Better to vacation here than to live here
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5/8/2006
After our experimental year in the desert here, we have decided to leave to return to the east coast. having a year off from snow, rain, was nice, however we discovered that there are other weather conditions here that we never expected. The number one offender for us was the high winds season---
which seems to be more than just April- May. We live and work near
open spaces and everything (including us) is covered with sand by the end of the day. There is soemthing called PM10 which is about the high level of
particlulate in the air from all of the offenders:
sand, dust, fertilizers, pesticides--- much of these are greatly increased
when the entire area out here "scalps" the grass two times a year.
They force the grass to die then force new grass to grow back very quickly--
allthis because, well, lush green grass isnt meant to grow onthe desert!
and people just refuse to let that be the way it is. They demand
green grass and lush flowers. For the past 9 months here I have encountered MANY people from here and the visiting "snowbirds" who have never had such BAD allergies as they do when they are here. If you are thinking of moving here to be out in nature-- the desert-- the West. Forget it! This is essentially an extension of LA county-- it is growing very very quickly
and the city infrastructure is just trying to keep up with the high growth rate out here. The hottest area around here for new development is already further out East in the city of Coachella.
Also: re SCHOOLS--
we have had a child in PUBLIC and one in PRIVATE. Each school has had its
prs & Cons, but if I had to do it again, I would have had both in PUBLIC.
The private school atmosphere seemed to encourage the materialistic
goals of the more affluent families out here-- also, being so close to LA,
there is alot fo emphasis even for the young kids, on FAME! being FAMOUS,
and FASHION! HOUSE SIZE, MAIDS, etc rather than solid values.
WANDA | Palm Desert, CA