Climate is everything?

If you live here you know that mother nature has been heaping abuse upon us for days now in the form of snow, rain,  and cold.  Not to mention wind and snow.  I already said snow but can say it twice because it is snowing right now.

I have friends who live in warmer climates and this time of year they are all letting me know that while I am bundled up in my winter cloths they are out running around in T-Shirts.  Jay Thompson of Phoenix AZ, has suggested that I relocate.   He is a real estate broker, and that could be part of the reason he recommends relocating.  I have to say though if I did relocate Jay's brokerage would be my first choice of a place to hang my hat and retire my red mittens.   

I would love to visit Jay in his natural habitat instead of seeing him shivering in California or New York.  

The people I know who live in Arizona are quick to let me know that they live in paradise. 

    "@TBoard merry xmas from Sun City AZ, cold 55 deg. And sunny, stay warm and have a happy time."

(Via Twitter from Jim Little in Arizona)

I poked around the Infoplease.com web site to get some more information about Arizona.  All I really know about the state is that parts of it are warm all the time, and a woman that I went to college with lives in Sedona and from the photos I have seen it is very beautiful there and it is on my list of "must see" places. 

According to the Infoplease.com web site, on a rating for overall livability Minnesota ranks number 3 and Arizona number 32.  The Median income in Arizona is below the national median, but the cost of living is lower there than it is here.  Our utility costs are higher, we even pay more for water.   The overall crime rate in Arizona is higher than than the overall crime rate in Minnesota and the foreclosure rate in Arizona is also higher, but it is much too high in both states. I question if it feels any different there than it does here to lose a home.

What I really found surprising is a list of the smartest states.  Minnesota ranks number 13 of the smartest states and  Arizona ranks dead last at 50.  That doesn't seem right. After all they are smart enough to live some place warm and we are not.   Vermont got the number one spot, and I understand that it gets cold there too.  

Minnesota is also ranked as number one for the healthiest state in 2008 and in 2009.  I guess the cold winters don't actually kill us, maybe they make us stronger.  If I were to arm wrestle Jay Thompson in the winter in Minnesota I am thinking I might win. He is bigger than I am but he would expend all of his energy and strength shivering. 

I have never been to Arizona and it seems like a beautiful place, I would love to go there for a visit.  The best time to go would be February when we have our annual cold snap. 

Climate is important but for most of us it isn't the only consideration when choosing a place to live.  Sometimes we live where we do because of our families or because of job opportunities, or to educate our children and for a host of other reasons. If I were to choose a place to live based on the climate and no other factor I would live some place that is milder than Minnesota or Arizona.  Parts of California, and Florida and Texas have mild climates all year and to me that kind of a climate is the most desirable.   

The photo in this post was taken by David Smith of Tucson Arizona. I did embellish it a bit, by adding some snow and a few other tweaks and I hope he doesn't mind.. . oh and keep taking those photos, they keep me warm all winter.