Beautiful Snowfall

We went to bed last night just as the rain was beginning to turn to snow. It was coming down fast and heavy. This morning we awoke to this. 

I measured about 4 inches on the back deck. The tree limbs, electric lines and clothes lines were all sagging with the heavy weight of the wet snow.

It created a beautiful snowy day and we got to sit at home and enjoy it all day because schools were cancelled....yeah for a SNOW DAY!

We haven't had much of a winter here this year. Earlier this week the temperatures were close to 60. I can't say that I'm missing winter but it was nice to see a bit of the white stuff today.

Here are a few more snowy sights from my neighborhood.

Enjoy your snowy or not so snowy day!

                  

Hiking through Coopers Rock

I can't believe it has been six months since I last blogged. I need to spend a massive amount of time on my computer just to catch up with everything. Now that fall is here and the temperatures are much cooler plus the fact that it's going to be pretty much dark by dinnertime maybe I will have a little more time to sit down and browse through all my favorites.

A few weekends ago we all planned to spend a day at Coopers Rock State Park. It's only about an hour and a half away and since it's leaf season we thought it would be a beautiful time to go. I, of course, had an even better reason for waiting until October before we went....the snakes are all hibernating.

We packed the cooler with some lunches and grabbed our winter coats. It was a really cool weekend. As we climbed up I-68 we could see the temperature dropping into the low thirties on the thermometer. 
We went out onto the overlook and snapped a few pictures. (Those are the first two pictures at the top of this post.)
Then we headed for some hiking trails. 

                                 (Gage was our fearless trail leader.)
The first trail we started on was pretty easy but then we ventured onto another and it was a little more tricky but we had a blast climbing over and around all the rocks. 

We arrived at our first camp site, took a breather and then decided to take a different trail back to the truck. It took us deeper into the woods and I was kind of getting the idea that we were going nowhere. 

The maps that we were using didn't quite have all that trails listed on it. But we found our way back eventually. 

We grabbed our lunches and headed to a picnic table. It was so cold. People had campfires burning to huddle around for warmth and while we were eating it began to snow. Just a few flurries but those were my first flakes of the season. 
Once we got our bellies full we piled back into the truck and headed home. The kiddos slept pretty much the whole way home. Everyone was tired but we all enjoyed the day. We'll be making that trip again and trying out a few more trails.

Blackwater Falls & Smallest Church & P.O.

Stop two on our field trip was to Blackwater Falls in Tucker County, West Virginia. This visit was much different from my previous visits to the falls.
We haven't had much rain lately so this was the first time that I had seen it with such little water.
The photo below was taken of the falls about 4 years ago and after a heavy amount of rain. The force of all that water is just amazing!

Do you know why Blackwater Falls are black?

The forests surrounding the falls are full of hemlock and red spruce trees. When the needles as well as the sap of these trees drop and wash into the water ,where they decay, they create tannic acid. (Tannic acid is used to preserve animal hides.) I kind of like to think of it as a tea bag of preservatives.
Anyways it is the tannic acid that causes the rocks to be black in color.
Oh, and if you are wondering how high the falls are I can tell you that they are equal to a 5 story building.

On our way to our next destination we passed by a sign that read the smallest church and Post Office in the lower 48 states.
They sit beside one another in the little town of Silver Lake, WV.

The church is called "Our Lady of the Pines". It measures a whopping 24 feet by 12 feet and it says that it is always open and services are still held there. There was no one present when we passed through.

Just behind the church is the smallest Post Office. Again no one was there. I tried to get pictures of the inside of these buildings but they didn't turn out very good.

Inside the church

                                     Inside the Post Office

Next Stop : Top Kick's Military Museum

On Top of Coopers Rock

Last week I had the pleasure of being a chaperone on what I consider to be the BEST EVER field trip. Lucky for me, this was my second trip and I still might get to go one more time if Katie gets this class. Yeah!
Each year the 9th grade Science Honors class at John Marshall High School takes a field trip to the eastern panhandle of our state (WV) to study the formation of the mountains, the native plants, animals and so much more.
So last week we packed our bags, loaded a bus and headed out.

First stop:   COOPERS ROCK STATE PARK

This beautiful forest is located near Morgantown, WV. Legend has it that a cooper (or barrel maker) hid from the law in these woods. While there he continued his trade of barrel making and sold them to the folks in the nearby communities. Thus, the name Coopers Rock.

The views from atop the lookout point are beautiful.(first photo at top of post)

Lots of hiking trails!

Huge cave like crevices....dare to enter?

