One of the best things to enjoy about living in the mountains and high desert environment like we do in northern Nevada is the variety of experiences it affords us. There is an old adage about the weather in our area, “wait an hour and it will change!” There are many other things, however, that change from day to day, month to month, or year to year. This year we are experiencing an abundance of weeds, mustard in particular, right now. The fields and roadways are filled with their pretty little flowers and they are getting really tall with the moisture we’ve received. While attractive, they are a nuisance if you are trying to mitigate them.
While we typically have four good seasons, there are times when we’ll have a wet spring, a drought, or an abundance of snow. Temperature can be unseasonably warm or cold any time of the year. While you can count on sunny blue skies for more than 300 days of the year, the clouds will vary according to the wind and weather. We get stunning lenticular, cumulus, and cumulonimbus clouds that add character to our wonderful scenery. Every day is a changing visual adventure in northern Nevada.
The agriculture industry in our area has relied on cattle and hay for a long time, but there are alternative products that crop up periodically. When an alfalfa field is ready to be rotated you may see a field planted with garlic or oats for a year before they replant with alfalfa. It can be odd to see a brown field where you are used to seeing a planted green field. When crops are rotated they get plowed up or killed off providing a changed view for a period of time. Fields that once had cattle may have llamas/alpacas, ostriches, or some other vogue species someone is invested in.
Watching the rivers and lakes in northern Nevada is always interesting. Whether full or empty, raging or a trickle, frozen or warm, they are in a constant state of flux depending on the weather. As it warms up and the snow melts the rivers will get bigger. They will run brown during a run off, then clear as the flow slows. Irrigation ditches will get water periodically leading to vegetation changes along their route.
Roadways change with the weather of course, but they are particularly fun when you see hundreds of classic cars on the road at the same time. There are many car, motorcycle, and bicycle events throughout the year that are fun to come across as you move about the area. People at play with their special toys enjoying our wonderful climate and scenery. The same thing occurs in the air above as there are often air shows in the different communities. In 2015 we saw the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds come to Minden and it is exciting to think that they will be back in 2017.
Real estate markets, too, ebb and flow. While there are many people looking to move to northern Nevada for all of its “Chamber of Commerce” benefits, some of our local markets are susceptible to interest rate fluctuations, gas prices, the California real estate market, the general economy, politics, and more. At times new homes are popping up like weeds in your neighborhood then nothing. It all depends on where the market is most active to support the building and that varies year to year.
Our Advice: Enjoy the ever changing environment of northern Nevada. It is best to be flexible in life. Like a tree in a windstorm, if you don’t bend you break. Embrace the changes as they occur and adapt your lifestyle accordingly. Remember, if you don’t like what you are experiencing, wait, it will change.
Constant change keeps life interesting. Look around you and enjoy your changing environment. It is part of what makes living in northern Nevada so special.
Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, work for RE/MAX Realty Affiliates in the Carson Valley. Visit the RE/MAX Realty website at carsonvalleyland.com or call 775-781-5472 for more information.
