@Bobby Cole My nephew left the Phoenix area, where he earned his Masters at ASU, took a position teaching at NAU, Flagstaff, which is situated at 7,000 feet altitude in the mountains. In fact, it lies at the base of Mt. Humphreys, highest point in AZ, about 12,000 ft. Grew up in Chicago, so 150" of it annually no big thing. He has been there since the mid-'80s. His worst gripe has always been the great influx of Californios (no offense, @Chrissy Cross ), their constant intent to liberalize the Municipality, their reckless driving, and their use of money to wield power. Yes, I realize that's an unfair generalization, but the evidence persists. Flag was originally a logging town, nothing more. First time I saw it was in the late '60s; a huge sawmill still operated right in the center of town. Also routed smack-dab through town along the main drag is the BNSF (Santa Fe) railway line, count on a long freight every 10-15 minutes. Today, it's a tourist mecca, as it stands as gateway to the Grand Canyon, 7 million visitors annually. Flagstaff has changed drastically over the past decades, and the original residents, like Mike, resent it. Progress, it's called. Highest cost of living in the entire state. Frank
Ok, but when we lived (had a house off of Hilltop Dr. right behind the Parker P.D.) none of our neighbors were into western stuff either. But, when we'd head off to a rodeo, wearing our western duds, nobody even noticed what we were wearing. One reason why.........there was a Feed and Tack Store in Parker. Parts of Parker was horse property. Parker had an event each year called Parker Days and the parade was full of equestrian units, that is western equestrian units. Heck, even the Walmart, down the hill from our house, sold horse feed. We left Parker in 2007. I know there are a ton more people living there now. Where we are now, people will definitely stare at us if we wore our western gear out of our apartment.
I live in a fairly big city and I don't hear anything at night...it's a quiet subdivision. I'll agree that maybe you shouldn't have moved, maybe my problem is that I'm considering your ages and that's what's throwing me. I'm 66 and healthy but I know that any day something could happen and IVe already lost a husband and know what that's like. Are both of you thinking about all the negatives a move to colder and more isolated areas involves if you're alone and not fit and able? None of this may happen and you'll be living the happiest years of your lives but...I always think of the what ifs.
Also, I don't think I'd like living in Florida at all...too humid. Don't get me wrong @Cody Fousnaugh ...I wish the best for the both of you...I'm just trying to understand from my point of view. We all experience things differently and I just don't understand the thing about being stared at in western clothes. In today's world, anything goes and western wear isn't even weird or strange.
For one thing, where we are looking to move to, sure isn't "isolated". A much lower population, but definitely not "isolated". The town has a Walmart and medical services. And, if we really want to head into a city, something like Denver, we just go a few miles up and we are in Fort Collins and a little further up is Cheyenne. Yes we are both headed to the age of 70, but this will be our last move. We just can't spend the rest of our lives in a city/state that we really don't like. People get tired of hearing complaining about a city/state they love. Only thing that would stop us from making the move would be a serious health problem. That could happen, but we pray ever day that it doesn't. We don't think about the "what ifs" nearly as much as "we gotta get out of here with in the next year or so". If a person sits around and thinks too much about the "what if's", it can be unhealthy. At least that's what I've heard/read.
Well if you're that unhappy where you're at then the go for it. I don't love Fresno but I don't hate it that much either. To me it's a place like any other place only way way hotter.
The humidity is one reason it's extremely hard to get any of my wife's sister to come here from So California to see us. As far as wearing western wear goes, it just depends on where you wear it at as to how much a person is looked at. A person could walk down the middle of Billings, Montana or Cheyenne, Wyoming and not be looked at at all. Now, if a person is dress all western, including the hat, and walks down the middle of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago or New York City, they definitely be looked at and noticed. Billings and Cheyenne aren't "anything goes" areas.
