@ianjporter Pleased to meet you. I find that the hashtagging on profiles and #introduction pages does help connect with other people, #histodons, #librarians, #ukulele players and #journalists included ... although I'm still looking for more people geographically close to where I live in the #NewRiverValley of #Virginia.

When I woke up this morning, it was 16℉ (-9℃) and is now 14℉ (-10℃), without wind chill. This is pretty damn cold for Virginia, even in the mountains.

We still have power, so we're charging all our stuff and firing up the wood stove. #winter #BombCyclone #NewRiverValley

Test: Do the #NewRiver, #NewRiverValley (#NRV") or only #NewRiverGorge -- with National Park status -- get much mention on Mastadon?

Hearing folk singers and Bluegrass bands up North sing about "Riding on that New River Train" (catchy tune) I pictured a new train that ran along some River.

Did not realize my mistake until 2007, when I moved to Southwestern #Virginia and discovered I was in the New River Valley, and living in #RadfordVa, "the New River City."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_(Kanawha_River_tributary)

Here’s an #introduction:
#Blacksburg, Virginia is home. I came here as a #VirginiaTech student and stayed in the #NewRiverValley after graduation. This is my third term on the Town Council, and I previously served as vice mayor and planning commissioner. I do nonprofit communications for my day job and am trying to learn #French.
I’ll be posting about #localgovernment, #virginiapolitics, #zoning, #sustainability, #economicdevelopment, #LGBTQ, #nonprofits, #communication, and more. Follow along!

@rik @palafo @JaneRLaForge

Theory:
To find "local" folks, newsies or others, put local search words in your profile as hashtags, write an intro post with local words, and maybe have your first post each day name a local publication, like #CardinalNews or #RoanokeTimes or
#FloydPress

I'm in #Virginia, #swVirginia #Blue Ridge #NewRiverValley
& concerned about local news coverage

My neighbors in #RadfordCity #Blacksburg and #FloydCounty use Facebook a lot. I would love to see them here

@kevinmyattwx While a birdie in the sky may seem more weatherly, a Mastodon is well grounded. Welcome... First #CardinalNews person I've seen... I've just been here for a few days, experimenting with hashtags a little differently than on Fb or birdapp -- to find old #newspaper #CommSchool and #OldtimeMusic friends and #swVa #swVirginia #FloydVa #RadfordVa #NewRiverValley neighbors. Hope it'll be nice out this weekend. 🙂

@jcrab Heh. I'm in a different valley!

#NewRiverValley

But thanks for the recommendation...
I never get north of Roanoke unless I'm going all the way to New York and New England to see friends and family, or crossing over into W.V.

I'm getting close to 75 and "hike" is an overstatement for my sauntering up & down mostly well-cleared trails (pic) and paved pathways. But there are plenty of those along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the New River, including a 4 mile "riverway" here in #Radford.