A friend recently asked, “Don’t you ever get out of Lake Odessa?” The short answer is, “Yes!” But that’s misleading. I don’t live in Lake Odessa. And you can relax on that score too. Lake Odessa is the village that sits on the north shore of Jordan Lake, which is just down stream from Tupper Lake. The community get its name from the Township, which is Odessa and the two lakes. Simple, isn’t it?
It’s about 7 miles by road for us to reach the village. (Doesn’t that remind you of the TV series The Prisoner?) We are just inside the township, but the post office delivers on the road a mile north of us–if your mailbox is located on the south side. Our church is on the north side of that road, but the mailbox is on the south. This is where it gets confusing. I travel a mile north of the township line two or three times a week to attend church functions. However, the mailing address is Lake Odessa. I’ll let you decide if that means I leave or stay in Lake Odessa.
About once a week Sylvia and I meet our older son for lunch in Grand Rapids (half-hour drive) or we see his family for a function of some kind. We’ve had a lot of them during water polo season and around graduation time.
That question provides good insight into my temperament. For most of my working career I had long commutes and I’ve done a lot of travel on business. I never did care for any of that. Now that we are retired, I’m content to stay at home and do things around here. I like to say that on a perfect day I don’t go past the mailbox at the foot of the driveway. Could you live like that?
I could live exactly like that if I lived in a place I enjoyed as much as you seem to enjoy yours. My grandparents had an equally confusing mailbox and town situation, very similar to yours. I guess that's how it goes when you don't live in a major city or one of its suburbs.
I don't know. There are some days when I would love a sweet house on lots of property and then I think I would miss the city life. I like having the highway right here–I can take advantage of city and country in a matter of minutes. I think for right now, it is a nice compromise–if only I didn't have wacky neighbors.
Yes as long as I can escape once in awhile 🙂
Beautiful photo. I know what you mean about living in such a place. After spending some time in NYC as a kid, I wanted the country life. We live in town right now, but I long for the open country.
You are indeed blessed! 😀
erm, that about describes my life.
O, I could live like that for a long time! Of course, I do get seized by bouts of terminal wanderlust, but with so many hiking miles the past two years, I'm ready to stay home and clean my flower beds and play house for a while, I think. My dad really was a person who was happy to never leave the county.
Yes, I sorta live like that most days, never getting much past picking up the mail. Of course, it's a bike ride a bit over a mile round-trip!
Yes! I would simply love it. However due to health problems that my wife has, we need to be close to the city and her doctors.
Enjoy your trip to the mail box. I envy you.