Ah Bob,

A mountain man such as yourself could not possibly see Barstow in the eyes of those who found bounty and a new home there having fled from the great dustbowl in the 1930's.

Can you imagine escaping with nearly nothing and being horribly poor to find this oasis in the desert? Ah, a place without wind and sand and dust. The promised land for sure.

I visited my state of birth some years ago and found California so much more to my liking. Though kudzo is an amazing plant and it makes everything old take on an erie appearance, North Carolina shall only be remembered fondly by me in James Taylor's version of I'm Going To Carolina In The Morning.

As they say, home is where you hang your hat and where your heart is. There's no mention of landscape. LOL

Petra