1. Johnson County (Cleburne, Keene and Joshua) and 2. Water Moccasins (Burleson: cliquey, crime)

[cirneco]

I'm thinking about moving to Johnson County. I'm particularly looking at the cities of Cleburne, Keene and Joshua. Anyone have any advice on choosing one over the other? Also, any other towns in the area? Any quirks, peculiarities, etc., that should be known? Is it a good place to move?

Secondly, I'm scared of water moccasins. I'd like to get an acre or two or three, but a lot of them come with ponds and streams. I'm wondering if I get a few guinea fowl if I can handle living that close to water. Are there many water moccasins in the area? How dangerous are they? Do they go in people's houses? Do they bite your pets and animals?

[Canine*Castle]

Just because, I like Keene better than the other two towns. It is a town of Seventh Day Adventists, but that wouldn't bother me. Next I would choose Joshua and then Cleburne. I don't know what it is exactly about Cleburne, but I've never liked the town. It just looks dirty to me.

I don't think I've ever seen a water moccasins since I've lived in Texas for 30 years, but I don't have a pond on my property. I've seen rattlesnakes and copperheads though. They're very deadly. I don't really know that much about the water moccasins. I've have to check the internet for information on that one.

[love roses]

I used to see them at Lake Mathis when I went there as a kid. My great grandparents warned me to hightail it away from them, as they are aggressive type snakes. They tended to make nests in the more underbrush heavy parts.

[NOTAM]

Cleburne is disturbing to me-dont know why-every time i would drive to go there or through there, when I lived in North Texas, i just didnt get the warm fuzzies there. It's just downright wierd. Even the hospital Walls Regional is odd. (i think i went for an interview at one time to work some locum tenems there)
Joshua I like-very nice rural.
Keene-hmmm kinda got the feeling it was almost like a milder version of a large religious compound-7th Day Adventists are the majority-and it seemed like it was very "cliquey"-if you werent an SDA, you were an outsider.
I would choose Joshua
Regarding the nasty snakes...cant get away from them in Texas, and i am deathly skeered of any of them, so I dont go walking outside without being armed if I can help it.

[lonestar2007]

My neighbor has killed a few in his tank, I've not seen any in mine althoiugh I have killed some copperheads. Burleson is a nice town, has pretty much whatever you need. the surrounding smaller towns such as Alvarado, Lillian come in to Burleson to shop. I do not like Cleburne. There's something about that place that's just not right. I have friends in Joshua, it's easy to get to Burleson or Cleburne from there. BTW, I live just outside Burleson.

[Pipeweld]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

My neighbor has killed a few in his tank, I've not seen any in mine althoiugh I have killed some copperheads. Burleson is a nice town, has pretty much whatever you need. the surrounding smaller towns such as Alvarado, Lillian come in to Burleson to shop. I do not like Cleburne. There's something about that place that's just not right. I have friends in Joshua, it's easy to get to Burleson or Cleburne from there. BTW, I live just outside Burleson.

AAAHHHHHHHHH Lillian the home of Casstevens Cash and Carry BBQ. The Best in North Texas.

Pipeweld

[NOTAM]

yep...Cleburne..."something just aint right" about the town. cant really pinpoint what. some strange folks there. i swear they must have a large MHMR population or something. it's as if a state psychiatric hospital dumped a bunch of patients there. just disturbing, as is the hospital in town...just bad vibes.
i like Grandview and Joshua
i recall Alvarado being meth lab capital...but thats just my memories from the years i spent up there

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

My neighbor has killed a few in his tank, I've not seen any in mine althoiugh I have killed some copperheads. Burleson is a nice town, has pretty much whatever you need. the surrounding smaller towns such as Alvarado, Lillian come in to Burleson to shop. I do not like Cleburne. There's something about that place that's just not right. I have friends in Joshua, it's easy to get to Burleson or Cleburne from there. BTW, I live just outside Burleson.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Pipeweld

AAAHHHHHHHHH Lillian the home of Casstevens Cash and Carry BBQ. The Best in North Texas.

Pipeweld

Lillian......a cute little rural town and the BBQ smell every time I drive by is so inviting.

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by Pipeweld

AAAHHHHHHHHH Lillian the home of Casstevens Cash and Carry BBQ. The Best in North Texas.

Pipeweld

That's funny, my daughter and her friends just ate there last Thursday. Canine Castle, you are right, the smell of bar-b-que is always in the air and sometimes it's awfully hard to get by there without stopping.

Bellestar, you're right, Alvarado had a rep for the meth labs a good time ago, but they are really tough on crime in Johnson County now and one can certainly see the difference it has made. No one wants to be on the wrong side of the law in Johnson County, that's for sure.

Now I'm thinking about bar-b-que!

[geri4292adams]

I've lived in Joshua Texas pretty much all my life (almost 30 years) I've lived on property that had a tank and ones that did'nt. Any who, 95% of the snakes that I've seen have been harmless rat snakes, (I did however kill as many as I could LOL) but there have been some poisonous ones. But in the last couple of years we've been having our ponds dry up due to little to no rain. So the snakes have moved elsewhere or are hiding. Get you some animals that will keep snakes at bay and you should do fine.

As for where I would live out of Joshua, Cleburne and Alvarado.....Hands down it would be Joshua. It's a small town, but it seems to be getting bigger everytime I turn around. The schools are pretty good and the people are pretty nice. I would have to agree with others about Cleburne. I try to avoid it at all costs. I only go there to eat and that's only once in a blue moon. Ok, to play Bingo too. LOL Anyways, take care