[primordialwool]

I'm contemplating taking a job there. I grew up in the mid-atlantic, lived in the PNW for 6 years. I've never been in the south.

I'm an atheist and tend to be rather liberal, but also kinda radical. The things I've liked about previous places I've lived are walking/biking paths, grocery stores with organic, vegetarian, and ethnic foods, having a yarn store (not a chain like Jo-ann's, but an independently-owned store that sells natural, not synthetic yarn). I liked living in the PNW b/c people were very open and accepting of people.

So, does Altus have anything that I would like? I've been told that b/c of the air force base, that people of different cultures live there and that they are very accepting and welcoming? Is that true? I've always had the idea that the south was pretty racist compared to the rest of the country. How would a non-religious, non-traditional type of person fare in Altus?

[StillwaterTownie]

I've been to Altus before. I don't remember much about it, other than some of the surrounding scenery is pretty from the rocky hills, and that it doesn't seem too run down. Cotton is still grown in the area, so in that way it's like the South. It's quite politically conservative. Since there is a wider diversity of people there, it's probably more accepting than most other Oklahoma towns. I wouldn't want want to live there though, because it's too far away from large cities and the summers are hotter and drier. Little wonder Altus is slowly fading away. Hopefully, you can do Oklahoma better. Hopefully, the air force base there will keep the town going.

[SluggoF16]

I work 30 miles east of Altus off US 62. Altus would be quite the culture shock for someone from PNW. Hot, dry, isolated. It has a "quaint" downtown square that's a lot like something from a Norman Rockwell painting, but otherwise most business is along the N-S Main Street (US 283) or E-W Broadway (US 62).

Some of my employees lived there, and had to commute to Lawton (pop. 100,000) for jobs. While politically conservative, SW OK does seem more diverse. Altus has a substantial Hispanic population with a few carnicerias and panaderias. There's also a highly regarded CC, Western Oklahoma State College. There's really not much to do; OKC and DFW are about 2.5-3.5 hours away.

The largest employer is Altus AFB. If that base ever closes the town's in deep kimchi.

To the OP, I would never characterize any particular part of the US as racist or non-racist. It's pervasive everywhere, whether in the Deep South the PNW. In fact, without naming states, some of the worst, though not overt prejudice I have personally seen and experienced was in what is considered a progressive, liberal and supposedly open-minded state.

[primordialwool]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

I work 30 miles east of Altus off US 62. Altus would be quite the culture shock for someone from PNW. Hot, dry, isolated.

Well, I have an allergy to mold, so I was pretty miserable in the PNW, as far as breathing was concerned. I liked it for other reasons.

There's really not much to do; OKC and DFW are about 2.5-3.5 hours away.

I'm a homebody, so I don't know how important that is. My hobbies are pretty solitary. Although 2 1/2 hours is a bit much to go for the amenities of a larger town.

[SluggoF16]

For a larger city, Lawton is one hour east on US 62.

I lived in Tucson, springtime allergy capital of America, for several years. Was never affected by seasonal allergies. Here I do occasionally get congested. Dust from the cotton and wheat fields as well as grass and cedar pollen are the big offenders. The local TV news often covers allergens during the weather reports.

If you like mountains, there are actually some around the Altus area. Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Mount Scott within an hour, Quartz Mountain in half that. Not the Cascades or Mounts Hood or Rainier, but not the flat of the Texas Panhandle. Also, about 90 minutes west is Caprock Canyon State Park and Palo Duro Canyon is a bit further.

[primordialwool]

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think it won't be so bad. I grew up in a real small town (less than 6,000), and the two larger cities in each direction that we drove to for shopping were about the same population size as Altus. I looked at the list of businesses. They have a Taco Bell, which to me is THE sign of a civilized town. :-) Everybody has a McD's, but not everyone has a Taco Bell.

I lived in Tucson, springtime allergy capital of America, for several years. Was never affected by seasonal allergies. Here I do occasionally get congested. Dust from the cotton and wheat fields as well as grass and cedar pollen are the big offenders. The local TV news often covers allergens during the weather reports.

I do have grass allergies, but I can't imagine living somewhere without grass.

If you like mountains, there are actually some around the Altus area. Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Mount Scott within an hour, Quartz Mountain in half that.

I grew up in a valley, so it's nice to see something on the horizon. And I grew up near a river, so having a lake close by will be nice.

Does it ever get cold enough to warrant hat, gloves, or scarf, since knitting and working with fiber is my primary hobby? If not, I do have a nascent interest in weaving, and I could always switch to table runners and towels.

