Like others, I am also so glad you two are safe, happy and settled in your new home! While we live in what used to be 'tornado alley' in the '60s & '70s, they're actually quite rare these days ~ it's shifted well south of us. And while we've always had incredible summers, they, too, have gotten warmer and warmer ~ while our winters are producing less and less accumulating snow. We are in a drought here ~ in the upper Midwest, on the western coast of Lake Michigan ~ and the Canadian wildfires are keeping many inside their homes this summer.
We have recycled forever; we have composted since the '60s; we garden. And prices climb, friends are being forced out of their family homes due to rising costs & high taxes, and we believe global warming is accurate and downright terrifying.
And then there are the wars ~ yet another topic too big to handle right now!
Thank you for your share about your corner of the world. We lived in southern Michigan in a town called St. Joseph on Lake Michigan and we loved it there, though some winters (this was the 1990s) were epic. Mountains of snow and 20 below for weeks! I remember it fondly but can't handle the extreme. We're in a good spot for us!
I'm not a climate refugee, yet. I'd never rule out the option of moving, but, if people are paying attention, there aren't many places on earth left to hide from its effects. The highest temps ever recorded have already occurred at the poles, and other places we think of as "cold". I'd prefer we return to the older axiom 'Global Warming' because that's exactly what is happening all over the globe. At this point it's undeniable, 97% of scientists agree that human activity is changing earth's climate, that our earth is warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.
I honestly can't fathom how long humans can exist in the deserts of the Southwest and other places that are routinely seeing temps over 110 for sustained days/weeks.
Scientists aren't in total agreement, yet, when earth will enter the 6th Mass Extinction, but the good news is, it's gonna take about 3 million more years before we're toast, so... we're good for now!
Oregon is certainly a great choice, and especially the coastal areas, you made a solid pick! Seems to be a great fit for you two!
Here is a little fun fact about the 3rd hottest temperature (133°) ever recorded on earth, and it happened in my little city by the pacific ocean, Santa Barbara! It was caused by a hot, dry wind event known as a simoon...
I’m so glad you’ve been able to find a happy place to land, in spite of all the barriers that jumped in your way🤗 Sadly climate change is really raising its ugly head, especially this summer. It’s downright scary the extremes the weather has been going😟. Wishing you both continued happiness!
All’s well here in northern Indiana, a little longer hot spells, but it is July🤗. We could all do without the Canadian smoke, but hopefully it won’t last forever.
Our summer weather has been hot and often humid and mostly dry. Recently a weekly rain has turned our brown grass green. I expect the temperatures may be cooler and less humid soon. The thing I’m concerned about is something I read ten or so years ago: as the poles melt and the oceans become less salty, the ocean currents will slow and the weather will become more erratic and extreme. The oceans have helped moderate temperatures over the hundreds or thousands of years. Recently it was announced the Atlantic Ocean current is expected to stop in the next few years.
I’m outside every day, unless we have smoke (which smells like chemicals) from Canadian Forrest fires.
I learned this summer that the salmon season was closed for professional fishermen along the Californian coast. California State Fish and Game used to have fish hatcheries in Northern Cal, which were closed about 40 years ago I think. The professional fishermen from Ft Bragg opened and ran a salmon/steelhead Hatchery for years. Oregon and Alaska are still open.
Yes, and When I was about 12, we had 70% of the redwoods that were growing when California became a state. Now there are about 17% left. Sigh!
I very much relate to your story and the ptsd that you experienced. We lived through the Montecito Thomas Fire which was followed by the Montecito mudslides which killed people we knew and destroyed many homes. It was terrifying. We were evacuated countless times from our home after that because we live on a creek. We even had 3 evacuations this year due to heavy rain. But I love Santa Barbara and my adult kids live nearby plus other family. Today we hiked in the mountains that caused such destruction. They are beautiful and currently very green. I feel it is worth the risk to live here and I have worked hard to heal my nervous system. Really we are not “safe” anywhere. We must trust in destiny. My other favorite place is hawaii because I love swimming in the warm clear ocean. I am glad you have found a place that suits you and that you feel safe and peaceful. 🙏 I look forward to exposing the Oregon coast sometime. I have enjoyed reading passages as my husband and I hope to get a van and travel more in our next chapter (we are turning 60 and married 35 years in spring 2024). Time to be very intentional about life! Thanks for the inspiration.❤️
Hi Krista, I don't know if you knew that I graduated from Santa Barbara high school! My grandmother lived in Westmont area, and I still have family there. There will always be a special place in my heart for Santa Barbara, but I totally know how dangerous it is! May you continue to stay ahead of everything in your chosen home!
We moved from Honolulu in our early 30's and made a grid to help decide where to. First, we wrote down 8 'needs': Friends/Family, Land, Job, Social Environment, Cosmopolitan, Physical Environment, Weather, University. Then we each made a grid of these, 8x8, and then chose one against the other in terms of importance. If Friends/Family got 6 votes against 6 other desires, then it got 6 votes. Ranked Choice Voting. My final ranking of importance of the 8 is as I listed. Pat's was somewhat different, but not so much that we couldn't move together! So, we ended up where we are for the past 40 years. (our next list will probably include such mundane things as single level, walk-in shower, bus line.....)
