I have been a military spouse for 8 years. During this time we have been stationed overseas twice, and state side twice. The worst assignment we ever had was BEALE! My parents even hated visiting me out there because it felt like a prison camp. The base is really big and pretty...look a little closer and you'll notice the rattle snakes and king snakes everywhere. There were a couple of mountain lion sightings when we were there (04-06), it wasn't unusual for turkeys, deer, or cows to hold up traffic! I never saw an owl up close until Beale. What freaked me out the most was the snakes and the mountain lions (there were also coyotes, and foxes). With all of the wild life running around the base, I had to watch my kids like a hawk when they were playing out doors. Base housing really sucks! There was a big news story a few years back about the black mold problem in the older houses. The town right off base (Marysville) looks like it has been hit by an atomic bomb...apparently there was a bad flood many years ago and the town never recovered. The sad thing is I am from southern Cali and before Beale, I never knew that Cali could be so country! I did like the chapel---it was a great place to meet people...but I thank God everyday that we got out of there...My advice to anyone with PCSing to Beale is to PRAY!!!!
|