Young, single woman moving to Wyoming (Cheyenne, Sheridan: buying, schools, property taxes)

[SheridanPDC]

All good advice here. To give you a bit of encouragement, I live in a two bedroom rental house in Sheridan WY with a large fenced yard right next to the river... We pay $550/mo and are allowed to have our one big dog. It's not typical, but it can happen. When applying to rentals be up front and honest about your dog. Offer to shampoo the carpet at regular intervals and invite them to also come inspect the house regularly for the first year (landlords fear pet odors and damage, and by offering these suggestions up front you will be showing that you understand their worries and that you care about keeping their house in the best condition possible while you live there). You being a vet tech should help your case there... it should show potential landlords that you are a responsable, caring pet owner.

[samtha1]

I'm not the original poster, but I want to thank everyone who's responded anyway. I'm in a similar situation to the OP, except I'm in my late 20s with a couple of cats and no need of a job (I'm a freelancer so I can work from anywhere). This thread has been very helpful. Thanks, guys!

[tdelbene]

Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep that dog. Right now there is a downtick in the oil and gas industry opening up a lot of rental units across the state, especially in Southwestern Wyoming. Laramie is a nice area but you may want to look at Cody, Casper, Saratoga, Powell, Evanston, Thermopolis, and other towns for experiences other than the college town. When I moved to WY I had three 100 pound plus sled dogs. I was able to find places for all of us... though it became really easy when the natural gas boom slowed.

We actually do have crime here in the Cowboy State and are really proud of our prisons. However, crime is a lot less pervasive than in other places of the country. My door is unlocked most of the time and the worst crime I've suffered so far (I'm on my 20th year here) is having a basketball stolen from the back of my pickup truck and once some kids broke up the snowman in my front yard.

Good luck with your move. Keep your sense of humor because moving is indeed a low-quality recreational experience.

[WyoNewk]

Originally Posted by tdelbene

... My door is unlocked most of the time and the worst crime I've suffered so far (I'm on my 20th year here) is having a basketball stolen from the back of my pickup truck and once some kids broke up the snowman in my front yard.

Dang! There must be a crime ring. I'd almost forgot about our missing snowman. He was just a little guy... a couple feet tall and sitting on our picnic table. One day he was gone. No, not melted. Little footprints in the snow led to it and away from it. They went directly to our next-door-neighbors' house. And the little s**t left a little rock in its place. That was 10 years ago. We still have the rock. I'll be that neighbor kid doesn't still have the snowman!

[Tanker_Yanker]

Glad I'm not the only one, one night back when I was single someone swiped a pair of ratty, rank old work boots off my front porch!

[shadowwalker]

I used to have a dog that stole from my neighbors yards in the trailer courts we had to live in. I had to get up real early to walk the yard and pick up the evidence of his night raids. The best things he brought were a pair of steel toed work boots(tied together at the laces) and my size, a camo hunting jacket(not my size),three kittens-we did find the owner of them, momma came got them. I never did find who oned the boots and jacket.

[Froggie Legs]

I agree with rmmoore... it depends on perspective and what you call fun. For me, hiking historical sites, taking in the beauty of the mountains and rock formations is fun. My daughter and I had a blast living in Wyoming, and did a lot more together as a family than when we lived in the "big cities" of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We still have fond memories of going into the mountains for our Christmas tree, and going to South Pass city to visit the living historical museum there. There was also the spectacular hot air balloon festival in Riverton, and going to the desert to hunt for rocks. Please don't diss Wyoming...it'all depends on your ability to find enjoyment wherever you may reside. Fun doesn't always just jump out at you and say "come and get me!"

Yes, the wind can and does blow...perhaps that's Wyoming's way of "survival of the fittest"?


“The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem”

[ElkHunter]

Boredom? I don't think so. At least, not for me. I'm retired now and wish I was back to work. Life was simpler when all I had to do is go to work.

Now that I'm retired, I have to go fishing, which takes time because I now make my own lures. I have to go hiking. Didn't do that earlier in life, was busy going to work. I have to go hunting. Course, I always did that.

When I plow the driveway, I have time to help out my neighbor who had his hip replaced in November. I can run down to the park and watch the people walking their dogs. Can drive out on the county road and help that guy/gal out of the snow. I can cut firewood. I can hunt for rocks (when they ain't covered with snow). I can make presents for my grandkids instead of shopping at Wal-Mart.

I can bake bread. I can churn my butter.

Boredom? I wish. The one thing I can't do is take a nap. There isn't time. Wish I was working again.

Oh, and there is very little to no wind where I live.

[Montana Griz]

Hey Elkhunter....................

Couldn't agree more with you about not having any time to be bored. Ever since I retired, I can't figure out how I ever had time to work, what with all these "other important things" that had to be tended to,(i.e. huntin'; fishin' ridin'; etc), but work I did for 39 1/2 yrs.

Back in the 1960's I traveled all over Wyoming on business. I ended up eating lunch one day in Sheridan and met a guy who had a horse ranch outside of Big Horn. Ended up buying a 6 yr old 1/2 Arab from him. If I remember, his last name was Smyth. I ended up picking up the horse from him at a place belonging to a friend of his just outside of Ranchester. I'm guessing that your place can't be too far from Ranchester. The horse by the way lived to be 32 yr old................best horse I ever had, Even moved her to Montana when we moved up here in 1980. Curious.....how bad is the wolf situation in your area and up in the Big Horns?

[jody_wy]

Hate when people say we need a rec center for our kids , they got nothing to do. Well I was for the projrct till it turned into a muliti million dollar attached to the school but still public during non svhool hours. Property taxes were to go up $35/home but more like $500 on my ranch.I had the first letter agaist it in the paper.
My kids had to pick and choose because they didn't have time for chores and everything else, School , town and church sports, 4-H,FFA livestock to shooting sports.School clubs, Church projects. Riging horses, fishing, swimming in the river or hot springs, bike riding, sledding x-skiing snow shoeing ,hunting, conty fair, State fair and people say there nothing for thier kids to do.....