Virginia beauty

 In New Mexico,  where I went to school, the town was surrounded by mountains.  On the way to Ruidoso, as you come around a curve up in the mountains,  a large mountain "Old Baldy" appears, seemingly out of nowhere.  It is by The Inn of the Mountain Gods...it is a beautiful place.  I think of that curve and the appearance of that majestic mountain.

Here in Virginia, I live once again, nestled in the mountains.  I live by the airport, and there is a tunnel you have to drive through to go through the airport area.  The tunnel is under a airplane runway.

As I approach that tunnel, going home, as you get to the exit, a huge mountain appears, seemingly out of nowhere...it reminds me so much of that NM mountain.  I love existing that tunnel and seeing that big beautiful mountain.

I have always loved mountains and everything that goes with that.

Every time I drive around this town, go on trail rides, or cruise the Blue Ridge, I am struck by the beauty of mountains, the beauty of the landscape...like a Norman Rockwell painting...simply stunning.  I have to pinch myself at times....it is so beautiful here...especially in the fall....omg, the fall foliage is breath taking.  

I could never "take for granite" this great state of Virginia.  Oklahoma is flat, hot, and boring, all the land is "owned"  so there is no hiking, and all of that...people there, do take it for granite.  I see that here from people who have never seen anything but this town or state....they have no picture of what the rest of the US is like, so they take this place for granite.   

But being raised in the military life,  I have lived all over, but never in the mountains...I have lived along the east coast beach in SC, Texas, California, NM, Oklahoma, and I have to say, hands down that Virginia is the best state.  We get all four seasons,  but we do not get the intense cold and snow like further up the east coast, we do not get tornadoes and horrid storms,  we get rain, which keeps the mountains and landscape green and vibrant.  There are critters everywhere, bear, deer, raccoons, coyotes, you name it and birds galore.  

For me, Virginia is my heaven.  I feel so free and safe here,  I love driving around and I sometimes think I am in a dream...never in my life, have I got to do what I want, when and where I want it, I can breathe.  Plus the history off Virginia is so "everywhere" from the civil war...I love the museums, the national parks all of it.   

Even though this is a confederate state, mostly a red state, I don't care, I get that people live here where their ancestors and relatives lived and died in a civil war...the patriotism for our country is evident every where I go.  It may be misguided because of the conservatism, but it is refreshing....even for a pagan witch like me....I am accepted, not scorned, like in the midwest and southern states.  There is freedom here.

My X husband told me the other day "It is time for you to come home"...well, John, I am home.  Virginia is my home.

S, 7