Pop Quiz:
What’s a drier experience:
a) Living on a sailboat for 10-winters in Seattle, or…
b) Getting the mail in mid-May in East Texas?
Correct Answer: B
People seem to have a vision of Texas – if they’ve never been here before – that it’s a land of coyotes and sage brush. Sure, true, but mostly west of the Pecos
The camera sensor makes it much lighter-appearing than it was. By this afternoon, some of this will pass, but at high noon today it was so dark the motion-lights around the house were coming on. And the rain will likely mean tornadoes to follow up to the northeast of us.
Only a few more days of suffering to go until we get into two or three weeks of perfect weather. That’s a high of 85 and a low of 60 until mid June, which is a month late from our usual first 90-degree day.
When someone figures you gullible-enough to use the phrase “global warming” or “climate change” on you, look ’em back in the eye and say “Oh, you mean WEATHER?”
People who live indoors need not to talk about “climate” with those of us who live a good part of the day out where the difference matters.
Yes, in our parts of Texas, we haven’t had one 100 degree day yet. 20 years ago, we were at 100 degrees in March. We sure are enjoying this cool spring, windows still open at night, but the land, (wildflowers are still incredible), and our figs look like they came out of the jungle due to all of the rain this year. Green is the new brown in Texas.
Your 2 to 3 weeks of ‘perfect weather’ is mine most of the year and that is one of the major reasons that I and other Gringos live here. Also the reason I left Florida!
Most of the living here is ‘out of doors’ year round which is healthier for us. No indoor pollution here or mostly none.
One must not forget the fresh fruits and veggies! Cheers.
Where is “here?”
Costa Rica, which is not for everyone. Bout 11 miles to the hospitable and decent shopping. Mega shopping over the mountain. Quite living and friendly people. My Lady and I have been on several continents over the years and settled here because of climate, people and Quality Of Life on a limited income.
Oops! If you can’t stand the answer, don’t ask the question.
Costa Rica is consistently rated below Ecuador for great places to retire.
I moved to my current abode many years ago to escape rain and other wetness coming out of the sky. Every decade or two we get massive moisture and this year’s one of those. Normally Spring is hot and windy – fire weather, but this year I have to schedule daily depending on if it’s mud or not outside.
I still love the land, but our state is turning too blue for my taste. It may be time to seek another one, or even another country.
Mike, I’m with you, as the Austin “blue dot in a red state” is growing bigger by the day and the town has far outgrown its own infrastructure. I’ve looked all over, north, south, over in “Ure” country (east Texas, a different place than here) and I can’t find something I can really afford in cash, even though all I want is a single wide or cabin with a shop on a few acres (that in the central Texas are now going for 20-50k an acre unimproved). I want it off the beaten path too, and it’s getting harder to find that. Idaho can fit the bill, but it’s far from family, and I’ll be damned if I’ll retire to a place where Old Man Winter lives 8+ months of the year.
It is difficult, to be sure, but I am looking. Wish I could find it. I’m ready to get out of the city.
Not so! Ure’s place is available, complete with all fixtures and furnished for $275,000 which includes acreage, equipment, shop, antennas, solar power…whole thing.
I just had that talk with a family friend.. they want a new doublewide for their acreage..( they haven’t done one thing in maintenance in years) I said.. your better to do the repairs and maintenance. You can gut the whole thing start with a fresh slate and redo the whole thing for a fraction of the cost..a new doublewide..your looking at a quarter mill.. or twenty dollars an hour clear..
With an average income of forty grand a year ..you can’t afford it.. they argued..of course.. but hey..then to discover they have to choose single drainage field for their septic system..there goes another twenty grand right there..
Poke around about 70-80 miles due West of Austin into the Hill Country. There are many humble affordable abodes out there. Look to Llano, Tow, and all little places in between where people still live simply and humbly and it is affordable. Even Bertram, and Burnet are great little small towns that have affordable housing. Start driving out on 29, or 1431, then go around, up one country road and down the other. Lots of For Sale By Owner.
