Boxes. Lots of boxes. If I never see another one it will be too soon.
Boilers. Who knew there’s an on-off switch on the wall to turn a boiler on? Not us Yankees. So that was a semi-embarrassing visit from the heating guy. “Here, I’ll write on/off on the switch for you.” On the plus side, we have heat now.
Trains. Guess what? Companies still use trains to ship stuff. Lots of trains. We live 2 blocks away from the tracks, and one person has estimated the city has 45 trains go through a day. Which sounds about right. It isn’t really the massage you get every half hour when the house shakes that bothers me. It’s the dang horn that they blow all across the city. Ohmilord. Still not used to that. A trip to the train museum is on the docket.
Freaky-ass nature. We’ve discovered wheel bugs, as it’s mating season. Kids almost went to pick one up and I thought it looked scary, and usually scary means dangerous, so we googled it first. Yup. Scary-ass bug. “When disturbed, the wheel bug can inflict a painful bite. The bite has been described variously as worse than stings from bees, wasps, or hornets…. In general, initial pain often is followed by numbness for several days. The afflicted area often becomes reddened and hot to the touch, but later may become white and hardened at the puncture area. Occasionally, a hard core may slough off, leaving a small hole at the puncture site. Healing time varies but usually takes two weeks and may take half a year.” Fun stuff!!!
Snakes. Lots of safe kinds, and a couple of seriously dangerous ones. Rattlesnake or copperheads anyone?? That’s the part they leave out of the whole Virginia is for Lovers thing. So, we will be having a ‘this is nature that will kill you’ educational week soon.
White Privilege. So that’s a real thing. It’s very jarring to read about something, to learn about something for a few months, and then all of a sudden be faced with the reality of it. I don’t even have the words to explain it, or enough experience to really draw on yet. But….it exists, and it’s very uncomfortable. Racial issues in the south are different than in the north. I knew that, but I didn’t know it. Lots of listening and learning going on.
The Civil War. I have always been haunted by and fascinated with that war, and I can’t get over the fact that so many major places are within driving distance. So much tension, so many stories. Seeing it as an adult instead of a kid makes it even more complex and visiting a battlefield just brings up allthefeelings.
Cotton Fields. I know. But growing up loving Gone with the Wind…..they’re real! (I also had this same reaction the first time I drove through South Carolina and saw red dirt, so…) They aren’t just in a movie. They are utterly gorgeous and so cool because they are so foreign, but also….people still raise cotton? I honestly didn’t realize it was still so prevalent. (I kind of thought maybe people would have been so embarrassed by what cotton fields represent that they would have stopped growing them. <—naïve Yankee.) I find the role of cotton and the paradox of it involved with our history and the war just very compelling. (I foresee a few posts about war and tension.)
I have loved the idea of Virginia ever since I was little and read the Signature Biographies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Pocahontas. I’m a huge history buff and so I have always been drawn to this state…..and now I live here. Words can’t describe how much I love it. Virginia is for Lovers, y’all.
Non-Virginia stuff –
I finally read Carry On Warrior. First book I’ve read in a couple of months. Incredible read. Also picked up Life Below Stairs which looks interesting.
Went and saw Drew Halcomb and the Neighbors a couple nights ago. Incredible band. And the opener, David Ramirez was just as talented. Go listen to some of their stuff.
We just moved from New Mexico to Maryland and I hear you about the bugs. SO MANY of them that I’ve never even heard of. It sure is pretty though 🙂 I hope the rest of your unpacking is as painless as possible. It’s so much work to move!
You are making me homesick.
Stop what you are doing and read “While are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria” Right. Now. It saved my LIFE my first year of teaching. Seriously. Get it now.
yes ma’am. I actually just added it to my list a couple of days ago. Just looked it up and it’s at the library. I’ll go up and get it tomorrow.
where in VA did you live?
and a lot of trees and birds that are different too! I wasn’t expecting that. And the bugs are bigger here! We found a praying mantis that was ginormous. So that’s been cool.
Our place is right by train tracks as well. It was an adjustment at first (and I constantly worried about my teapots, pictures, etc.), but you do get used to it. Hope you’re settling well into the new place!
Love this 🙂
I’ve never heard of wheel bugs. I hope we don’t have them in Nashville! I’ve had to get used to living in a state with poisonous spiders and snakes but thankfully they stay far from my house. Interesting thing about cotton: I recently read about the horrendous pesticides used in most cotton and the way they affect the environment. In response, there’s now an organic and Fair Trade cotton movement. After all, many of our clothes and goods are still made out of cotton! Might as well use the good stuff.
I have lived in Virginia my whole life first on a farm in Franklin County and now in a small town called Covington. What part of the state did you move too?
The difference between knowing and knowing about something, right? 😉
I’m looking forward to hearing more about your movie and what you’re learning about sense of place. I think I’ll learn more from you than from STORY!
Ha! I don’t mean to be so bossy, but seriously, as a mid-westerner moving to the south this book saved. my. ass.
the southeast – part of Hampton Roads.
well that’s a depressing comment, ha! We’ve noticed an odd smell occasionally here at night, and we’re starting to wonder if it’s coming from the huge factory 2 blocks away, if the wind is blowing it just right or something. Which makes me wonder what the effects of living so close to a factory does for the people around here….which has made me want to look it up and yet not…sometimes ignorance is bliss. We drove down to NC last night and omw, there is just cotton everywhere. I’m really curious now about all of it.
yup, I only notice them about half the time now, haha.
I already started it and holy wow. Yup.