We landed at Dulles and made our way to cars with minimal fuss; I guess people get out of the way of a horde of bright-yellow shirts. With only minimal ado as we loaded our bags into the unobliging backs of minivans, we got on the road. It was a long drive -- a bit over the promised four-and-a-half hours, thanks to intermittent storms and a lunch stop -- but especially as we got onto the highways that took us south and west into Virginia's rural interior, the scenery floored us (or at least those of us in my car). Deep, plunging ridges, thickly forested, and sky-scapes of clouds and misting rainbows.
It made me, at least, understand the beauty and awe of early settlers as they explored these forests. But every time I got too sappy, a billboard with the ubiquitous golden arches would turn up, reminding me of the relentless reach of consumerism. It became a bit of a (sad) joke and a continual reminder of how much Appalachia has changed in the last 60 years, or so my recent reading has informed me. I hope to learn a great deal more about those changes -- good? Bad? Loss? gain? A mixture? -- in the days ahead.
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