Some more things about Idealia

Last September, I reintroduced my world of Idealia by naming the families who live there.  But as I looked through some other posts to add details to Barefoot family life, I realized that there were a few more things I failed to mention about it.  So here are those details:

Weather and climate
It's pretty much the same as the American South - relatively mild in the winter, pretty hot and muggy in the summer, pleasant in the spring and fall.  Some families (e.g. Spears, Bowling) live in Appalachian microclimates which allow for more seasonal variation, including snow in the wintertime.  There are still plenty of thunderstorms, but damaging hurricanes and tornadoes are a thing of the past.:)

Business and trade
An informal system of trading and giveaways replaces the organized business climate we are so used to.  There are no big corporations, really wealthy people, or unemployment.  People with things they want to share with other families simply move around from place to place to try to drum up interest in their items.  It is true: word of mouth is the best way to advertise.  However, "snail mail" is OK too.

The "booger"
Idealia - as well as the rest of the larger New Confederacy - has adopted the "booger," a mythical creature with the head of a panther and the body of a coyote - as its national symbol.  One of the most popular oral legends in Idealia recounts the story of the Boogers football team, which traveled to the World Gridiron Championship to try to bring the title back home.  (Much like the very successful Southeastern Conference in real life!)

Use of old Confederate symbols
Since it's part of the New CSA, the controversial cross of St. George flag - first used in battle during the American Civil War but not by the actual Confederate government - has become the new national flag.  (The association as a racist symbol dates back to its use by South Carolina governor Fritz Hollings in 1960 as he defied Brown v. Board of Education and would not integrate the state's schools.)  Also, "Dixie," originally written by a minstrel artist based in New York City, is now the "national anthem."  Some surprising groups  have adapted the symbols - blacks and mountain people (the latter opposed the Confederacy so much that many of those who lived in Virginia broke off from the state and created West Virginia).