My WV: A Love Story

WV, I luv you. Yes I do!

While we are often the butt of jokes and on the wrong end of every poll or survey, there is a balance. Nature loves the balancing act.

My home and business are in The New River Gorge area of West Virginia, so spectacular in so many ways that we the people of the USA made it part of our National Park System.

People come from all over the world to enjoy this area of almost heaven. They come to raft and kayak the New and Gauley Rivers. People move here so they can spend all their free time scaling the Endless Walls of the gorge. Others come because they feel the magic in the air that is made palpable by generations of adventurers that have made Fayette County home.

The Boy Scouts of America could feel it, too. And they showed up in a huge way. The Bechtel Summit Family Reserve just played host to its first National Jamboree. With an investment of almost half a BILLION US dollars (???WTF????) you know they are seriously in luv with WV. So head over heals have they fallen for Almost Heaven, they have tagged their commitment the future of scouting and their home for the next hundred years.

Yes, WV has issues. We know you do, too. Yet we are too kind, good and smart to feel the need to point the finger at your sore spots. We know the pain it causes, undue and unjust many times. Others we deserve, and own.

I luv that my wife can grow an Ossum vegetable Garden and keep greens growing all year round under a cold frame. I luv that I hunt in my own back woods and fish on truly world-class waters. I luv the wacky weather we get in all four seasons, sometimes all in one day. I luv the eclectic mix of people.

I luv the waves of birds migrating to live here. They have flown for thousands of miles, seen everything in between, and they choose to make their home and raise their young here, year after year. Hmm, just like us.

This is just the stuff in arms’ reach of Opossum Creek Retreat. Maybe I should do another story about the wild and wonderful things in our neighboring counties, too? There are many. What are you favorites?

West Virginia is my home, and I am happy to say so.

 This blog was inspired by a great post from a blogger in nearby Charleston, WV.