For more info about Coopers Rock you can visit Coopers Rock State Forest . com

Next stop - Smallest Church and Post Office in the lower 48 states plus Blackwater Falls

It's Fire Season

This is what the hillside at the top of my street looked like last weekend. 
What began as a small garbage burn turned into a much larger brush/forest fire. 
Here in West Virginia, fire season begins March 1st and continues through May 31st. 
No burning allowed until after 5 p.m. and it must be put out by 7 a.m. the next morning.
You'd think we'd be safe from forest fires with all the snow that we've had this year. However, there are plenty of dead leaves, trees and grasses that can ignite rather quickly. Add a little wind to that mix and you could have big trouble.

The fire department was called back a second time for a rekindle the same day. I saw at least 5 other departments from surrounding towns coming up our street to help put it out. Thankfully it didn't make it to any houses.
Five days later and after a rainy night the fire department was called back a third time to extinguish some brush that began smoldering again.
I think it's safe to say it's not worth burning right now. It's just too windy and there is too much dead foliage laying on the ground.

Iced Over - The Ohio River

This is what the Ohio River looked like on Sunday.
We got a good bit of snow over the weekend. Way more than I thought we would get and by Sunday I needed to make a trip to the grocery store for a few basics (bread and milk) but I don't like to drive when it gets bad out so I talked hubby into taking me out. 

We left home where our street was still snow covered. I figured once we got downtown the roads would be better but they weren't. Everything was snow covered, even the highway (Route 2) hadn't been touched. 

It made for a pretty drive...I love the snow!
I asked Mark to drive me across the bridge so that I could see the Ohio River all frozen over.

My camera didn't do a good job taking the pics, it blurred them all as we were in the truck and moving.

Once we crossed back over we stopped at the riverfront. I wanted to walk to the edge of the bank to take a few pictures but the snow had drifted much higher than I wanted to walk through so I climbed into the back of the truck bed to take a few snapshots.

It's been many years since we've had so much ice on the river. There is a path down the center where the barges have plowed through.

Once we stopped at the grocery store we headed back home where I snapped this one. 

The empty ugliness on the left side of the road is where the Fostoria Glass Factory once stood. I was aiming to get a shot at the snow covered hills in the foreground which is between Route 250 and Grand Vue Park.

Back home all snug and cozy and that's where I'm staying. School was canceled today and again for tomorrow due to cold temperatures and low wind chill but a warm up is coming after that and I'm actually looking forward to that. 
It's just too cold (-8) for my liking!

Zip Line, Creepy Crawlies & another Project

This will be so cool!
Grand Vue Park is adding a Zip Line this year and I can't wait until it's done.

Katie & I went to the playground at Grand Vue yesterday when I snapped these pictures. The very first photo at the top is of the platform where I am assuming the Zip Line will begin. It's on the highest hilltop in the park. 
You can read more about the park and it's new Zip Line HERE.

While at the park we were surrounded by creepy crawlies.
It's tent worm (caterpillar) season here and all the trees are full of these worm bags.

So disgusting!
The little caterpillars have come out and were everywhere. You couldn't help but to step on them....they were literally crawling all over the ground.


Not only did we see caterpillars though!

We saw millipedes doing the same thing. They were in the grass, on the sidewalks and in the play area at the park. Strange to see so many of these at one time.


Today not much is going on. Schooling, laundry, pumping the pool cover off after all the rain that we received last night and hopefully a bit of stitching this afternoon.
Oh, and I have another little project that I've begun.
Here's a sneak peek.

I'll post more of it as I get more done.

Filming & Fabrics

Hi all!
It's been a little while since I last posted. My days have been busy but not with anything worth posting about.


I heard that there was a filming crew in town last week so I took my camera and did a "drive by".
Relativity Media was in town filming at the old WV Penitentiary for a movie called "Out of the Furnace".
A few stars of the movie are Christian Bale, Cassey Affleck, Zoe Saldana and Sam Sheppard and one of the producers is Leonardo DiCaprio.
No stars seen though on my "drive-by".

Just a few lighting props and several camera men walking on the front lawn of the prison.
If all goes as planned the movie will be released in a year so we'll have to catch it when it comes out.

                           
Katie and I headed downtown this morning in the soggy rain to purchase a few threads that I was running low on.
Of course, we didn't just come home with thread. 

I found these beautiful fat quarters. Several will work with my Promises and Borders Quilt that I've been working on. I've already got all the quilt pieces cut for it but I think I'm going to swap out a few of the old pieces for a few of these new designs. 
Katie loves Berenstain Bears so when she saw the series on fabric she had to have it. She got one of the bears and one of a coordinating butterfly print. Not so sure what we will create with them but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
Hope you all have a great weekend!