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Post by Dianna on Nov 10, 2012 17:35:39 GMT -5
I sure miss the mild So Ca fall/winter weather. It is cold in the pacific northwest, a different kind of cold this calif girl is not used to.. and it ain't even winter yet... since we are right on oregon's columbia river, on top of that it's a damp cold.. the sun is out which makes it very scenic and beautiful.. and to top it off my dahlia flowers have withered into a dead spinach look! Must pull them out! Still they'd have to take me away from here kicking and screaming! lol
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Post by erik on Nov 10, 2012 18:08:23 GMT -5
Well back down here in SoCal, the Fall fix is in. We're getting very cool, windy, and blustery weather; and some of our higher mountains out to the east have a couple of inches of snow on them, enough for it to be visible in the valleys. I would gather that it would be quite a bit colder up there in Oregon as we get deeper into fall and an approaching winter.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 10, 2012 18:16:35 GMT -5
Unfortunatley you are correct erik!!!! I'm a little jealous and envious of your weather right now. August and September can be very hot in LA, OC and esp riverside / san ber-du but, oct thru june-july.. the best, which is why it attracts so many people!!!! enjoy your weather!!!
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Post by erik on Nov 10, 2012 19:01:25 GMT -5
I'd be very concerned if you live in a part of Oregon that is susceptible to heavy snow in the winter, because you could find yourself marooned for days if the roads become impassible (shades of THE SHINING).
Truth be told, I think we are spoiled down here in Southern California. We tend to gloat that we have it so good, and then we b**ch about bad weather when it happens. But we had temperatures up around 90 at the beginning of last week; and as tonight approaches, it is barely in the 60s, and the winds are blowing. And I can still hear in my heads the sounds of that horrible, violent windstorm we had almost a year ago.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 10, 2012 23:31:33 GMT -5
well thankfully we don't get much snow up here and if it does snow it melts right away.. mostly rain. There was a flood back in 1994 or 1995.. which is part of the reason we chose not to buy an older victorian in downtown astoria.. at that age they tend to slide and hard to get financed through our lender.. or even homeowners ins for that matter and being from so ca I am all too familar with the mud slides after the fires.. no thanks.. we chose a more rural area a few miles from town and contemporary home /newer built in 1995.. no hills.. lol I don't miss the rat race but I do miss the convenience of the big metroplex theatres, walmarts within walking distance and the food.
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Post by erik on Nov 11, 2012 0:04:01 GMT -5
There's only so much I think one practical-minded person can possibly take of the rat race--starting with (as this is my most teeth-gnashing pet peeve) people on their d***ed cell phones, I-Phones, I-Pads doing God knows what, and letting the whole world know that they're doing it. Those things are, in my opinion, not worth missing. Metroplexes, perhaps; Walmart, maybe less so.
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 11, 2012 0:46:51 GMT -5
Well, it is colder than a witch's you know what in Arizona tonight. Only reached 61 degrees and is headed down to the 40's. We went from 95 last week to this! I hate cold weather and the last 3 years without central air has made me sick of the heat. Just wondering where that perfect place to live is? Maybe Biosphere II. or some place in Mexico.
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Post by erik on Nov 11, 2012 0:56:38 GMT -5
Quote by ronstadtfanaz:
Biosphere II, probably. But not Mexico, not with the drug wars there (IMHO).
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 11, 2012 1:11:15 GMT -5
Quote by ronstadtfanaz: Biosphere II, probably. But not Mexico, not with the drug wars there (IMHO). Most of that is near the border. There are so many American (USA) retirement communities down there and I don't think I have ever heard of any problems. |
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Post by Dianna on Nov 11, 2012 11:24:11 GMT -5
Quote by ronstadtfanaz: Biosphere II, probably. But not Mexico, not with the drug wars there (IMHO). Most of that is near the border. There are so many American (USA) retirement communities down there and I don't think I have ever heard of any problems. In the larger cities too. My mom's sister in law is from guadalajara and has lots of family back there, her sister warned her not to even visit, it is so bad you can't even look out your window. My mother has cousins in los mochis sinaloa, she keeps in touch with and I haven't heard any of those stories from there as of yet. I wouldn't chance it ..After march/april t's way too hot and humid ,esp in los mochis.. For me California was great/perfect in the 60's and 70's and houses were actually dirt cheap or affordable. Way too many people now.. If we wanted to buy a similar home/good neighborhood with a lot of land horses/ranches ect in Orange County ca.. we'd have to buy in a place called "Orange park acres,' in orange ca, which is very scenic like here and sprawling green land but who in the hell can afford it? I saw a similar house/land (but it was built in the 60's) sold for 870,000!!! and that is "average" run of th mill ranch style for that area. I can imagine the higher end.. Who buys these houses!!??Not to mention property taxes which are sky high out there! My friend in Long Island says the same thing. |
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Post by erik on Nov 11, 2012 13:40:29 GMT -5
One thing about the climate out here in the Far West, whether it's California, Arizona, or Oregon: I don't think we appreciate warm or hot weather, until it's cold enough to warrant having the thermostat turned up to 70 degrees in the dead of winter.
