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Henry Dallimore found true love in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and emigrated there last year.

These are his messages back to Shorelink Community Writers.

Henry's First Message

I am quite elderly really I suppose (72 to be exact) and have recently emigrated to Pennsylvania and got married in June this year. I shall be sending "Letters from America" from time to time (in memory of Alistair Cooke), but we have been having a nice summer and fall and I have not got into the rhythm of sitting at the computer and writing. I joined Shorelink in the summer of '03 and write both prose and poetry, I started on my first novel in January 2000 but all I have written is the prologue and first paragraph of chapter one! So I doubt if it will ever get completed. My interests are railways together with most forms of transportation, digital photography and video making (no not that sort Missus!!). Since coming to America I have become a volunteer at our local library giving lessons in computer basics, digital photography and video.

Henry's "LETTER FROM AMERICA"

#23

FEBRUARY 2nd 2010

It was groundhog Day today. Apparently he could see his shadow at sunrise and this is supposed to mean winter will last another six weeks. Well that takes us to March 15th so nothing new there then!

FEBRUARY 5th 2010

We are awaiting the arrival of a major winter storm which is supposed to dump up to two feet of snow here. It is supposed to start snowing at 4pm, it is now 3pm so we shall wait and see. Actually the weather forecasts are usually very accurate which is to be expected as our weather approaches across land and not sea. It is comforting to know of the resources available to clear up after a heavy snowfall and that by tomorrow our cars will be mobile again.

The schools are run on a different principle over here; they have a three month summer break but only a few days at Christmas and Easter and a long weekend at half terms. Mostly the Christmas and Easter days are used as “snow days” where any time lost due to inclement weather is made up.

There is yet another round of electioneering coming up, The State Governor’s final term ends this year (it’s the same as the President, not more than two four year terms allowed) and I think this one will get pretty dirty! The President has lost his overall majority in the Senate when the late Ted Kennedy’s seat was won by the Republican candidate This throws the healthcare bill into a doubtful situation and shows a somewhat strange (well to us anyway) attitude among Americans. You would think that legislation designed to give all Americans health insurance would meet with universal approbation. But there has been a great deal of vociferous opposition from all sections of society. You ask why, well, as far as I can see, this is because it is considered too much interference by the Government in private lives. Americans do not like this unlike Britain with the sixty year health service. Yet another cultural difference here!

FEBRUARY 6th 2010

The snow finally got going around 8pm, this morning we have about eight inches. It is still coming down but is forecast to end around noon so I am waiting to go out and shovel it. Having done that I intend taking a nice warm shower as the temperature is in the 20’s (f not c) and the wind is getting up.

Until next time.

BFN
H

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