Not everyone moves somewhere different and then tries to change the things they do not like, and probably, most of us don't do that; so this is not something that you should take personally. I think that most people just want to live their lives, and have as much enjoyment of where they live as possible. Like you, I would not be likely to move somewhere that I didn't like, whether it was the location, the town, or the weather. And if for some reason, we had to move somewhere that I was not at least content, I wouldn't be trying to change everything there. But, unfortunately , this is exactly what some people do, like Ken and Bobby mentioned. those people probabllly grumbled where they moved from , too, or else they wouldn't have left that place either. I loved living in the country , and my little trailer house up in Idaho; but jobs were scarce up there, and the very cold winters were getting harder for both Bobby and I to deal with. When Robin asked us to move here to Alabama and be close to her, we decided that we would make the move, and actually, it is probably a better place for us, and not having to deal with all of the cold and snow. PLus, there are good doctors here , and just that alone makes it worth being here.
@Cody Fousnaugh The only reason I'd look at someone wearing western wear around here would be that it's too hot and I'd think that you must be sweating to death when it's 109 outside. Also..have you seen people walking around SF? You'd be the most sane looking person
Well, when it's hot on a ranch or farm, a rancher or farmer will still wear bib overalls or jeans with a long sleeve shirt on. They have to protect themselves from the suns rays. Thing is, many farmers today work fields on enclosed air-conditioned tractors. I've been at rodeos where it's been hot, pretty darn hot. Have to keep a trough of cold water close to the horses and other stock. But, when competing in whatever events, the association a cowboy/cowgirl is with will require long pants and long sleeve shirt/blouse on. When I was in the arena, I had to wear Wrangler jeans (Wrangler is a major sponsor) and a long sleeve shirt. Follow the rules or don't compete, is what we were told. Also, something else you may not know, most, if not all, ranch and farm families have never been to any big amusement parks or water parks. Like Disneyland, Disney World, Six Flags and so on. The family will go to the local, county or state fair, but that's it. Livestock has to be fed and water and it takes more than a "babysitter" to do that.
I moved to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas from Southern California because the company I was working for closed the plant, so I would have been one of those, @Cody Fousnaugh - but I didn't try to force everyone there to speak English or to do any of the nutty stuff that was common in Southern California. Of course, I wasn't in favor of most of the nutty stuff they did in California but still I wouldn't have. When I moved to Millinocket, they still had a working paper mill that stunk up the place at about 3:00 in the morning, but I realized that the mill employed most of the people in town, and paid the larger portion of taxes. This was unlike many of the others who moved here and began a successful campaign to close the mill, and a partially successful campaign to lobby for a national park (we're still fighting that one). Then, because they didn't punch a clock for a living, these people ran for offices or found work in the school system, which is a breeding ground for leftists here, and started getting the town to invest in one leftist or environmental cause after another, even after closing the mill and losing more than two-thirds of the town's tax base. Now our mill rate is the highest in the state, and the town's services to the people who actually live here has diminished dramatically, and we're paying fees for everything despite having the highest mill rate in Maine.
I remember how bad Pittsburgh stunk when it had the steel mills. I was very young then, around 5 yrs old and didn't know they were steel mills...just that there was a lot of smoke in the air and the smell was awful. We didn't even live near any of them. I had totally forgotten that aspect of my early years in Pittsburgh.
Also, I'm probably the last person you'd see defending CA. but central CA. Is not a bad place to live...especially the coast. Fresno is too hot in the summer but on the coast you have an average year round temp of about 70 which is pretty good. In central CA. You are close to San Francisco, SanJose, Sacramento, Napa Valley, Yosemite and a few other National Parks. You have mountains with snow, an ocean, beautiful trails for walking and hiking. Most of the agriculture to the states and on and on. Prices may be higher but so is miniumum wage. I really can't complain...so, it's mostly democrats or liberals but there are plenty of conservatives also. No hurricanes, blizzards, or tornados..maybe a major earthquake every decade. Also a great place to be homeless...weather is decent all year long. Probably the best in social services to the poor too.
The kind of paper that the Millinocket mill made didn't stink things up too badly, such as another (recently closed) mill near here, in what was known as "Stinkin' Lincoln," but there was an almost regular emission at 3:00 am when they figured most people would be sleeping, or at least indoors, that was pretty bad.
@Chrissy Cross Chrissy, if only I were not attached, and I knew you were agreeable, I would ask if I might be given your location address. Can't say any more. Frank