ocrwvdev, Author at Opossum Creek Retreat

Get your motor runnin’!

We’ll send you a free New River Gorge road trip guide!

free WVroad trip guide — We’ll send you a free New River Gorge road trip guide!

Get your motor runnin’. Head out on the highway! Looking for adventure, and whatever comes my way. I was born born to be wild, like a true nature child. (Admit it, you were singing along!)

We are smack in the middle of a couple thousand miles of windy mountain roads. The kind you see on the tv commercials for sports cars and motorcycles. Now intersperse nice little towns along the way, with some funky restaurants, and end up back at your Cabin in the Woods to soak in the hot tub and relax. Hmmm, now that is a vision. A couple days of scenic road trips, and a day of rafting or a canopy tour.

Just sayin’, if you do not already know how famous this area is for road trips, motorcycle or car, you need to get your motor running!

If you would like one of these new tour maps filled with great routes, we will happily send you one.

Just comment below and we will get your mailing address in a sidebar so not everyone will see it.

Get your free guide!

Bird Watcher’s Digest brought the Rendezvous to the Gorge

Bird Watcher’s Digest hosts Reader Rendezvous around the country, a fun-filled weekend of birding, music and friends. Last week, they were in West Virginia at North Bend State Park, and took a side trip to visit us. Not to stay, but to look for birds. (Something we are always doing, even while writing blogs.

They brought 18 people from all over the USA, and as far away as the west coast, all hoping to see a Swainson’s Warbler. We showed them a whole lot more.

Meeting a group at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center is always a great kick-off. The NPS does an amazing job telling the story of our area. Plus, it has knockout views of the bridge and New River Gorge and Peregrine Falcon chicks. Mom and Dad did not show up.

They had been in the cars for 3 hours so once they stretched their legs, we headed out on some back roads along the Rhododendron-covered creek beds in search of the shy warbler.

Before the morning was over, all 18 guests and guides had seen the little bird. Many had long close-up looks, allowing them to study his subtleties in coloration and mannerisms. To say he is shy is an understatement. Many say he is skulky. He lives in the thickest of cover, and hates to peek his rather large beak out of it for any reason. The coolest thing about this bird is his song. Listen for it in the background of the video. Loud and clear, in part because of that honking beak he has.

We got really good looks and many birds we call “common,” and may not normally take a second glance at. But when you have a bunch of people who have never seen a Cardinal, well, it’s easy to get excited about the local birds all over again.

We ended up rewarding ourselves at with a wonderful lunch at Pies and Pints, along with spotting a few more birds while stuffing pizza in our faces.

Bird Fest, Best Fest

“The Festival.”

Thats what we call it. The official name is “The New River Birding and Nature Festival.”

I have to say, it is as fun for me to help organize the event as it is to go birding all week. We love doing it. Even the week-long frenzy of chores, like putting the tent up, shopping and gardening, and cooking for 80-90 people per night.

We even have our own version of “Chopped,” without all the stress. Our version involves bringing new recipes/dishes in to share at lunch, then deciding which are selected to be prepared during the festival. This year’s surprise winner was the homemade vegan ice cream! Yep, I just said that. We knew we had a winner when, while staring at 4 great flavors, the kids picked IT for seconds, and thirds, and is it all gone? We saw the same thing happen during the festival, and ended up making it several nights. It was soooo good!

The funny thing: I am not the only one who finds joy in the event as much as or more than the birds. You want to know how I know this?

Enjoying the Birding Festival with small, intimate outings.

There were no birds this year. Yet it was “the best one yet,” according to a long-time repeat guest.

We saw birds. It was not really NO birds, just not what we are used to. The Migration was late. Heck, the whole spring was late. The Amazing Jim McCormac put it at a full 2 weeks delayed. So while we saw some birds and some cool plants, everyone had a great time. A really great time. I was reluctant to mention it, fearing I would jinx something. But by the weekend, it was clear we had just pulled off another amazing week with wonderful guides and guests, and we can’t wait to do it again next year.

Dang! How are we going to top that one?

Will You Help Our County’s Kids?

For the future of Fayette County, Vote YES!

If you won’t vote to help your kids, your grandkids, your friends’ kids or friends’ grandkids (or even your neighbor who you don’t even like’s kids!), to get a better education and a leg up in one of the poorest parts of the USA… What will you vote for?

Everyone in Fayette County: get out to vote “YES” to the School Bond!

Hard at work at the sign painting party for the school bond issue.

Yes, it is personal! We are at the point of the spear. No matter how you measure education, WV is 49th or 50th. We are dead last! And Fayette County is 50-something out of 55 in WV!

That makes us a contender for worst school system in the USA, and this simple act can fix that. Voting— yes, the act of voting— can fix education for the most deserving and most in need in our great land.

Education can save us from ruin. Denying us education can only ensure it.

I know it is not just Fayette County, West Virginia, that is suffering this plight. But I also know we are far worse off than most. We as a country cannot go on under-funding education.

Ignorance is not freedom.

Freedom is being able to choose wisely, and not only in your own self-interest.

Will you help our county’s kids?

Want to Know More about the Birding and Nature Festival?

The New River Birding & Nature Festival in West Virginia

Hello,

Birding and nature festivals have boomed over the past decade here in the USA. I co-founded the New River Birding and Nature Festival 13 years ago to help boost tourism in our off-season, and raise money for nature-based, hands-on school-age education.

While some events boast up to 5,000 participants, like the biggest day in birding and the Space Coast festival, ours is small and intimate with a back-porch feel. We provide guided trips with no more than 20 guests and 4 guides per trip. We are famous for finding wood warblers singing on-territory.