As for Mexico--well, God knows there are a couple of places I'd like to visit down there, including (for the fact that so many Westerns from the early 1950s up to the 1980s were made down there) Durango. I happen to like desert and mountain scenery. But with that much narco-violence still occurring down there, I just don't think it's doable at this time.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 11, 2012 20:19:23 GMT -5
regarding walmart, they are cheaper then most other stores, it's addicting.. There is a Costco in warrenton, close by, and I like their product and the way they treat their employees and they give out lots of samples.. just hate having to pay extra for a membership and with only 2 of us we don't need to shop in bulk, otherwise I'd shop there.. it's usually packed.
Oh and more on dangerous places.. just don't move to knoxville TN (or the surrounding smaller towns there) The lady down at the little market I go to is from there.. I asked her if she missed TN, ( in her tennessee accent) her reply was, no, its too dangerous there, that's where they take people to kill em. (well, how nice lol)
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 12, 2012 1:49:51 GMT -5
I have friends building a house in Baja on Lareto Bay. They say it is nice there. Not very populated yet. Well, maybe Costa Rico or Panama. Rather than buying maybe the thing to do these days is to rent. Use the property tax money for rent money. Who can pay off their houses these days anyway? Inflation is set to skyrocket. Can't believe what things are going for these days, even at Costco.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 12, 2012 13:58:02 GMT -5
I have friends building a house in Baja on Lareto Bay. They say it is nice there. Not very populated yet. Well, maybe Costa Rico or Panama. Rather than buying maybe the thing to do these days is to rent. Use the property tax money for rent money. Who can pay off their houses these days anyway? Inflation is set to skyrocket. Can't believe what things are going for these days, even at Costco. That is what a family member is doing now, renting as opposed to buying. They bought a house before the market crashed, a little tiny egg in a cute area of downtown orange, ca, for almost 600k!!!! needless to say, they owed more than it was worth so they sold it in a short sale, they'll continue to rent a bigger home in the same area for less. I personally prefer to own for many reasons.. I don't like to be told what to do and I have dogs.. one being a pitbull, (our family member has a that breed as well) and it was difficult for them to find an accepting landlord..they fibbed a bit and said she was a different breed of dog. ha ha. There are pro's and cons.. we are not rich so it helps our home is newer, less maintenance.. |
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 13, 2012 11:23:13 GMT -5
That is why I can't rent either. Try to find a place that allows cats.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 15, 2012 20:40:50 GMT -5
they probably tolerate cats more than dogs rob.. cats are messier or stenchier when it comes to the litter box.. as long as that's where it ends up.. males tend to spray too (couches are favorites) Also, getting back to the weather, today I went on some personal errands and grocery shopping. wow, this has got to be one of those most beautiful places.. God's Country. and dammit I keep forgetting to bring along my camera to take photos and post.. next time. the weather was sunny and crisp, the ships coming in from the columbia river.. and all the evergreens.. just amazing.
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Post by erik on Nov 15, 2012 20:49:35 GMT -5
Living in any mountain or desert community, I think, can give a person an impression of just how insignificant they really are in the bigger scheme of things. I appreciate that kind of unfiltered contact with Nature; and the ironic thing is that you really don't need to go really that far out of your way, even here in SoCal.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 15, 2012 21:06:31 GMT -5
yes, but you have to get out of the highly populated/ congested areas.. unfriendly people, rat race and the exhaust fumes to find it. Erik so ca was great when I was growing up.. and there are places that are okay, like big bear.. parts of san diego.. the beaches are too damn crowded. but the view from laguna nigel is very nice. I am getting older / hermit like and am as sound as a pound if I don't see a soul for a month!!
