Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Keeping the peace in W Va.


Berkeley Springs, W Va. has so much to see and do right here.. So come visit us!

It's not too hard for both my son and me to keep focused on local happenings, thus mostly avoiding national and international news--at least I am trying to concern myself mainly with local news. 

But I am still considering going back to Honduras for the remainder of Trump's term. My son, age 51, with whom I live now, is a Trump voter, so we try to avoid discussing politics. Instead, we often visit state or national parks where getting out in nature proves relaxing for us both. Or we may walk along a waterway in Berkeley Springs with me holding tightly onto my son's arm while the dog trots along on a leash in front of us. It's beautiful around here. Yet I am still trying to decide if I really want to stay here among so many Trump supporters. 



The Northern Cardinal is West Va.'s state bird. But I have only glimpsed one briefly, flitting through the trees near our home. 



Wild geese were crossing the road in front of us, so we yielded the right of way. 




I still see Confederate flags posted everywhere, although West Va. was never part of the Confederacy. Lots of Trump signs too. 

The state's total population of 1.77 million has been declining ever since the coal mines were closed. Over 20% of those living here now are over 65, myself included. 

Donald Trump easily won West Virginia for a third time in 2024 with a very comfortable 42% margin of victory. West Va. had been Trump's strongest state in 2016 and was his second-strongest state in 2020. No wonder I feel out of sync with most others living here!



Hawaii, where one of my daughters lives, has the longest life expectancy in the US, with an average of 79.9 years. Mississippi has the lowest, with only 70.9 years. 
W Va. has the next lowest life expectancy, with WV women holding the lowest life expectancy of any state.

One of my friends living in a DC suburb laments: 

Soooo many terrible things going on, so hard to watch the news, but I do watch it!!

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