I am so, so glad you found a safe place to land. All that trauma of the fires and everything is so real, and very overlooked in reporting tbh. I'm in Florida, lived through my share of catastrophic hurricanes, but it's the heat that is finally getting to me. Even north fl is an oven these days. My little voice has been screaming loudly for me to move, but alas, I'm not financially able to do that yet. Hopefully in 2024!
Kim, you can/should begin the groundwork NOW. And don't ignore that small voice. I became terrified of staying in an expensive area (Russian River in Cali) and getting trapped there because market bottomed out due to climate change. Don't wait too long, dear lady!
We left Maui for the Oregon Coast almost eight years ago and haven’t regretted it. Ohana is still back on the island, direct flight out of Portland away. Lots of locals from the 808 on the Coast and inland. We get together, talk story, sing, eat and live aloha. Paradise is a state of mind. Of course I miss home, but aloha is with me always. Have a new home now and I am grateful. Oregon is beautiful. Glad you have found your place here too. Aloha!
I’m not a climate migrant yet. Petaluma is one of the safer places in NorCal but it is so dang expensive. The recent heat and our long term drought aren’t going away. East coast hurricanes I’ve lived through and they are starting to look tolerable. Because of my health I need to be near good hospitals. Rural areas are kind of ruled out because of that. I see a move in our future.
Yeah the health care out here is much less... shall we say available? Than sonoma county. If we had moved to Petaluma, we might still be trying to make that work! But life on the river was more extreme.
But it is cheaper there in the western part but not yet coast of Sonoma County. Probably because of fires and flood. The cost of living here just keeps getting worse. I want Steve to be able to retire someday. I’m glad you found a good home. It makes a big difference especially for creatives like you.
Like others, I am also so glad you two are safe, happy and settled in your new home! While we live in what used to be 'tornado alley' in the '60s & '70s, they're actually quite rare these days ~ it's shifted well south of us. And while we've always had incredible summers, they, too, have gotten warmer and warmer ~ while our winters are producing less and less accumulating snow. We are in a drought here ~ in the upper Midwest, on the western coast of Lake Michigan ~ and the Canadian wildfires are keeping many inside their homes this summer.
We have recycled forever; we have composted since the '60s; we garden. And prices climb, friends are being forced out of their family homes due to rising costs & high taxes, and we believe global warming is accurate and downright terrifying.
And then there are the wars ~ yet another topic too big to handle right now!
Be safe ~
Be well ~
Be happy!
Thank you for your share about your corner of the world. We lived in southern Michigan in a town called St. Joseph on Lake Michigan and we loved it there, though some winters (this was the 1990s) were epic. Mountains of snow and 20 below for weeks! I remember it fondly but can't handle the extreme. We're in a good spot for us!
Yeah ~ it's more like that on the eastern shores ~ way less here! Glad of that, at least! 😉 we haven't hit zero in 15 years ~ thank goodness!!
I'm not a climate refugee, yet. I'd never rule out the option of moving, but, if people are paying attention, there aren't many places on earth left to hide from its effects. The highest temps ever recorded have already occurred at the poles, and other places we think of as "cold". I'd prefer we return to the older axiom 'Global Warming' because that's exactly what is happening all over the globe. At this point it's undeniable, 97% of scientists agree that human activity is changing earth's climate, that our earth is warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.
I honestly can't fathom how long humans can exist in the deserts of the Southwest and other places that are routinely seeing temps over 110 for sustained days/weeks.
Scientists aren't in total agreement, yet, when earth will enter the 6th Mass Extinction, but the good news is, it's gonna take about 3 million more years before we're toast, so... we're good for now!
Oregon is certainly a great choice, and especially the coastal areas, you made a solid pick! Seems to be a great fit for you two!
Here is a little fun fact about the 3rd hottest temperature (133°) ever recorded on earth, and it happened in my little city by the pacific ocean, Santa Barbara! It was caused by a hot, dry wind event known as a simoon...
https://www.edhat.com/news/june-17-santa-barbaras-hottest-historical-day
Holy crap!!! I didn't know that happened in SB. I graduated from high school there. 😔
Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
I’m so glad you’ve been able to find a happy place to land, in spite of all the barriers that jumped in your way🤗 Sadly climate change is really raising its ugly head, especially this summer. It’s downright scary the extremes the weather has been going😟. Wishing you both continued happiness!
Thanks, Jeanie, and I hope you are safe and comfortable, too! Mahalo for your support over the years.
All’s well here in northern Indiana, a little longer hot spells, but it is July🤗. We could all do without the Canadian smoke, but hopefully it won’t last forever.
PS....I’m loving Small Island❣️
Yay!!
