So those of you who have stayed with us from the start know that we thought we had internet through AT&T in the fall of 2015, only to find out they were never able to plug in at the main frame and later told us that they would not be able to provide us reliable service so wouldn't offer it. We looked into Satellite Internet through our cable provider - DISH - and were told that in order to get satellite internet (which still wouldn't be reliable in bad weather) we would have to cut down numerous trees to get it close enough to the barn. We investigated several other "rural providers" to no avail. Enter the mixed feelings.
I have been coming to "our little slice of Heaven" in the valley since I was 7 years old. I always considered it my communal time with Nature. I grew up in bustling Miami and other than the beach there wasn't much "undeveloped land" anywhere. Because we only came in the summer my parents didn't think it prudent to get a phone line because we would pay for so many months we weren't there and we did have access to my Godmother's phone across the street to communicate to family or for emergencies. We never had a TV there until the 1990's and even then it was with rabbit ears and just the luck of what we could get. In the late 90's I think we added a VHS player so that movies could be watched when the weather wasn't cooperating.
In the early 2000's I remember visiting the retreat with friends and not having cell service. We actually had to drive to the top of the ridge near the Country Store to even get a signal. All the while I never thought of any of this as inconvenient or troublesome because I still basqued in the "escape from electronics" that the retreat offered.
Then in 2005 & 2007 along came my kiddos. Both boys. Once they were old enough to walk we drove down to the retreat as many weekends as we could. They would play for hours in the dirt and tall grass. Learn to ride bikes on a more forgiving surface than a drive way. Climb trees. Catch fireflies. Watch the stars. Go fishing. Explore. They were just as mesmerized by the beauty as I had been when I was a child. At this time we only had a 15 inch TV- with old VHS player and tapes and they rarely even turned it on. I LOVED that! By 2010 cell phone service was better but not with every carrier. My kiddos rarely asked to look at my phone and I would usually not even take it out of my purse while there.
In 2015 when we finally were opening the retreat to the public after three years of weekend work on it, we knew we needed to have amenities. I waited until the last possible month to get that TV and cable installed as I knew the draw from my boys would be real. To be honest... my family doesn't have cable at home- we stream Netflix and use antennas for basic channels- so my boys think it is a HUGE treat to come to the retreat where we have 140+ channels. *SIGH*
I still miss the way it used to be.... the boys up at the first sign of light and already downstairs exploring nature in their pajamas. Now it's up and onto the couch watching whatever cartoon they don't see at home. There is a pang of regret in my heart for ever having gotten cable and a large screen TV. Just being honest!
So now you know how I truly feel about TV and the internet and why I really like to market the Barn Owl Retreat as an "escape from technology!" It is good for the soul to commune with nature, with our creative side (scrapbooking) and put down our devices. I hope you will take the chance to escape the screen while you are at the Barn Owl Retreat. Have long & meaningful conversations with your friends. Take a walk in the pasture. Sit by the lake. Read a good book when you need a break from your craft.
We have decided, for now, not to cut down any trees for the purposes of installing satellite internet. I am sorry to those of you who have the Cricket or other cutters that want to download shapes and fonts from the internet as you need them. Please know that hot spots work well for those brief needs! We thank you for your business and hope you will enjoy "our little slice of Heaven" as much as we do.
MaryLea