Wind Farms and Blackwater

Yesterday we journeyed to Tucker County, WV to tell stories at Blackwater Falls State Park. Travel north on Rte 219 and you may be startled to meet one of these behemoths as you top a hill.
The wind farm is not without controversy--residents say they are noisy, and deadly to bats. I must admit that the wind generators fascinate me. They seem so out of place, ghostly as the blades whisper through the mountain air. It was a rainy, foggy day yesterday, and that contributed even more to the unearthly appearance of the wind farm.

I can understand why locals might not like these machines. They are visible for miles in an area of almost pristine wildness. I listened very carefully and have to say I did not notice the noise they are blamed for, but perhaps down in the valley below it's a different story. I like the idea of clean energy, yet I have to wonder if our state is actually benefitting or if, like so many of our natural resources, the wind energy is shipped out to east-coast cities, while we continue to pay higher electric bills than surrounding states less blessed with energy resources.

Turning away from the wind farm this idyllic view greets the eye. The rising fog might explain why we have so many ghost stories here. Early evenings when the mist rises in the hollows can trick the mind and the eye into believing something else is coming out of the dark.


The Falls themselves were thundering as we drove away this morning. Heavy rain for the past few days has swollen the Blackwater River to almost flood stage. It's a welcome relief from the summer's drought, and the Falls were at full throttle. The brown color is the source of the river's name--the tannic acid from the surrounding forests color the water a deep, almost black color. When the rain is heavy, the deep amber water is lightened, as in these photos.

I've visited Blackwater Falls many times, but never have I seen them like they were today--no rocks visible between the cascades, and the falling water so forceful that it was creating its own rainstorm in the valley.



A close-up of the falling water. How to describe such power? We stood in awe until an approaching storm drove us back to the car.

Oh, the storytelling? Amazing! A good crowd of about 65 people turned out to listen, and the stories flowed like the water in the river. I'd told Larry that I didn't feel up for it, and he reassured me that it would be fine. He was right. Once again I found people genuinely interested in the coal mining items I'd brought, and several commented later on the ballads. The audience was all ages, children, babies, some handicapped children, adults, and seniors. And yet all listened, and storytelling put its spell on us once again. What magic this is.