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I've been researching a place to move to from Michigan and a member of this forum (Ocala FL forum) pointed me this way (Seagrove).
I'm a potter for over 30 years, have horses and want to spend the rest of my life in a place where both of my passions will fit in - with DECENT weather - NOT Michigan's bitter GRAY winters!
Any advice? Please fill me in on the pros and cons... I'm not a fancy person, but would like a safe place for my horses and other pets. No alligators would be great
Seagrove is in a great location. You're less than an hour from NC's major cities (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro/Winston-Salem). It's less than 3 hours to the beach, about the same to the mountains. The Uwharrie National Forest is close by with plenty of outdoor activities, the NC Zoo is just up the road, and yes, there are lots of potters. I'm not aware of any particular "cons" to living there, other than it's a very small town. But with horses you want to be in the country anyway, so no problem. You also have Asheboro close by, which is a large enough town for most all your needs.
I have to tell you, this is the first forum that I've been on looking for a new location that has had nothing bad to say about their area!!! And yes, a small town is just exactly what I'm looking for... Horse and pottery supplies plus food will be about all I need. I don't need entertainment, I pretty much entertain myself
I checked out the weather site and even your weather looks wonderful - a nice mix of sun, pleasant temps, a few storms, a change of seasons, green grass and blue skies a LOT of the time. Even your cold days don't look scary to me - at least not compared to what I'm used to.
Happy days, I think I've finally found the right fit.
Well come on down, then! I should also add that the handful of potters I've met in Seagrove are just extremely nice and down-to-earth folks. I think there is quite a sense of community among the potters, even though they may compete with each other. So I think they will be very accepting of you, and will do all they can to help you in any way.
Well look at that... Southern hospitality AND a group of potters! We potters generally are pretty darn friendly - we're not really like the other artist types, we're just, well "earthy" If there's ever a conflict, we just throw clay balls at each other and laugh a lot!
I've already found a very nice real estate lady that's tracking down a place for me that would allow my horses, clay and other critters... I've been a very busy girl this morning! I've spent almost 3 months checking out other states and now that I've re-found NC I'm not going to drag my feet, that's for sure.
So now that I've finally made up my mind, is there ANYTHING I need to be aware of, like poisonous snakes or bad spiders or anything else that would mean I shouldn't walk around barefoot all the time? I'm used to going barefoot and I was pretty disappointed to think I couldn't do that in Florida or New Mexico... Anything that I should watch out for where my horses and other pets are concerned? I'm not really afraid of anything, I just need to know what I might not be aware of so I don't go around doing stupid stuff.
Like if anyone came up to Michigan in the winter from NC, I'd warn you about black ice or teach you when 6" of snow is bad and when it's no problem... or deer ticks and Lyme disease... things like that.
Haha, yes, you can go barefoot most anywhere--many generations of NC kids grow up doing just that. We do have snakes and spiders, but they are very reclusive and bites are exceedingly rare. Probably a much bigger risk of stepping on a bee than being bitten by a spider or snake.
We have rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, and coral snakes (although the latter are very rare). Rattlers and moccasins are generally found only in very specific habitats, so unless you're in rugged mountainous terrain or next to natural water sources you wouldn't need to even consider them. Copperheads can be more wide-ranging, and you are more likely to find them in populated areas. But still they are very rare to encounter. You are much more likely to see large black snakes or king snakes, which are harmless to people and very beneficial in keeping the vermin in check (including other snakes).
For spiders, just be careful about sticking your hands into dark places, particularly around old wood piles or outbuildings. I find them around my house all the time, but in 20 years no one has been bitten yet. They simply aren't going to bother you unless they are somehow provoked.
So by all means, take your shoes off, ya hear?
Edit to add: I suppose I should warn you about chiggers, but maybe I'll just let you find out about them on your own.
I saw a video of a black widow spider on the New Mexico forum... boy, they could use some lessons on web building! I like snakes, but I guess if there's going to be some poisonous ones around I won't go picking them up - and I'll praise the King snakes for keeping the rattlers in line and away from my horses.
Chiggers. I've heard of them but don't know what they are actually... I'll be looking them up in a minute or two... I can almost see the smirk on your face. Maybe I'll bring you a jar of our Michigan Black Flies
^ Yep, interesting about the black widow's web--that's usually the way I discover the spiders. Their web is very distinctive--loosely organized (one could say it's hardly organized at all) and it has very thick strands.
Chiggers (aka redbugs) are very tiny red mites that dig into your skin and drive you crazy with the itch. You'll often get them from sitting on pine straw. Pretty harmless overall, but they sure are annoying.
I just looked them up, annoying for sure (chiggers )! I compared them to our stinkin' black flies. I'd rather have chiggers... these tiny little black flies are like mini vampires! Up north they can get so thick that you can actually suffocate from them going up your nose, and if a really fierce swarm nails you, they can do serious damage to you due to excessive blood loss! That is about the best thing about our bitter winters, the black flies die off - until spring at least.
I should say "their black flies" - since I will no longer be living here asap!
Hey, as a potter I have a solution for chiggers. If they start making me itch, I'll just add a little mouthwash to my clay and make an astringent poultice and slap it on!!! What do ya think, good idea?
T
Hi,
So I'm moving from the U.P. in Mi to NC also, and it looks as if you have a year's head start on me. I am not a potter, but I am bringing horses. How have you found it there? Any tips you can share as a fellow MI 'transplant'? Any information would be appreciated greatly. I will move in August.
Thanks in advance :-)
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Moving MI to NC also