Get an up-close look at the New River Gorge’s wildlife.

Each day after our field trips, we have 2 presentations: the “popcorn talk,” which is a casual, short program by one of our guides/authors, and the evening keynote after a home-cooked dinner. All of the guides are well-known stars of the birding world, and most of them are authors. We pay a lot of attention to the ecosystem and our area’s rich coal mining history. Most of our trips are in and around the New River National River in Southern West Virginia. This area is under the protection of the National Parks System.

The proceeds from this event are used to fund a 501c3 non-profit organization called the Fayette County Education Fund. This organization sponsors the Fayette County Leadership Program for high school juniors. This is a competitive admission program, and only 12 students are accepted from across the county to take part in the year-long curriculum. All graduates receive a $1,000 scholarship. We also provide hands-on field trips, studying our local environment for hundreds of elementary and middle school-aged children, plus weekend programing for the public.

All of this is made possible because people love spending time together enjoying nature in a fun and informative setting.

You can learn more on our homepage at www.birding-wv.com. Or, feel free to contact me.

Enjoy!

Geoff
(888) 488-4836
Managing Partner, Opossum Creek Retreat www.opossumcreek.com
President, Fayette County Education Fund
Co-founder, New River Birding and Nature Festival

Good for You!

Relaxing in a hot tub is good for you.

Fresh air is good for you.

Eating well is good for you.

Taking a stroll is good for you.

A good night’s sleep is good for you.

Breaking the routine is good for you.

Cheap easy fun is good for you!

MLK getaway weekend: 3 nights in one of our Ossum cabins is good for you. Only $133 per night is good for your bank account. (3 night minimum.) Other packages are available, including in-cabin massages, meals and more.

Daydreaming is GOOD for you.

Dream guide:

Friday:

Leave work ASAP.
Hit one of Fayetteville’s amazing restaurants.
Pre-bed dip in the hot tub. (Long week, long drive, nice dinner; time to soak it all away.)
Don’t forget the Facebook selfie in hot tub.

Saturday:

Breakfast— late, of course! Yes, sleep in. You deserve it.
Stroll/ hike/ run to Long Point.
Instagram panorama from Long Point.
Did you bring a picnic?
Afternoon nap. (Fresh air makes your brain happy… and sleepy.)
Tonight, we are trying new food, and maybe a new drink from the bar. YUM!
Tweet happy thoughts to your fans.

Sunday:

No plan today. Relax.
Hot tub, fireplace, movie: ahhhh. Happy!

Monday:

Let’s not think about that yet.

Good for you!

Telling the Temparture By the Rhododendron Leaves.

Fill in the blank: I like cold _______.

Weather is my answer. The colder, the better. I go outside when it is cold. I hide in the AC when it is hot. Today was beautiful, cold and clear, and very, very quiet.

This is a Youtube video I made a few years back about telling the temperature by looking at the rhododendron leaves. Can you guess the temperature (within a degree or two) on each day?

The leaves were tighter today, but I forgot to take a picture. (That is a hint)

After a day of making sure pipes don’t freeze and thawing the one that did, a hot tub and cold beer are in order.

What is your favorite thing to do when the thermometer bottoms out?

New Year cats!

New Year cats!

We have a pair, and we are willing to share.

Over the years, we have given homes to several strays that have found their way to OCR.

There is the cat Bear who now lives in Pennsylvania, another cute kitten now living in Florida, and a whole litter of puppies that showed up during the New River Birding and Nature Festival, and were an instant hit when they headed off to their new homes in every direction. And that’s just to name a few.

Then these 2 furry creatures appeared.

They were weak, fragile and friendly. I was soft, and the crew was very convincing. We took them to the vet and looked them up online, and discovered that they’re a very rare breed— the Korat.

Keith holds one of or cuddly Korat cats. Want to hold him, too? At your house? Forever? They would prefer a more snuggly home.

These cats are given (never sold) as a traditional wedding gift for good luck in Thailand. They are now happy, healthy and strong, thanks to the help from the crew.

The sad part:

We now know that these cats are lovers. They crave human attention, much more than we can provide. Our pair are playful as puppies, ‘talkative,’ come when called, and love lots of affection. They need a home with a person or family that they can love on everyday.

What better way to start the new year than with new friends?

This is not a desperate act. We love the cats and will keep them. But if a home is out there, we are willing to give you our good luck charms.

Give me a call.

What’s the Definition of Romantic?

Agree to disagree.

Let’s agree to disagree and move on. Nope, not the election. Nope, not religion.

Romance!

What is “romantic” for some is just terrifying for others.

Relaxing and watching a movie by the fire vs. hiking to a wonderful view.

Not having to cook dinner and clean up vs. preparing a candlelight dinner for 2.

Trying something new and adrenaline-packed vs. soaking in the hot tub watching nature at your fingertips.

The spectrum is broad, and luckily we have a lot to offer here in the New River Gorge and Fayetteville area.

I bet for some of us, it changes day-to-day. What worked last week is not budging the romance meter at all today.

Very few people would disagree with this one, though:

A cabin in the woods. Yep, a nice, clean, cozy cabin, warm fireplace and a hot tub. That, you have to agree, is romantic. Now just add any or all of the ingredients listed above, and you have an Ossum recipe for a romantic getaway.

You need a plan, but don’t have to stick to it. Well, except when the plan includes a reservation for your in-cabin massage, biplane ride or guided trip.

Opossum Creek Retreat offers a few getaway packages to help give you ideas and make it easy, or make your own affordable romantic getaway package.