From out east? Do you miss the green trees in Phoenix? (house, to buy)

[crystalys]

Being from Boston, I miss the oak trees the most. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to find the acorns that fell off the oak trees. I would take the "cap" off the acorn and if you held it just right with your two thumbs bent towards each other; you could make a very loud whistle out of it.

I actually have a very tall and large pine tree in my back yard. It is great that it stays green all year round. I still have to rake pine needles once in a while but that also brings back some nice memories.

I have been to Houston and Seattle and I agree that the overabundance of greenery makes me a little claustrophobic as well. It is great to visit other places but I belong here in the land of open spaces, mountains, and sunshine.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

I live in MN as well as Arizona. While I love how green and lush it is here in MN right now, that comes with some terrible trade offs.
For instance:
1.) It usually rains twice a week.
2.) With the rain comes the clouds. It's common to have 3-4 days in a row of clouds.
3.) Bugs LOVE moisture. A month ago, we had a huge May Fly hatching. Then we had the big June bugs that are around your lights and windows at night. With all of the rain came a lot of mosquitoes. Another huge batch just hatched. You know who loves those mosquitoes? Dragon flies! For a week, thousands were out swarming and mating. Have you ever been hit in the head on with a dragon fly while biking? Next up was the caterpillars a week ago and they will later turn into moths. Those caterpillars sometimes eat every single leave on nearly every tree (o ce every 7 years). But wait, the black flies hatched in the millions and they LOVE the caterpillar larva. So you cannot enjoy a meal outside. Later their is a different batch of flies that bite you to draw blood. I won't bore you with the rest of the bugs. Those come in the fall. In summary, you need a windy sunny day in order to minimize the hassle of the bugs.

So GREEN==Rain & Clouds. RAIN==rounds of bug hatching that is disruptive.

In summary, green grass and trees are nice but their are trade-offs.

[Foreverking]

Not from the East, but from Washington State, and this 5 year experiment in AZ, which will be ending when my home sells, has left me desperate for trees. I actually drive to state parks for shade. Cant wait to walk in the fir forests surrounded by lush green ferns on the ground. Nothing in AZ, even Norhern AZ compares to that. I so wish I could have fallen in love with the desert look. I tried so hard to rationalize that the cool red rock strata and desert fauna, not to mentioned the resort look of palm trees was gong to be enough. I moved here to buy a better looking home, and to get some sunshine...well turns out I hate sunshine

[PoppySead]

Nope, I don't miss being surrounded by green. That's why I live here. Even though we have the dust, it still feels cleaner to me. Humidity makes me feel gross. A lot of trees here would bring moisture, bugs, and mold. I'll just visit if I feel the need for a view, and then come home. It's nice to visit all kinds of areas but certain people feel best living in certain places. I like the sun, clear views, mountains and laid back feel of the southwest. Plus, if you have allergies to any of that greenery, you tend to look at all that greenery differently.
Not to mention the upkeep on a wooded yard. Yikes, to much work for me. I'm not really in to the old fashion look anyway. It's nice to look at but wouldn't want the upkeep. I guess I'm just a lizard.

[PoppySead]

Originally Posted by Foreverking

Not from the East, but from Washington State, and this 5 year experiment in AZ, which will be ending when my home sells, has left me desperate for trees. I actually drive to state parks for shade. Cant wait to walk in the fir forests surrounded by lush green ferns on the ground. Nothing in AZ, even Norhern AZ compares to that. I so wish I could have fallen in love with the desert look. I tried so hard to rationalize that the cool red rock strata and desert fauna, not to mentioned the resort look of palm trees was gong to be enough. I moved here to buy a better looking home, and to get some sunshine...well turns out I hate sunshine

LOL, then this is really not the place for you is it. I'd hate to live here if I hated sunshine. That's like living in Alaska if you hate the snow and cold.

It takes a certain kind of personality to be a Zonie. It's pretty unique here compared to most of the nation. Some love it right away, but some don't.

[locolobo13]

I grew up here. So to me this is "normal". If you grew up somewhere else then you would probably consider that to be the norm. I definitely prefer more open vistas. Being able to see for miles.

To those who say there is no color I say you are not looking. It would be the same if I said there is no color back east where it is all just shades of green. Neither statement is true. You just have to look.

[9162]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Not the forests. There is nothing like the forests of northern az (above say 8000) feet in the east that even compares - real mountains, aspen, lodgepole pine, elk. We got forests, the east has "woods". As for the green, it is lovely to look at in summer, but it also is brown and dead there - more so than here - for at least 6 months of the year.

Outside of city limits, AZ is always brown and dead. To drive to Las Vegas or El Paso from Phoenix, once outside much of the city limits it looks completely dead; no cactus, just dust and rocks. It reminds me of what a drive on the moon might be like if it had an atmosphere. No growth, just barren waste land.

[thinkalot]

I had enough green before I moved to Arizona. I will take the 50 shades of brown any day.

No grass to cut. No bushes to trim. No trees to trim, and that is getting expensive, no trees to cut down after a storm, no maple tree spinners in gutters, no maple trees growing in gutters from the spinners, no clogged downspouts from the leaves and spinners, no raking leaves, no buying the bags for leaves, no lawn mower purchase, repair, and gas, no trimmer or any yard tools, and it goes on.

[DubbleT]

I've never really understood people who view the forest in the east as brown, dead, ugly 6 mos. of the year. I guess I'm odd because I LIKE the leafless tress in winter as well as the beautiful flowers and greenery the rest of the year.
http://winter.jpg
http://Tree.jpg
http://scenery-pics.jpg
http:///forest_path.jpg

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

I've never really understood people who view the forest in the east as brown, dead, ugly 6 mos. of the year. I guess I'm odd because I LIKE the leafless tress in winter as well as the beautiful flowers and greenery the rest of the year.
http://winter.jpg
http://Tree.jpg
http://scenery-pics.jpg
http:///forest_path.jpg

This is far more realistic:



While that may be pretty to some, to me it's drab, dead and sad.