The hills of West Virginia

Elaine, you live in West Virginia but you don't live in WEST Virginia. The place where Robert was born. Mingo County. When you drive through that area you get sick from speeding up and slowing down. Every where there is a turn to the right, a turn to the left. Sometimes those turns are up hill and down hill at the same time. We went through that area several years ago so Robert could show the girls where he was born. It was just like you imagined it. Refrigerators, washers, dryers on front porches. There were cars that were growing out of the mountains. I would tell Steph and Cara not to look out their windows if people were around. We didn't want them noticing us northerners. Although, Robert still might be able to ramp up his accent and get us out. And there's that toothless thing. HA. We stopped at the cemetery where Robert's sister is buried. We spent the night at the only hotel in town. It was normal. We were getting ready to move on the next day and Cara asked if we had to go back to the cemetery and watch dad cry again. I remember whipping my head around and looking at her in disbelief. Of course her little face was saying, "whaaaaaat?" I don't know how old we all were at the time but even Stephanie was surprised at that. Now it's kind of funny because I can picture Cara's little suntanned face and her curly hair. She was a really cute little kid. Now she's just a grown up version of that same little kid. But back to West Virginia. It's so beautiful. Mountains and hills and green. I would look at them and wonder if some hillbilly was living in there without anyone knowing. You know he's in there. Chawing on a deer leg. Writing his manifesto.