Sounds very West Australian to me - probably not surprising given the physical environments and histories.
My advice would be to not make decisions based on the science - we really have no idea about what it will be like more than twenty years down the track. When your kids finish school would be the time to make decisions, if they feel like Texas is the place to stay then, well it probably is. If they feel it is time to move then you can use that as an impetus. Note that studies have been done on the impact of changing schools on learning and they tend to show that there is a significant impact from every move - makes sense when you think about the social aspects of changing friends and getting to know a new school culture. (Of course, whether those studies are replicable is another matter...)
Thanks for this, that sounds like pretty sensible advice. Honestly, I'm less worried about rising sea levels as a reason to move and more that it's pretty miserable here without air conditioning, and driving is very nearly non-optional, which is a pain in the keister without even considering environmental impacts. Following the kids' lead might be the way to go, as you say. At any rate, it's not like I have anything forcing an urgent decision.
25 feet above sea level sounds very safe! My apartment is 6 feet below sea level. I often cycle along the sea, and I haven't noticed a rise. Medieval maps tell a different tale: they show villages many miles into the sea. These villages became nonviable after a storm or flood and their ruins eventually washed away.
My parents moved when I was young, and not even very far, but I had to go to a different school. At times I've wondered what life would have looked like if they hadn't.
Thank you for this. I mentioned the sea level thing, but that's not exactly my primary concern - even if things stay exactly as they are, I don't much like how much I have to drive to get most things done in Houston, and I don't like how miserable summers are without air conditioning, but your and k_a_nitz's thoughts on not disrupting things too much for my girls is a good point.
My in-laws lived in Texas for a few years, and we only went to visit them once before they moved back to Ohio. We went in the summer to Ft. Worth. It was super hot, as I'm sure you're well aware and stayed in the 100s even in the evening that year.
I enjoyed seeing the remnants of cowboy culture in the "stockyard" part of town, but it was really weird to us to see virtually no sidewalks anywhere we drove. I think the cowboy stuff relates to the "borderer" thing from my limited experience of the place, but that was my impression -the legacy of "cattle raids" and all from the Scots-Irish. I also note that the most recent popular translator of the Tain Bo Culaigne and related tales from the Irish epics is Randy Lee Eickhoff who wrote westerns too.
Since that's all I can say about the state, I'll leave it at that, but I enjoyed your musings. Also, the other time I drove through the top, pan-handle I suppose, on I-40 I enjoyed seeing all those cars with their hoods stuck down in the dirt. A cool art piece!
I really need to reed Albion's Seed. I started the "American Nations" book, but haven't finished it!
Thank you for the kind words! Texas does have some weird art pieces/scenes in some rather unexpected places (look up Marfa sometime for one example).
As for Albion's Seed, I am ashamed to admit that for as much as I refer to it and concepts from it have shaped my understanding of American culture and histsory, I, errr, still haven't read it, despite it looming on my shelf for something like ten years now. So many books, so little time!
I don't know if Texas is good for you but I am aware that our best laid plans can go awry. We picked a northeastern city above sea level surrounded by farms and on a historic water highway, bought a house in town to adjust for the coming oil depletion and participated in civic life to build community.....and then 2021. All that "community" harassed us, called us names, fired us, and then passed a law to keep us out of buildings. So... I'm aware now that my best thinking can't guarantee a good outcome. We're looking to move but this time, I'm praying a lot about it and letting powers bigger than me help.
Thank you for sharing your experience! The advice to lean heavily on prayer and divine guidance seems sensible to me, and I'll have to remember to follow it as well.
I just moved to New England from the West Coast. Having read your blog, I think you might like it here, too. I did not know that much of Northern New England was so hilly and mountainous. Of course it's part of the Appalachian range, but I thought there would be some flat areas. We've had a hot and humid summer, but I didn't find a need for air conditioning. The heat would be nothing to you.
With your love of history and as a practicing Heathen, it might be a good fit. There is something very, very magical here. If you ever want to know more, just send me a message to my dreamwidth account.
Hi Jon, thanks very much for the recommendation? I've only been to New England once, when I was pretty young (maybe 6 or 7?), but I remember it being very beautiful. Since then, I've met a bunch of New Englanders and gotten along well with them, including my best friend from Basic Training and two of my good friends from consulting. It would possibly be a tough sell, as my wife and I have both been raised with "yankee" as a bad word, but we'll see how things go, and if I do need further info, I'll take you up on your generous offer to reach out.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
My advice would be to not make decisions based on the science - we really have no idea about what it will be like more than twenty years down the track. When your kids finish school would be the time to make decisions, if they feel like Texas is the place to stay then, well it probably is. If they feel it is time to move then you can use that as an impetus. Note that studies have been done on the impact of changing schools on learning and they tend to show that there is a significant impact from every move - makes sense when you think about the social aspects of changing friends and getting to know a new school culture. (Of course, whether those studies are replicable is another matter...)
no subject
no subject
25 feet above sea level sounds very safe! My apartment is 6 feet below sea level. I often cycle along the sea, and I haven't noticed a rise. Medieval maps tell a different tale: they show villages many miles into the sea. These villages became nonviable after a storm or flood and their ruins eventually washed away.
My parents moved when I was young, and not even very far, but I had to go to a different school. At times I've wondered what life would have looked like if they hadn't.
no subject
no subject
(Anonymous) 2023-09-11 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)I enjoyed seeing the remnants of cowboy culture in the "stockyard" part of town, but it was really weird to us to see virtually no sidewalks anywhere we drove. I think the cowboy stuff relates to the "borderer" thing from my limited experience of the place, but that was my impression -the legacy of "cattle raids" and all from the Scots-Irish. I also note that the most recent popular translator of the Tain Bo Culaigne and related tales from the Irish epics is Randy Lee Eickhoff who wrote westerns too.
Since that's all I can say about the state, I'll leave it at that, but I enjoyed your musings. Also, the other time I drove through the top, pan-handle I suppose, on I-40 I enjoyed seeing all those cars with their hoods stuck down in the dirt. A cool art piece!
I really need to reed Albion's Seed. I started the "American Nations" book, but haven't finished it!
Blessings,
Justin Patrick Moore
no subject
As for Albion's Seed, I am ashamed to admit that for as much as I refer to it and concepts from it have shaped my understanding of American culture and histsory, I, errr, still haven't read it, despite it looming on my shelf for something like ten years now. So many books, so little time!
no subject
no subject
no subject
With your love of history and as a practicing Heathen, it might be a good fit. There is something very, very magical here. If you ever want to know more, just send me a message to my dreamwidth account.
Jon
no subject
Cheers,
Jeff