Best place to Live?

[Pat]

Egon, That is true. There are folks of my aquaintance where one of the couple was originally from OK. I have met just as many that were not originally from OK. I have recently met two couples that were born and raised in Callifornia. Both ladies were from San Diego! This didn't know each other (or me) previously. My experience of course is very small compared to that of my friend in real estate. He met many more new arrivals to the state in a year than I might in 20. He detected somewhat of a trend. Perhaps there is a connection, however tenuous, where folks from OK living in California, sensitize Californians to the OK situationi. ??? Who knows. Not me! Don't know all the reasons they come but they do come. $/acre and decent climate and rural experience are factors I have heard mentioned.

Pat (Help us keep our secret, we don't want to be overrun with yuppies!)

[Pat]

Thaddeus, I guess you have now had your personal acquaintance with an example of what is meant by sensitivity to initial conditions.

Pat

[egon]

Did you realize that each new arrival at the top of Mt. Everest is setting a new altitude record.

Egon

[Clint]

Pat,

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
I guess folks who don't know any better, like it, In light rain and mist they carry on as if it were a sunny day and comparitively I guess maybe it was.

[/ QUOTE ]

Being a former long time resident of the great state of Washington I must say tsk tsk. Of course we know better. But we also understand that in order to be the Evergreen State there has to be some precipitation. I never paid much attention to it. You just learn that it's part of the package. Besides, the webbing that grows between you fingers and toes really helps to propel you through the water quickly. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

I definitely agree on keeping OK secret. Living in fly over country has many advantages.

Clint

[Pat]

Clint, My friend, I don't have a problem with folks liking any particular (or peculiar) climate. Much of it is what you are used to and or grew up in. I have talked with folks in North Dakota who are truly amazed that anyone would want to live in Southern California. I spent three consecutive winters there courtesy of the Stratigic Air Command and survived -47 F. Haven't been back since.

Of course I could survive the frequent fog, drizzle, rain, etc of Washington and mutate to have webs etc. I hiked the Ho peninsula (in rain gear) and enjoyed it. I have pitched a tent in 6 ft of snow at 10,000 feet for Christmas but I wouldn't want to live like that.

I don't need ideal, just tolerable. Not being nearly constantly precipitated upon is one of my selection criteria for desireable climate. It is a personal choice. Lots of folks think wherever they were raised to be the "right" climate and everthing else is just tolerated temporarily. I can be happy just about anywhere. Doesn't mean I prefer those places. I know where I am is not as "IDEAL" climate wise as San Diego but it is more than just good enough and other factors are GIGANTIC ADVANTAGES.

We spent several vacations over a period of decades looking for where to retire. Oregon and Washington were visited several times. There were satisfactory locations in both of those states. For us and our needs and wants, Oklahoma beat them out handily.

My apologies to any narrow (or feeble) minded resident of Sequim who actually believes the bunk shamelessly promulgated regarding its fantastic climatalogical advantages over the rest of the state of Washington. Sorry to have offended you in your ignorance. Please return to your previous state of anesthesia.

Oh by the way, Clint... I know a guy who knows a guy who was in med school for a while who could remove any vestigal traces of webbing from your extremeties for a good price or a gal of corn liquor.

Pat

[Clint]

Pat,

My Bro-in-law to be (my sis still has 3 weeks to make a better decision [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ) was explicating the very climatalogical anomaly in Sequim of which you speak. He whole heartedly believes that Sequim is the best of both worlds - Always green, high mountains, and close to the ocean - and - less precip. Ya right. He absolutely postively wants to live there. I guess it may be an improvement over Marysville where he grew up.

I personally grew up (well, I guess I still am) in both Utah and Washington. Only thing(s) I truly miss living in OK are the mountains, but rolling hills are definitely "tolerable" especially compared to the flat lands of Louisiana where I lived previous to OK.

My wife is less concerned w/ where we live, just as long as she can break my nomadic habits of moving to a different house/apt every year and a different state every two years (for the last 14 years - only 3 of which she has experienced).

She thought buying a place and having a baby would cause my roots to germinate . . . we'll see.

Clint.

P.S. Let's see more pics of the house.

[gauthier]

Those old fashined yellow snakes are about the same thing as a black snake only yellow. RICHARD GAUTHIER

[Pat]

Clint, The "rain shadow" phenomena that is Sequim's claim to fame is a fine distinction, at best a nuance appreciated the most by the denizens of drear. I flashed back to the old "Star Trek" episode where two guys are locked in mortal combat because of hatred based on skin color. They were both "Harlequins", pure black on one side and pure white on the other, with a high contrast demarcation on the midline. One was black on the left side and the other on the right side, a distinction not noted by the crew of the Enterprise until pointed out by one of the combatants.

We read the Sequim hype and spent some time in the area on a summer vacation, visiting the surrounding area but basing our operations out of Sequim. It was an OK place to visit but I wanted to leave before I started to grow moss on my north side.

I guess if folks grew up in a 3 ft deep swamp and moved to a place just barely awash in swamp water they might think it was a fantastic place, and so dry too.

Clint, have you been to Heavener? Have you visited the Ozarks and Ouichita mountains in eastern OK? Have you been to the dunes? Yeah, real dunes in OK with an off road park for the folks who want some desert action.

Should be pouring basement ceiling tomorrow, will post some pix now on my house thread and more after the pour.

Pat

[Clint]

Pat,

I've seen the very Star Trek episode of which you speak and I follow you exactly regarding Sequim. It reminds me of a discussion a roommate of mine in college (a fellow Washingtonian) had w/ a local when we first moved to Utah. For my roommate, a mountain was not a mountain unless covered in trees. He and the Utah local discussed the virtues and pros and cons of each for a good 1/2 hour. I'm afraid I let both down when they sought my opinion and I replied that if I can mountain bike it, fish on it, ski down it, hike up it or put my truck in 4wd and get to the top I don't much care.

The first two times my wife visted Washington it was too cloudy to see the mountains -- she doubted whether they actually existed there.

As for traveling OK, I have not ventured much away from school. I think I signed something when I started saying that I would not have any fun. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] But we bought a house, a tractor and had a kid anyway and I'm havin' lots of fun.

We actually planned to begin visiting the more scenic areas of Ok last fall, before the all-day morning sickness reared it's ugly head. Hopefully soon we'll start out with some day trips.

As long as you're taking pictures of your house, I'd love to see a pic of your 1000m shooting range -- all 1000m in focus of course.

Clint.

[tdenny]

Pat,

Yep, I definitely glossed over San Diego as I spent not nearly as much time there as the others I mentioned. It is in fact an awesome place to live. I much prefer it here though.

Sequim - yep your pronunciation is perfect, is on the peninsula of Washington and very near the rainiest place on earth (our rain forests).

You are also correct when noting that in the right season this place is stunning. Spring and fall are wonderful. The winter and summer are very mild. I live far out in the sticks (40 miles from Seattle) but not quite far enough since I'm still in the same county. I'd much rather live even further out where it is quiet but my wife won't have any of it. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]