small for our needs, so we thanked her for the hospitality and went back to our car.

It was nearing noon and since I had seen a bar and grill not far away, we convinced James to stop for lunch. We pulled into the ample parking lot of the Comfrey Bar & Grill, and even though it was noontime, there was plenty of room between the seasoned regulars. Today’s special was a hamburger with your choice of a side dish, which included French fries, skillet fried potatoes or onion rings. The portions were generous and the prices were reasonable, with us and the realtor fighting over the $17.00 lunch tab. He won, but I saved face by leaving the tip. To give you an idea of the Comfrey “ambience” attached is a “Youtube” presentation on this actual Bar & Grill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs4gZnHXmC4

With two homes yet to inspect in Comfrey, we moved on.

The next home was an early 1900 house that had been updated to within an inch of its life. Where ever possible an addition had occurred or a space had been converted. The end result was 2000 square feet of paneling and carpet held together with homemade and heart felt decorations. While I am sure the family had the money into the project, we could not see paying to support their craft.

The last home we visited was a 1950’s two story home, which had been tastefully maintained. The home would have easily appealed to the Brady Bunch both in size and décor. Even though I was still beginning to feel the effects of the noon meal, the home kept my interest.

The property was on a 70 by 200 lot that included and extra detached two bay garage that could easily be used as a private workshop. The lot itself had room for a garden and was near the edge of town bordering a field. The view out the front window was of the town’s carwash featuring a cleverly stenciled drawing of a very happy auto.

Unfortunately, a closer inspection of the sales brochure showed a yearly tax that would almost equal the house payment. Time to call it a day.