Yesterday, Glenn and
I procrastinated about leaving on our planned day trip, via motorcycle, to West
Virginia.
The weather forecast
had changed overnight from cool and clear to scattered showers. Should we or shouldn’t we go? The day had
been scheduled. The farm chores were done. The Dramamine downed by me, of course.
I opted to take the chance.
What the heck…we could always turn back
if the weather turned really ugly. So, go we went.
We just about made
the ‘going’ part of the 2+ hour ride dry under heavy overcast skies. The
pavement of the narrow road was off and on wet, but there was no active
precipitation. As we approached Marlinton,
WV showers began. We pulled over and
donned our heavy and waterproofed fluorescent yellow jackets. We still had another 16 miles to go to get to
our destination, Cranberry Glades, and it was a steep uphill and very curve road
with many switchbacks. I held tight,
mainly onto Glenn’s belt loops, while Glenn maneuvered with caution. We were
getting damper the higher the road climbed, the showers quickly turning to a
steady rain.
We turned into the parking area at the Glades at about the same time the rain had stopped. Perfect. The boardwalk trail through Cranberry Glade was wet and slippery. The bog plants were heavy and dripped with moisture. The sky was grey. This was the ultimate bog walking weather. I was having a great time slowly making my way around the slick planks while keeping an eye out for the flowering plants of the season and sliding out my camera from its protection, under my sweatshirt, for a photo or two.
After the bog circuit,
we wanted to make one more stop at the nearby waterfalls of Hills Creek. The rain started to fall again. Glenn and I were only able to make the short
walk down to the upper falls due to the more-than-a-shower amount of
precipitation. We were getting quite wet
now. We opted to save the ¾ mile hike to the middle and lower falls for our
next trip.
Besides, I just have
to return in another month or so to view the next round of blooming plants.
On our way back
through Marlinton, Glenn and I stopped at a restaurant on the edge of the
Greenbrier River. The decision to eat on
the outside deck was just idyllic. We enjoyed the company and the antics of a slew
of ducks eating, swimming, preening and sleeping. The water was so clear that it was quite an unusual
experience to watch the webbed feet move in the water beneath the ducks’ bodies…so
interesting. And, the iridescent colors on the Mallard drakes always please my simple
color sensibilities.
The sun finally came
out just about the time we carefully, and very slowly, settled our backsides on
the hard seats of the Voyager and started the return journey home.
saw quite a crop of these colorful fungi at a roadside pull-off |
Our day trip was
exceptional. I would not have changed one
little thing, not even the weather. The
rain did not dampen our spirits, but truly added to the joyful ambiance of the
day.
Every moment was a
moment appreciated.
Next trip...I do not
know yet, but keep visiting my blog to find out.
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