Hill Country.

Sutton Lake, West Virginia

38 40.244 N 080 32.923 W

What we have seen so far of West Virginia reminds me of Norway. In Norway I once remarked, "they can't have a football team in Norway because there is no flat spot as big as a football field." So is it in WV. The exaggeration is only slight. Our campground has a flat spot big enough for four fields. But the roads in and out are as narrow, windy, and steep as you'll ever see. The hills and mountains are beautiful. This area had lots of rain this summer so the lush green colors are vibrant.

We are spending the Labor Day weekend here to stay off the roads and avoid the crowds.

Last evening the had "Hillbilly Stomping and Hollering" at the campground. It was lots of fun. I describe it as like River Dance, but (much) less practiced. Anyhow, we are getting a good exposure to the Appalachia culture down here. Very cool. Sometimes we have to struggle to understand what people are saying, but most people have little or no regional accent. I blame that on TV.

There are no signals at the camp site, so I have to drive 15 miles in the morning to a McDonald's to get Internet. Each morning I fear that the headlines will say we are involved in a new war. No war this morning, thank goodness. But the New York Time's lead story says that Obama also plans to attack Iran before the end of his term. Ay caramba. Below is what the NYT actually said.

In a two-hour meeting of passionate, sharp debate in the Oval Office, he told them that after a frantic week in which he seemed to be rushing toward a military attack on Syria, he wanted to pull back and seek Congressional approval first.

He had several reasons, he told them, including a sense of isolation after the terrible setback in the British Parliament. But the most compelling one may have been that acting alone would undercut him if in the next three years he needed Congressional authority for his next military confrontation in the Middle East, perhaps with Iran.