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Post by erik on Nov 15, 2012 22:19:19 GMT -5
Quote by dianna: True, you do have to get away from the crowds--but here's an example of what I'm talking about:  Devil's Punchbowl County Park, in the foothills of the high desert of northeastern Los Angeles County. It is extremely isolated and quiet, with its huge jumble of strange rock formations (the park sits adjacent to the San Andreas Rift Zone), and the face of the Devil can be seen in a large rock formation at the bottom of the bowl. It is a mix of desert and mountain plants; and oftentimes, all you can hear is the wind and the occasional rustling of the trees. |
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 16, 2012 16:56:31 GMT -5
I'm seeing a lot of different faces. Wonder what that means! ha
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Post by Dianna on Nov 17, 2012 0:34:39 GMT -5
I'm seeing a lot of different faces. Wonder what that means! ha I see the face of Jesus in there! Yes, real pretty Erik, hopefully, you can out that way to enjoy. |
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Post by sliderocker on Nov 17, 2012 15:35:12 GMT -5
Our weather in Oklahoma has been jumping around from warm one day to cold the next, but it's sort os stabilized at the moment: highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s. We're supposed to be in the 70s by Thanksgiving day but that's a sneaky little gift from mother nature as it's supposed to turn colder a couple of days after Thanksgiving. Curiously, we're usually colder than what we are at this time of year and we sometimes get snow during November. That hasn't happened this year and I'm thinking we're going to be having a warmer than average winter though I wouldn't mind a repeat of the 20 to 30 below zero temperatures we had a few years ago. Shook everybody up as it was something that hadn't happened in the lifetimes of most people here, though it has ahppened in the past.
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Post by Dianna on Nov 19, 2012 13:23:16 GMT -5
Wow.. Super windy out and heavy rain, not feeling too comfortable with all those trees swaying. The good news is all the leaves in my yard have blown away, where to, that remains unknown.
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 19, 2012 19:57:47 GMT -5
I'm seeing a lot of different faces. Wonder what that means! ha I see the face of Jesus in there! Yes, real pretty Erik, hopefully, you can out that way to enjoy. Hmmm, I also see Magilla Gorilla and Richard Speck, to name a few. Been a long day and now I must go and battle the coyotes. |
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Post by Dianna on Dec 4, 2012 20:17:49 GMT -5
Living in a remote area does take some getting used to. At first, when folks would start up their lawn tractors, i thought it was the street sweepers or a helicopter circling looking for someone. no more running outside to move my vehicle. And the local news is much more boring here than in LA/OC.. I don't think I've yet to watch am almost daily police chase.. kind of refreshing actually
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Post by erik on Dec 4, 2012 20:50:42 GMT -5
Quote by dianna:
We haven't actually had any police chases down here in several weeks (though even as I write this, I may find myself having spoken too soon [LOL]).
But how about all that torrential rain you've been getting?
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Post by Dianna on Dec 4, 2012 22:05:32 GMT -5
Erik, it has pretty much rained non stop since we got here in May.. there were a few dry spells in aug and sept. The guy who came over to give a fence estimate, said it has rained more than usual this year. I like the rain and I do take vitamin D to help with lack of sunshine. I worry more about the winds, although we don't have hurricanes out here, I do worry about the hurricane force winds that come up from the coast. ha ha on police chase.. the big news story here is the custody of a baby elephant.. and the weather girls look like normal people as opposed to the ones in LA ( L.A in all fairness is probably more extreme than anywhere else tho) I'm glad my b/f was/is a goonies fan and just had to come up here to check it out. I had never seen the movie. lol
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 6, 2012 11:22:54 GMT -5
I was raised on LINY which was drizzle city. Then moved to Kentucky where it really rained and was colder than you know what. Then off to Arizona where it never rains and is hotter than you know what. I think somewhere along the West Coast of North, Central and South America is the perfect place to live, climate wise. Just not sure where. I think I would like Arizona more if my ac worked.
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Post by Dianna on Dec 7, 2012 14:32:56 GMT -5
Another thing living here.. It is DARK at night, no street lights. I had forgotten about a package coming. I checked the delivery status last night and it said delievered.. usually the mail person brings packages that won't fit in mailbox to door.. this one was very small. So I leash up my dog, walk outside to retrieve it.. it was so figgin spooky and dark, instead I drove a block down the road.. never again!!!! scary
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Post by erik on Dec 7, 2012 15:49:32 GMT -5
Dianna, this is probably not the brightest question I've ever asked, but how isolated is your residence?
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