left alabama 4 montana (Birmingham, Mentone, Kansas: travel, jobs, trailer)

[jandjblue]

we moved from gulf shores to kalispell montana last spring greatest move of our live's this is close to heaven it took me 44 years to undestand that the south is not the only place on earth and that the elected officals there are crook's when looking to relocate next time think about a new area there are jobs everywhere and were not under the invasion here like alabama is .there is live outside the south ROLL TIDE

[mccarley]

Last spring? Then you haven't done a winter there yet.

[Socal2Bham]

Originally Posted by mccarley

Last spring? Then you haven't done a winter there yet.

LOL!
"invasion"?? Are the Germans attacking?

[jsherman9901]

Originally Posted by jandjblue

we moved from gulf shores to kalispell montana last spring greatest move of our live's this is close to heaven it took me 44 years to undestand that the south is not the only place on earth and that the elected officals there are crook's when looking to relocate next time think about a new area there are jobs everywhere and were not under the invasion here like alabama is .there is live outside the south ROLL TIDE

And your point would be what?? I've been to Kalispell several times and no, it is not heaven. There is no heaven on earth.

And if you think there are no crooked politicians or illegal aliens up there, your head must be stuck in a snow drift.

[Threestep]

Originally Posted by Socal2Bham

LOL!
"invasion"?? Are the Germans attacking?

No, I am very quiet today:>)

I do not quite understand the post. Well, winter in the High Alps was no fun. At least after the first three months of white up to the window sills.

[Bravo35223]

I've been up there in the summer and it is heaven...I have a friend who lives outside Missoula and is a bona fide "horsewhisperer"...he's a son of a son of a cowboy and a realtor. He has a small ranch and drives cattle in the Fall....

We went up there about five years ago. He has four horses. Two of the four he rescued from the Bureau of Land Management which is a US government agency that controlls millions of acres of the American West. The BLM does not like wild horses roaming the plains as they have since the Spanish introduced horses to our continent centuries ago. They round them up and put ads in the newspaper announcing that if they are not "adopted' in 90 days - its off to the glue factory....and the vast majority of horses die under the needle.

People who own domesticated horses, horses that come from long bloodlines of domesticated and well-bred horses, want nothing to do with a wild mustang...they are notoriously difficult to break and are literally wild....

But not Bill, he can break any horse...he has a special gift that is amazing.

So we are up there. My wife, my then-11 yo daughter and me. We trailer four horses and go up to the highland meadows, which are covered in wildflowers...and lead up to the hills. Bill puts my wife and daughter on his domesticated quarterhorses and he and I are on the mustangs...it is just a stunning day...

We walk the horses along the meadow climbing higher and higher. Just the stunning beauty is breathtaking....after a little while, the girls want to dismount and have a little picnic...and Bill says, "John, your horse loves to run....why not take him out and let him go for a few minutes?"

So I turn the horse around, and give him a slight, teeeny, tiny nudge with my heels and within seconds, I am flying over the Montana wildflowers!!! The mustang is running like the wind!!!

While I grew up in Alabama, I am a "city boy". I've never been on a farm, never tended to horses, or cattle or livestock. I have reasonable riding skills I learned at summer camp as a boy at Camp Laney in Mentone...and these served me beautifully. Riding that mustang was exhilerating!!!

After seeing that, Bill asked me to drive cattle with him...telling me I could easily round up cattle with that same horse. He actually drives cattle between Colorado and Utah in the Fall....but I couldn't possibly imagine leaving my family for a "Billy Crystal" expeirence like that....

I was born in Kansas City and we moved to Alabama when I was a child from Chicago. I have lived in Birminghamsurbia almost my entire life except a period in San Antonio....but I have traveled to the American West extensively....Colorado, New Mexico, Montana.

Frankly folks, as much as I love it here - I could move out there and just love it...particularly Colorado and New Mexico which have relatively mild winters at th lower elevations....

We live in a beautiful country...there's so much in America....

[jandjblue]

I was not being rude just letting flok's know there is a big world out there and yes montana is awesom we were hunting last weekend in 8 inche's of snow and I still want to be here

[zenjenn]

Good for you! I just moved here to Alabama after living in California literally my entire life. For several reasons, none of which involve Alabama being paradise, but partly because being a citizen of this big, majestic country I felt like it'd be a shame to live in the same 50-mile radius forever. Only 3 weeks here and like you, I am immensely enjoying the change of scenery and the new experiences.

I think every American who wants to should seize an opportunity to live in a new part of this vast, amazing country. I'm glad you've found your new experience too! I completely understand the breath of fresh air it is to live somewhere new after experiencing the same environment for 30 years. I definitely think a lot of Americans have a pioneering spirit written into their DNA.

[nalabama]

jandjblue, what was summer like up there compared to Alabama? I'm toying with the idea of working up around Kalispell in the summers just to get away the heat and humidity here in North Alabama. The charts in the city-data database make it look like it must be a lot cooler and dryer there. Is there any need there for employees in the summer?

[thebigr]

I was born in South Dakota and spent a few years again there in my early thirty's. Spent alot of time in Montana and it is beautiful! But the winters are just a little to much for me. And I spent age 7 till 18 in Wisconsin so I know winter. Like Zenjen said, this is a great country, I have lived in many areas and each is a new adventure.
Just spent the last 6 years in South Florida, but I don't think I will go back there.
North Alabama has been great so far. People are so friendly and it is very clean and beautiful. I beleive I will be here for a long time, at least if I want to stay with my wife. She loves it here and will not leave.