My Favorite Swimming Pool in the Whole Wide World For 80 years at the Watoga State Park Swimming Pool, countless sunbathers and swimmers have graced its water and tread on its time-worn concrete decks. Tentatively, this will be the last summer for the pool as we now know it. Plans are underway for the construction …
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“We are the Copperheads — the mighty, mighty Copperheads. Everywhere we go, people wanna know, so we tell them.” This chant is still the battle cry for Marlinton Middle School today as it was at my ole stompin’ grounds in the 1970s. Regardless, I am not a fan of snakes! Without a doubt, those copperheads …
Read more “The Copperheads — Fight or Flight? Maybe Fright?”
You may be familiar with the idiom “opening a can of worms,” but what about “opening a can of black snakes”? In fact, this is the story about a can of black snakes rearing their heads and hissing! For reptile lovers, copperheads, rattlesnakes and black snakes can be found at Watoga State Park. However, this …
Ever eat a peanut butter sandwich right before coming face-to-face with a black bear? And how about seeing a bear with Paul McCartney eyes? With this in mind, the following are readers’ creative endings to earlier posts (Part 1 and Part 2) about the black bear at Watoga State Park. Peanut Butter Sammie, Anyone? The …
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Mechanical Milieu Probably the best advice that was ever given to me by an uncle who freely dispensed advice, much of it unsolicited, was to be good to your mechanic. He was spot on; if you are fortunate enough to find a competent and trustworthy person to entrust the health of your car to, it …
How did West Virginia Become Known as “Wild and Wonderful”? Have you ever gone fishing for wild rainbow trout? Do you have a “Wild and Wonderful’ rainbow trout fishin’ story to share? Well, I have. And here is my fishing story. From a pet deer to a black bear, those carefree days in the late …
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Have A Seat On Your Sleek, New Park Bench! Rising early that June morning, and breathing in the fresh mountain air, you realize it’s a great day for a nature hike or two at Watoga State Park. Thoughts of a park bench have not yet entered your mind as you begin the day’s adventures at …
Read more “The Watoga Park Bench Project — Your Spot, Your Words, Your Memories, Your Way!”
Editor’s Note: The Department of Natural Resources advises all state forest and park visitors to NEVER approach wildlife in an attempt to touch it. The Department of Natural Resources protects the state’s wildlife so that all can enjoy their beauty in West Virginia. The Black Bear’s Blood Drains Near Me I noticed something bright red …
The State of Watoga Park 2020 is strong! For the uninitiated, the thought of managing a state park may conjure up visions of spending your days walking on wooded trails and talking to park visitors. The sort of job that many people would call a “dream” job. And to a certain extent, this was true …
Part One This is the untold story of the black bear. While it may be true that watching a black bear can be fascinating, seeing one up close and personal is not always a pleasant experience. The Secretive, Shy, Intelligent Black Bear During that magical summer in 1971, there had been endless bicycle rides to …
Read more “Growing Up at Watoga State Park — The Untold Story of the Black Bear”