Contract Ending. Where to now?

Well, we've been in Danville, Virginia, the last capital of the Confederate States of America and city of Churches, since August, 2011.  John's contract here has be extended three times.  Nine months we have been scurrying around Virginia, North Carolina, and Philadelphia ...

...and there is still so-o-o-o much we haven't seen!

 
We've been working with our agencies and they have put John's resume out to Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, Maine...  No one has called John for interviews yet, but that's not unusual.  Department directors are pretty busy folks, and they generally get around to calling the week before they need someone to show up for work, so maybe John's phone will start ringing today.

He does the interviewing, I do the logistics.  Our plan of action as of this moment (and it could change with the ring of the telephone) is to go home and wait for a phone call.  I'll take him to work Wednesday morning, go back and pack the car, pick him up from work and try to get five hours closer to home before the sun goes down.  We should be sleeping in our own bed! by Thursday night.

What we've learned about Virginia is that it has broad, deep rivers - and lots of 'em.  In Texas we have broad rivers, a couple of which could be considered deep.  It's just that they aren't every forty miles or so apart, more like two hundred and forty.

We're also surprised at how sparsely populated Virginia is.  Given how long it's been settled I guess I expected it to be pretty packed with towns and people.  It's not.  The way environmentalists talk about doomsday and over population...  They say it's not the number of people, it's the lack of land to grow food for those people.  My mind jumps to west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and mountain states.  But Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania...  They are all sparsely populated and the land is excellent for growing things.  People that never drive across country can be fooled into believing some of the nonsense that's put out there.  I long ago decided to trust my own eyes and not propaganda, but Virginia still surprised me by how not settled it is.

Virginia is beautiful and her people are wonderful.  We are impressed by their genuine kindness and generosity.  I don't think we have run across a single grouch here.  The mood is gentle and the people are productive.  Maybe that's why their tourism slogan is "Virginia is for lovers!"

We will be forever grateful to our landlords, Cheryl and Jerry Ashworth,  for having a wonderful home for us to stay in and the thoughtfully kind way they've treated us - and I do mean "treated."  Each holiday Cheryl has produced delicious baked goods, and Jerry has helped in so many ways above and beyond "landlording."  They have even included us in family celebrations!  If you're looking for a charming country retreat for a week or a year...

...the Ashworth's can be contacted at healthier2morrow@gmail.com.  Tell them that TheTravelersTwo sent you!

Our animal friends came to see us off ...

Wait a minute!  If you leave, who is going to put out corn for us?

Did you hear the news?  They have to move on!

And of course you know from this blog how MANY things there are to do here in Virginia and North Carolina.  (I include North Carolina because Danville is only about ten miles from the North Carolina state line...)  Even so, as I said in the beginning, there is so much that we haven't gotten around to seeing.  God willing, we will come back to Virginia soon for another contract.  Until then, it's back to Texas!  YEA-A-A!

What's that you say??

Sunsets everywhere are truly beautiful to behold!