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Our summer weather has been hot and often humid and mostly dry. Recently a weekly rain has turned our brown grass green. I expect the temperatures may be cooler and less humid soon. The thing I’m concerned about is something I read ten or so years ago: as the poles melt and the oceans become less salty, the ocean currents will slow and the weather will become more erratic and extreme. The oceans have helped moderate temperatures over the hundreds or thousands of years. Recently it was announced the Atlantic Ocean current is expected to stop in the next few years.
I’m outside every day, unless we have smoke (which smells like chemicals) from Canadian Forrest fires.
Other that that, I’m well and active.
Wow 😯
I learned this summer that the salmon season was closed for professional fishermen along the Californian coast. California State Fish and Game used to have fish hatcheries in Northern Cal, which were closed about 40 years ago I think. The professional fishermen from Ft Bragg opened and ran a salmon/steelhead Hatchery for years. Oregon and Alaska are still open.
Yes, and When I was about 12, we had 70% of the redwoods that were growing when California became a state. Now there are about 17% left. Sigh!
I very much relate to your story and the ptsd that you experienced. We lived through the Montecito Thomas Fire which was followed by the Montecito mudslides which killed people we knew and destroyed many homes. It was terrifying. We were evacuated countless times from our home after that because we live on a creek. We even had 3 evacuations this year due to heavy rain. But I love Santa Barbara and my adult kids live nearby plus other family. Today we hiked in the mountains that caused such destruction. They are beautiful and currently very green. I feel it is worth the risk to live here and I have worked hard to heal my nervous system. Really we are not “safe” anywhere. We must trust in destiny. My other favorite place is hawaii because I love swimming in the warm clear ocean. I am glad you have found a place that suits you and that you feel safe and peaceful. 🙏 I look forward to exposing the Oregon coast sometime. I have enjoyed reading passages as my husband and I hope to get a van and travel more in our next chapter (we are turning 60 and married 35 years in spring 2024). Time to be very intentional about life! Thanks for the inspiration.❤️
Hi Krista, I don't know if you knew that I graduated from Santa Barbara high school! My grandmother lived in Westmont area, and I still have family there. There will always be a special place in my heart for Santa Barbara, but I totally know how dangerous it is! May you continue to stay ahead of everything in your chosen home!
We moved from Honolulu in our early 30's and made a grid to help decide where to. First, we wrote down 8 'needs': Friends/Family, Land, Job, Social Environment, Cosmopolitan, Physical Environment, Weather, University. Then we each made a grid of these, 8x8, and then chose one against the other in terms of importance. If Friends/Family got 6 votes against 6 other desires, then it got 6 votes. Ranked Choice Voting. My final ranking of importance of the 8 is as I listed. Pat's was somewhat different, but not so much that we couldn't move together! So, we ended up where we are for the past 40 years. (our next list will probably include such mundane things as single level, walk-in shower, bus line.....)
This is priceless and unusual, Willie! You obviously made a good choice if you've been there 40 years happily.
I am so, so glad you found a safe place to land. All that trauma of the fires and everything is so real, and very overlooked in reporting tbh. I'm in Florida, lived through my share of catastrophic hurricanes, but it's the heat that is finally getting to me. Even north fl is an oven these days. My little voice has been screaming loudly for me to move, but alas, I'm not financially able to do that yet. Hopefully in 2024!
Kim, you can/should begin the groundwork NOW. And don't ignore that small voice. I became terrified of staying in an expensive area (Russian River in Cali) and getting trapped there because market bottomed out due to climate change. Don't wait too long, dear lady!
We left Maui for the Oregon Coast almost eight years ago and haven’t regretted it. Ohana is still back on the island, direct flight out of Portland away. Lots of locals from the 808 on the Coast and inland. We get together, talk story, sing, eat and live aloha. Paradise is a state of mind. Of course I miss home, but aloha is with me always. Have a new home now and I am grateful. Oregon is beautiful. Glad you have found your place here too. Aloha!
Sweet! Thanks for the encouragement, I noticed a lot of good 808 vibes in Florence and elsewhere! Mahalos 🌈🌴🌈
I’m not a climate migrant yet. Petaluma is one of the safer places in NorCal but it is so dang expensive. The recent heat and our long term drought aren’t going away. East coast hurricanes I’ve lived through and they are starting to look tolerable. Because of my health I need to be near good hospitals. Rural areas are kind of ruled out because of that. I see a move in our future.
Yeah the health care out here is much less... shall we say available? Than sonoma county. If we had moved to Petaluma, we might still be trying to make that work! But life on the river was more extreme.
But it is cheaper there in the western part but not yet coast of Sonoma County. Probably because of fires and flood. The cost of living here just keeps getting worse. I want Steve to be able to retire someday. I’m glad you found a good home. It makes a big difference especially for creatives like you.
ABSOLUTELY THIS 🌈👍🏻
Just read,, Loved your writing, friend!
Ha! My neighbor has tracked me down! 😊