Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Locating Lydia's house in rural McDowell Country had been a challenge. We finally stopped at a small post office to ask directions and were directed to a house across a nearby stream. As we reached our destination, a dozen chickens, two goats, and several puppies greeted us in the front yard. Lydia stepped onto the side porch and invited us inside. "Be careful on the stairs," she warned, "my husband still hasn't fixed them rotten boards." Upon entering a small kitchen, Lydia showed us some pictures of the children in her home-based day care. In the living room, a coal-burning …