[karibear]

Originally Posted by moonmaiden

I realize that the 'mountains' won't be like the cascades but as long as they're decent, I'll be fine. I lived for a short time in KC, MO and can still remember being taken to the 'mountain' (singular of course) and the lake - basically to my mind it was a hill and a puddle LOL Does sound like Tahlequah,OK area will do tho. Now I need to figure out a nice quiet rural suburb close to Tahlequah to focus on and that will be great. Thanks again for your post - that was a big help!!

The 'hill and puddle' takes me back. When I was a kid, I thought all rivers were like the Mississippi because that's the one I knew best. Then there was the Missouri, the Meramec, the Current, the Black, and so on. I was totally flummoxed the first time I went west - a trip with my aunt and uncle when I was 12 or so - and finally saw some of those rivers I'd read about that wagon trains had so much trouble with. The Platte looked like a nice little stream, the Green River was just plain piddly, and so on. Once I got older, I did realize that there were real reasons why those wagon trains had so many problems, such as floods and quicksand. But they sure didn't look like the Mississippi!

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by karibear

The 'hill and puddle' takes me back. When I was a kid, I thought all rivers were like the Mississippi because that's the one I knew best. Then there was the Missouri, the Meramec, the Current, the Black, and so on. I was totally flummoxed the first time I went west - a trip with my aunt and uncle when I was 12 or so - and finally saw some of those rivers I'd read about that wagon trains had so much trouble with. The Platte looked like a nice little stream, the Green River was just plain piddly, and so on. Once I got older, I did realize that there were real reasons why those wagon trains had so many problems, such as floods and quicksand. But they sure didn't look like the Mississippi!

Some of the "rivers" out west that wagon trains crossed were not rivers, they were "washes". Washes are riverbeds formed by the runoff of the rain and melting snow on the mountains.
There was one just behind my place in CA.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by mkfarnam

Some of the "rivers" out west that wagon trains crossed were not rivers, they were "washes". Washes are riverbeds formed by the runoff of the rain and melting snow on the mountains.
There was one just behind my place in CA.

Yeah, but there were also some real horror stories about teams and wagons getting stuck and sinking in quicksand or being washed away by what was not quite a flash flood, but enough of a crest to shove them off the ford. I spent a lot of time reading about them, novels, diaries, and histories. What was amazing was the number of people who actually kept diaries, it's like they knew somehow that no matter what happened to them, their words would live on.

[peggydavis]

I like to read about the wild west days. That reminds me of one in particular, I can't remember the name, about driving cattle through Colorado and their fear of crossing rivers. Of course, the guy who was most afraid eventually drowned.

Even the rivers in Oklahoma can be hard to cross if there are rains. Much of the time some of the rivers look as though there is no water there, but can have places of treacherous quicksand.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by peggydavis

I like to read about the wild west days. That reminds me of one in particular, I can't remember the name, about driving cattle through Colorado and their fear of crossing rivers. Of course, the guy who was most afraid eventually drowned.

Even the rivers in Oklahoma can be hard to cross if there are rains. Much of the time some of the rivers look as though

I read about that happening during the "California Gold Rush".

[peggydavis]

Well, it has happened to me and that's why I never ride on the river anymore.

[moonmaiden]

I've been reading in the two 'bugs' threads about the recluse spider being found quite often in OK - can anyone speak specifically to the area around Tahlequah? Do they really show up a lot? I had a friend who was bitten by one and had a hard time with it - still has a 'dip' in her arm where the skin/flesh didn't grow fully back.....for some reason this scares me more than anything else - poisonous spiders...they're so sneaky!! So tell me, do you really have a problem with them around the houses? Are they in one area more than others? sigh....I know I'm being a bit of a baby about it but they do scare me....help?

[LadyRobyn]

If you don't spray and keep your property cleared, you are going to have a "problem" with bugs period.

The NW has Hobo spiders, the mid and south have the recluse... The result of their bites is pretty much the same.

This page has a map that shows locations for both types of spiders: Protect yourself from Brown Recluse Spiders Below the maps are pics of the spiders and what the bites look like. (just a friendly warning in case you are squeamish. )

[Mattie Jo]

Learn to identify them and then either call an exterminator or go to a farm supply store to get foggers and flog your house. We have them, and I am not sure just why, but last year we hired an exterminator, but I will never do that again after one woman telling me that she went to Farmer's Co-Op here in Tahlequah and put three of them in her house and she hasn't had any in the last 8 years. The more you read up on these spiders the more you will learn how to control them and the less likely you will be bitten. Most people that I have talked with here don't have a problem with brown recluse. We just happen to have that problem.

Moonmaiden: Tahlequah is the best area in Oklahoma for what you want. I love it here. When are you moving? Have you made any decisions on where? Before you move into a house maybe you should just fog it to be sure. Fog the attic and under the house and in the house to be really sure. Then a month later fog again.

[moonmaiden]

Originally Posted by LadyRobyn

If you don't spray and keep your property cleared, you are going to have a "problem" with bugs period.

The NW has Hobo spiders, the mid and south have the recluse... The result of their bites is pretty much the same.

Just for your info, we have the recluse here in WA state too - not too much on the west side but more on the east - and the hobo is everywhere (shudder) but altho I've seen them, they don't bother you much. I guess what bothers me about the recluse is that they're sneaky in the sense they hide in dark places. My friend in Eastern Oregon was bitten when she was shaking out the horse blankets - one had evidently crawled in there for the winter and didn't like being woke up like that Sigh....arachniphobia, that's what I got I guess, altho I don't mind most spiders - just some of them. Thanks - the info was great - and the page was rather graphic but definitely worth reading!!

Because if you believe in something, and believe in it long enough, it will come into being." -- Rolling Thunder, Cherokee