Wyoming Hoa

It's time to giddy up on outa here.

We left Wyoming looking for a change. And, in South Florida, we sure found it.

Like this fellow did over a hundred years ago, I've saddled up.
Soon to be on my way toward Wyoming.

Out of the thousands that responded to a recent Sun Sentinel poll, 86% said that they would not recommend that a friend or family member relocate to South Florida. And that's from people who live and work there.

A year later, I know why and I agree. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, expecially if you're a small town hick from the west. If you're thinking of moving to Florida, check it out first. Put your stuff in storage. Rent a small furnished condo. Spend a few months. It won't take much time to discover South Florida's little secret which they call its "dirty underbelly". And whether you can deal with it. Traveling light makes for a fast and cheap getaway if needed.

The July 21, 2008 edition of Time Magazine, page 26 about sums it all up. In this article they failed to mention a few things like the crime rate, having done so in previous articles. But it's a must read if you are thinking of moving to South Florida.

I suspect there are some great places in Florida. But I wouldn't start looking in South Florida for them.

Wagon train at Bessemer Bend.
It's hard to believe anyone could love this country.
But we do. I live only a few miles from here.

Anyway, when we get back to Wyoming, we'll head out with a few of our friends and enjoy the country just like these fellows did over a hundred years ago. One of my favorite spots is just a couple of miles from where these photos were taken.

The wide open spaces, the solitude, and Wyoming's raw natural beauty are worth far more than anything South Florida can offer.

But the most important aspects, that will breath new life into my soul, are at the heart of the differences between the eastern and western cultures. Those aspects are almost always diametrically opposed to each other.

I suspect such valued western aspects, as personal responsibility and individual freedom would be just as tanked out as they are in South Florida, if six million westerners were forced to live like rats in a box.

Hayden Party at Red Buttes in 1870. It's just a few miles from my house.
And it looks just about the same today.

It's not that way out west, yet. People still look each other in the eye. They still great strangers with a wave. And they don't need a lawyer for every human interaction.

I'm a little older and a whole lot wiser. It's time to head back home. Wyoming's no paradise, either. But, it's Wyoming Hoa! We're going home.