Granger, Texas, near Taylor, look there. Last year we sold 5 acres with some improvements for $80k. Big warning, raw land, and water. Land Owner had 80 plus acres. He subdivided into 5 acre lots. We bought our lot from someone who had purchased it from the landowner as financed by the owner. So, we bought it from the 2nd guy but the landowner kept the same terms and payments. A few years go by, we notice the other 5 acre lots keep selling, then people stop paying, and new people would buy. We met several sets of new owners. We finally go to drill for water. The well driller who knew well enough why, acted like he didn’t, came and drilled 5 test wells, and shocked himself and found water in 2 wells on our 5 acres. MIRACLE. The landowner had hired him to drill all over the original 80 acres (including our 5 acres) and never found water. So, the landowner is knowingly selling 5 acre lots to people who pay every month, and then when they get ready to drill for water in anticipation of putting a home on the land or building one, find out there is no water and get so upset, they stop paying. He never files against them, just lets them go. So, his land keeps paying him monthly until the new owner gets out. WE just were blessed, we finished a 60′ seep well that had below ground storage of 1800 gallons, and left the back well open for a hand pump. We did not go dry in the bad drought 5 years ago. So, you gotta be careful with not only shady landowners, but drillers who don’t feel obligated to say a word even if they know there is no water on that land and they have already drilled it themselves! Your options are to see if a water line may come that way (tap access around $3,500), or put in an above ground tank system to collect rain water or have water trucked in each month, or have a clause in the purchase agreement to drill test wells before purchasing (long shot).
Land here in Anderson county is still in the <$5,000 per acre range. We figure our land worth $150 for 28.82 and the rest in three buildings, septics, solar power system shop, tools, tractor and such
Hi, George,
Here in the mountains east of Albuquerque we will be having a week of rain. At my elevation, we may see some snow tonight and Friday night, which is not that unusual. Two years ago we received a foot of snow on April 30. Everything is so green here, and the wild flowers are blooming everywhere. The snow melt and runoff is providing much needed water to rivers and lakes, which I hope is managed better. The acequias will have a lot of water to distribute to the farmers. Glad to see Texas getting rain. Colorado will be getting high mountains snows, too, which will generate more avalanche dangers for them.
Still having late April weather here in northeast Oklahoma. No A/C needed yet is something I have not seen since 1959. Overnight low tonight to hit 42 degrees! The downside to this is how the crops up north are being impacted, and it ain’t good.
Here In the middle of now where.. we had snow last night.. it didn’t stick around but it snowed quite hard.. rain rain rain.. it has been forty degree’s below average and raining at least two days a week plus. just enough to keep the fields muddy.. there is still standing water from the snow melt..
Visiting with some farmers they said they have two weeks.. they need a week of nothing but above average temps and sun to dry out the fields enough to get the tractors in.. then a week to get it all planted.. if it isn’t planted by the 20th.. then their crop insurance won’t handle any of the losses..
whats the projected weather report.. three days of sun starting tomorrow then rain…
With the cost of planting most of them are loaned out for a million or more on seeds maintenance etc…. they figure they are screwed at this point..
?????Isn’t it interesting that all of the worst depressions happened during major crop and farm failures..
George, where are you moving? I’ve followed you for years. You’ve discussed selling many times.
We honestly don’t know. More north will be closer to the new ice sheet…further south there is the language barrier. Mexico seems not to support SSL like we support ESL…but then again, no lefty will touch that kind of international inequality. Socialism is after the locals…
Hi, George,
It is May 10, 35 degrees, and currently snowing; beginning to cover the ground, too. I have made a fire in the wood burning stove, and the pellet stove is running in the studio.
The hummingbirds will have a hard time for a few days. My feeder is ready for them. The first batch of hummingbirds usually arrives here between the second and third week of April. It is a feeding frenzy here between July and August. They leave either late September or early October.
Albuquerque NM area, right?
Yes, George, about twenty miles east of Albuquerque at an elevation of 7,000 feet. I am only a few miles from our small, local ski area.
To the lodge, then! Peppermint schnaps-laced cocoa for all! Christmas in July for the Al Gore sycophants!
Here we’ve been running 10 degrees above average since mid- Febrary. Hope that doesn’t extended thru summer. Haven’t been below 0 in a couple of decades. I remember winter ’76 when we went a full week where the high did not even get to 32*. I guess you’d call it a warm spell lately…
Where are you?