West Virginia Offers Many Wonders
By Paula Mitchell
Pendleton County is one of 55 counties in West Virginia. As is the case of all states, and counties, there is much to enjoy in West Virginia. A jogger, using a leisurely pace, can travel across West Virginia in less than an hour at Weirton, never leaving the city limits. There, the Ohio and Pennsylvania borders lie only 5 miles apart.
West Virginia is the only state having two panhandles, Northern and Eastern, with Pendleton County being at the very bottom of the Eastern Panhandle. West Virginia is the only state that lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range. Although rich in natural resources like coal, natural gas, and hardwood timber, the state has one of the nation’s lowest per capita income rates. The state offers outdoor lovers some of the largest expanses of public land, in the east, including one million acres of national forest land.
West Virginia has spawned “Barney Fife” actor Don Knotts, The Good Earth author and Nobel Laureate, Pearl S. Buck, John Forbes Nash (the game theory genius of A Beautiful Mind), the game show host of Hollywood Squares, Peter Marshall, Brad Paisley, Jerry West, Kathy Mattea, Mary Lou Retton, Steve Harvey and Chuck Yeager to name a few.
This beautiful area offers some of the nation’s best hiking, fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, caving, skiing and whitewater rafting.
It would make for a long day’s drive, but in West Virginia it’s possible to go to Berlin, Cuba, Congo, London, Glasgow, Ottawa, Yukon, Vienna, Ireland, Burma, Rangoon and Cairo. Then there is Peru, Palestine, Shanghai, Port Rico, Venus, Sun, Pluto, Vulcan and Red Star.
Pendleton County boasts of having the highest peak in the state, Spruce Knob. The panorama seen there, on a clear day, is awesome. The streams are clear which adds to the sport of fishing.
West Virginia is a patriotic, friendly and church-going state. That said, if one visits here, one will be welcome and not be a stranger very long.
West Virginia is a beautiful state with beautiful people residing here.
Life’s little instructions include the following:
- Walk away from judgmental people, and those who keep a person down.
- Wave to children riding the bus.
- There are two kinds of people in this world – givers and takers. Which is one?
- Stop for buses that are transporting precious cargo.
- Be kind to everyone a person meets.
Has anyone kept up with the number of fogs in August? Has anyone noticed how high the hornet’s nests are? And the wooly worms? This coming winter should be very interesting. Dog Days were over Aug. 11, and the showers have begun to be enjoyed by all the residents. Many folks in Pendleton County watch nature as a means for forecasting the weather.
Sitting on the porch swing is a good place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Charles and Pidge Anderson had some visitors, Herbert and Lois Lam. This was the first time they have been to visit since Herbert had his stroke in the spring. The Andersons enjoyed seeing them.
Bill and Donna Arrington, along with many others, celebrated Brody Whitlock’s seventh birthday Saturday at the VFW park. Brody is the son of Tiffany and Bruce Whitlock. A water slide was set up with lots of pizza and cake.
It is official. Congratulations to Nikki Cook and Hunter McConnell who tied the knot on Saturday.
Ed Rader of Davis and Bill Berlin of Arlington, Virginia, were visitors and enjoyed a luncheon last Thursday in the home of Willard and Judy Rader.
The 71st Noah Eckard reunion was held Sunday at Oakdale Park in Bridgewater, Virginia. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and all the delicious food.
Rhonda Nash enjoyed two birthday celebrations recently. She had lunch one day at Olive Garden with Helen, Vickie Nash and friend, Jenny O’Neil, both of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The next day she had dinner at the Valley Smokehouse with Helen and niece, Myah Hidalgo, who spent the weekend before returning home to Richmond, Virginia.
Beautiful weather was on the agenda as Judy Costello and Janet Judy accompanied their mother, Evelyn Varner, to Bath, New York. It was there they visited with Evelyn’s brother, Ona Smith, and his family, before returning home Saturday evening.
Recent visitors of Rosalee Grogg were Marleta Wimer, Leana Leap, Hendrix Bogan, Madison Grogg, Anthony and Asher Mauzy, Steven Grogg and Kim Evick.
The Sugar Grove Lions Club held its annual family night picnic Friday evening. A delicious dinner was enjoyed by all in attendance.
Phil Downs visited with K.D. and Verla Puffenbarger this past week.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.” — Mister Rogers
“The best thing you could probably do as a father is make sure they see how much you love their mother.” — Matthew McConaughey
“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” — Margaret Meade
“Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted.” — Dr. Seuss.
“I wish you a world of happiness, my dear child. Have a lovely time in school.” — the writer.
This week’s clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are the following:
- The first motorcycles, invented about 100 years ago, were powered by steam engines.
- In Italy, volcanoes are used as a source of electric power
- Most spiders have eight eyes, while others have no eyes at all.
- In Venice, all gondolas, except those of high officials, must be painted black.
- A flea’s 13-inch jump is equivalent to a man bounding the length of two football fields.
Concerns for this week are many, and they are as follows: Charles Anderson, Lynn Beatty, the Earl Bible family, Bill Brackman, Scherry Chambers, Charlotte Copley, Jeff Craig, Ralph Dunkle, Jeff Evick, Lee Roy and Ina Evick, Mary Eye, Ron Gilkeson, Barry Gordon, Lola Graham, Marlene Harman, the Anita Frances Harper family, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Starr Hedrick, George Hevener, Gary and Jackie Hills, the Rose Hinkle family, Virgil Homan, Jr., Charlie Marie Hoover, Keith Hoover, Lorena Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Enos Horst, Bob Hurry, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Melissa Lambert, Robin and Kitty Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Angela Lung, Linda Malcolm, Betty Mallow, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Neil McLaughlin, Naomi Michael, Joe Moats, Lincoln Moore, Ernie Morgan, Aaron Nelson, Kathy Nelson, Ken and Ruth Nelson, Bennie Nesselrodt, Cheryl Paine, Sutton Parrack, Ronnie Pitsenbarger, Wanda Pitsenbarger, the Billy Pratt family, Alda Propst, Betty Lou Propst, Kara Propst, Kathy Propst, Linda Propst, Marilyn Propst, Sheldon Propst, Pam Rexrode, Donna Ruddle, Bernie Sasscer, Barbara Simmons, Emily Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Robbie Sites, Ona Smith, Stanna Smith, Patricia Swecker, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Jack Vogel, Judy Waggy, Ron White, Judy Williams and Larry Wimer.
