This town trapped me in 2012. I have been sending my drone up from my backyard to get a gander of the river from my hillside neighborhood. This town has lost most of its people and much of its commercial districts. The empty lots in between the houses and shops are places where buidings once stood. It is poor. It is tenacious. Somehow this place endures. Like other small towns in the mid-Mon Valley, there is a core of residents whose descendants have a good chance of living here, too. People leave, but they return to live in a quiet place by the river.
The birds are returning. Geese once trekking south are passing northward again. The rivers are swollen and sometimes overflowing lowland routes. This photograph was taken during a 45-minute break in the rain.
The trees are budding. The cats wander. The country languishes in the delusions of capitalists and whatnot. Hoping this year brings enchantment for those who are able to see it.
Fifty State Banana 