Amy and David: Summer Days

It's just the slightest bit less hectic over the summer. David goes to do his lab work in the morning, and follows it up with his own research and classwork. Not much rest for him.

It took us about a year to discover a very accessible walking and biking trail just up the street from our home. This lush trail runs along Decker's Creek and down into town. You can also weave up between the trees to another neighborhood. At this time of year, it has the intoxicating smell of honeysuckle blooms.

A few yards down a utility road, looking back at the main road...

This way into town. In just about a mile, we'd be on the "Rail Trail," a former rail line turned biking path that runs along the Monogahela River and through the burroughs.

This way to go away from town...

A glimpse of Decker's Creek where the utility road meets the creek trail. The creek smells slightly sulfuric in the summertime. It runs through some old coal mining equipment further upstream, and the deposits along the water level are yellow. Local efforts have attempted to clean the watershed. It appears as though this house across the river is burning trash by the bank. This section of the creek always reminds us of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

On another day, we visit the USO Dance in nearby Rowlesburg. Just 45-minutes away from Morgantown, this town of under 600 people has been abandoned by the railroad industry. People still talk about the big Cheat River flood which destroyed their town in 1986.

Rowlesburg today is much better than it was at the time of the flood, but its now a sleepy town with no new industry to keep people there. One of the biggest festivals it has all year is a WWII Living History Weekend which draws re-enactors from across state lines. Veterans and re-enactors are honored at a Saturday night dance with the Bobby Menear's Maestros of Swing Orchestra. Mr. Menear is a direct descendant of Glenn Miller.

We arrived early to view the town's WWII Museum before attending the dance. We met some very sweet and charming people who were glad to have new friends come to their town.

No pictures of the dance because it was dark and we were dancing! But here's a snap of what David did before we changed for the show... He played a little bit of ragtime in the old school gymnasium.