Rural West Virginia

So, I don't know what other people do when they are on vacation, but we like to make fun of the locals. I'm not sure how this got started, or why we freely admit to such rude behavior, but since we keep it to ourselves (except, you know, for this blog posting to the world) I guess it does no harm.

We can't help ourselves. We are fascinated by hillbillies.

We drove along rural roads through much of the time we were in West Virginia. The state's population is not concentrated in any one place - it is everywhere. Spread out through little farms, unincorporated communities, back hills and valleys, there are 1.8 million people in West Virginia, and they nearly all live the rural life. We're talking cars up on blocks in the yards; perfect little flower beds surrounding perfect little whitewashed houses; trailer homes with fancy brick foundations; goats in the yard, tire swings in the trees, United Methodist churches on every corner.

And on every porch, some manner of porch furniture. It might be wicker or wrought iron, though more often it is plastic, or, even more likely, it is the old plaid couch from the family room. Whatever else it is, porch furniture is almost always Occupied. (You probably already know this, but they don't 'sit' on the porch in West Virginia, they 'set a spell.')

So there we are, driving around the country roads and there THEY are, settin' on the front porch watching the world go by. They don't seem to be reading, or even visiting with each other. They are just relaxing on the porch. Shirtless. Beer cans resting on ample bellies. Feet up on the railing. Settin'. Literally hundreds of them, as we drive by.

Trust me. You don't find this in the west.

(So the picture isn't really good, but the Confederate Flag is sure flying high.)