Down by the Riverside

Saturday we took some time off. Being your own boss can often mean you just work way more hours than you would at a regular job! Of course, we enjoy what we do and it usually doesn't feel like work.

But we had a few errands to run--pick up laying mash for the chickens, pick up some ramps from my son's house (thank you thank you!) and a stop by the Riverbend Antique Mall to drop off a few things.

After we finished our running, we took a drive down a road we tried to explore in February. It was flooded then, but now the Ohio River is mostly back in its banks although there is still high water in some areas. So much rain this spring, and so much minor flooding!

I've lived in West Virginia for over 40 years, and have explored almost the whole state in that time, including lots of back roads. But I've seen little of our neighboring state that's just across the river, and I'd like to see more of it.

We'd packed a picnic lunch so I was looking for a place to stop and eat. We passed a cemetery, an old one with leaning stones, and would have stopped there but there were no trees--and don't picnics require trees? In my mind they do.

Then I saw a trail leading off towards the river. It was deeply rutted but I convinced Larry to give it a try. It lead us to a beautiful, shaded spot, which unfortunately was also full of trash. Apparently many people come here to party and leave their waste behind.

There must have been some kind of building here at one time. Rusty cables, iron bars and bricks testify to a busy past. What was it? A loading dock? A warehouse? maybe a place where steamboats landed or were built?

But the trail continued along the side of the river and further on there was little debris, a lovely spot, and the ground was covered with wildflowers.

 Flowers everywhere!

In the undergrowth, a flag keeps company with red rose hips,

while above an eastern bluebird provided sweet songs to accompany the river's music.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.