Henry Rifle Forums

Miss T, watching the news reports of Helene ripping thru FL said, "That's why we didn't choose Florida."

When we decided to leave Virginia back in 2020, we had looked hard at a halk dozen states. Florida was high on the list in the beginning. I grew up there, living all over the state. From the Keys to the Panhandle, from the Glades to the Bay Area. Let's just say Mom had Happy Feet. My Dad was still in P'Cola, Mom's family still around Gainesville, and friends in the Bay area. The fishing is great and it stayed high for a while.

But, I pointed out to Miss T that every area has Their Cross To Bear.
It could be Hurricanes, I was in Hawaii when IWA tore thru in the 80s, the 9th hole of the base golf course was a dive spot for a while, under water. Lets not talk about that volcano.

California, pictures fall off the wall, roads collapse. Quakes.

Here in Oklahoma we have droughts and tornados. We can visit Kansas without buying a ticket.

Head north a way and they get Blizzards and temps so cold you go outside and things fall off.

Everywhere had their cross, choose your poison.

Our family moved a lot when I was a kid and I did, again, as an adult. One thing I learned early is that the prefect place does not exist, so you find the place that best suits you. For me, that's always been north, the farther north the better. I k now I'm far enough north when people don't hide inside all winter and instead look forward to all the winter sports. Family tradition.

I used to live two townships away from the one I grew up in. Now I'm at the opposite end of the same county. Although I have traveled some of the world, I have always lived in Central NY. Our camp in the Adirondacks is like another country, but still in NY. Our main cross is a LOT of snow in the winter usually. I've always dealt with it. We probably aren't going to move, so snow for me it is.

I chose to live in rural areas where we were on tertiary or worse roads. Severe weather left us snowed in because the state was slow to (or didn't get around to,) clearing our roads. Luckily, before I could afford a 4wd, neighbors with tractors would plow a single lane down the middle of our lane and a half three mile dead end road. They plowed past and saw Miss T trying to dig out the drive while I slept getting ready for my midnight shift, (we had just married and I had no idea how bad the snow had gotten) even back then she was a jewel. They backed up and plowed the drive...

This was in Powhatan, we had a short drive, on an acre lot. Later we moved farther out. Still a tertiary road, same deal, but we had 4wd and a tractor. Snow would turn the hour's drive to work into two to two and a half, but I was considered "Essential Personnel," and the County's liberal leave policy didn't apply.

Now, retired, I hide in the hole in the ground when the tornadoes come.

I was born here so I can’t take credit for making a wise choice as to where I live but I have always said that here in Eastern Washington State we live in a pretty benign weather area. We are four season but we don’t have much in the way of extreme weather and the natural disasters we face are few and far in between. Biggest concern for those who live rural is wildfire. That and the occasional but rare high wind storm or ice storm are the biggest concern for all regardless of suburban or rural. Normal temps range from the 20’s to the 90’s with occasional bumps into sub zero and 100’s. Low humidity helps with both. Snowfall isn’t anything like the folks in the upper Midwest get and I think the average seasonal snow fall is around 50”.

Once in a while we think about moving south to Arizona or east to Montana but both destinations for sure have their cross to bear either too hot our too cold. So we just stay put.