What are the major poisonous critters in the area, like spiders and snakes? I grew up in an area that had virtually no poisonous snakes and I think we only had to worry about black widows. B/c of that, I'm pretty unfazed by those things, and I'm afraid I won't be cautious enough when I probably should.

[StillwaterTownie]

I don't remember for sure but sage may compete with the short grass along with Mesquite trees. The scenery out there is quite different from most of the heavier populated parts of Oklahoma.

Altus has a lake nearby with a nice park with a long pedestrian bridge that leads to a beautiful auditorium, but the lake is far from full. It's gets plenty cold and windy every winter for outer garments, but I bet below zero temperatures are very rare. I also bet rattle snakes are kinda common in the countryside.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by primordialwool

Does it ever get cold enough to warrant hat, gloves, or scarf, since knitting and working with fiber is my primary hobby? If not, I do have a nascent interest in weaving, and I could always switch to table runners and towels.

What are the major poisonous critters in the area, like spiders and snakes? I grew up in an area that had virtually no poisonous snakes and I think we only had to worry about black widows. B/c of that, I'm pretty unfazed by those things, and I'm afraid I won't be cautious enough when I probably should.

Does it get cold? Oh, yeah. Not terribly cold, but "the wind comes sweeping down the plain" as the state song goes. It's a lot easier to take 25 degrees with calm winds than 35 degrees and 30 mph winds. There's a reason for all the wind farms within a hundred miles.

In late January 2010 the city of Altus lost power for several days due to an intense ice storm. I was lucky, only lost power for a day... why I now have standby capability. Snow is occasional, but livable. Ice just plain sucks. See this video link for a glimpse at the downed power lines, etc. Not an every year occurrence, but when it does...

Critters: I just drove past a dead rattlesnake on Fort Sill this morning. They're here, and they like to be left alone. As long as you don't go looking for them, they usually leave you alone. Scorpions... I have been stung this year, as has my wife. Black widows were a problem this year, but like snakes, you usually have to go looking for trouble; it's brown recluse that bother me. I ALWAYS shake out boots and shoes, as well as work gloves, before putting them on. Old habit from when I lived in the Sonoran Desert in AZ... had a couple scorpions try to hitchhike in my boots.

We also have elk, deer, armadillos, coyotes, bobcats, skunks (lethal radius, no-wind, is 8 feet, been ops tested), porcupines, and other assorted cool creatures.

[primordialwool]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Does it get cold? Oh, yeah. Not terribly cold, but "the wind comes sweeping down the plain" as the state song goes. It's a lot easier to take 25 degrees with calm winds than 35 degrees and 30 mph winds. There's a reason for all the wind farms within a hundred miles.

Oh, goody! A use for all my yarn! :-)

Critters: I just drove past a dead rattlesnake on Fort Sill this morning. They're here, and they like to be left alone. As long as you don't go looking for them, they usually leave you alone.

I've never seen or heard a rattlesnake before, but I would hope I would hear it before I got close enough to get bit.

Scorpions... I have been stung this year, as has my wife.

Scorpions freak me out. I don't care for them at all, even if my zodiac sign is Scorpio. Is their sting deadly or just painful? I think I would probably want to move if I saw one in the house. Ack! So, what do you do if you shake out your shoe and a scorpion drops out? Get a broom and sweep it outside? Smash it?

We also have elk, deer, armadillos, coyotes, bobcats, skunks (lethal radius, no-wind, is 8 feet, been ops tested), porcupines, and other assorted cool creatures.

I'm used to skunks. Have them around here. Skunks, possums, racoons, ground hogs, etc. I've never seen an elk before. I thought I saw an elk when I was in Colorado. Turns out it was a deer. The deer in Colorado are different (mule deer) then the ones I'm used to seeing around here (white tail). I think it would be cool to see an armadillo. They're funky. That's the best thing about living in a new area, I think. New animals (mammals, that is--not insects, arachnids, or reptiles...eww!).

[primordialwool]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I don't remember for sure but sage may compete with the short grass along with Mesquite trees. The scenery out there is quite different from most of the heavier populated parts of Oklahoma.

Any cacti? Or would I need to go further south? I was in Arizona once, and I just had to pull off the road and get up close to this cactus. It's amazing just how many different environments there are in our country. It's almost like going to a foreign country. It's one thing to see TV shows and movies depicting different areas, but quite another to see the stuff in person.