Things No One Tells You Before You Move to Tucson
Ms. Karen here. There is no doubt in my mind, Arizona is one of the more spectacularly beautiful states in the Union. And I have been to all of them but Alaska. Most states have their unique beauty, but most are not spectacular places where you just say “WOW!”. Because of its remoteness, Arizona was the last state in the continental United States to achieve statehood. Moreover, it’s stark realities of nature – heat, remoteness, dryness – are why it remains surprisingly beautiful. Just my opinion. Visitors to Arizona in winter (we call them snowbirds), sometimes decide that Arizona would be a nice place to live permanently. That is, before summer sets in. I am told that the average residence of a person or family in Arizona is 7 years. So, what can we tell them before they move here permanently?
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Harmless Gopher Snake taking a bath
Snakes – No one ever mentions them before you get here. Especially not real estate agents. In fact, the nice folks that we bought our house from had never seen a snake in the yard. Yeah, right.
- Snakes are a resource. They keep down the rat population. Always good to have a gopher or king snake hanging around.
- How do you tell the difference in a rattler and a gopher snake? Rattlesnakes have a triangular shaped head and rattles on their tail. Gopher snakes have a more rounded head; no rattles.
- Rattlesnakes don’t want any part of you. If they strike you, it’s because you got too close. Keep your distance. They don’t like surprises.
- We don’t mow lawns, we rake rocks. Nothing better than a well raked rock garden. It’s a Zen thing.
- Water is expensive. Actually the water is free. The delivery is expensive. Question: IF the water is free then how come the more you use, the more delivery costs? We have been asked by the City to use less water. But when we use less water, the City gets less money. So they raise the price of delivery. Catch-22!