Orchids were in bloom at Cranberry Glades.

Also in bloom:

It was a LOVELY day to be in the Cranberry Wilderness and walk the Cranberry Glades boardwalk.

I’ve been sickly for about two weeks, getting over some kind of cold/respiratory thingy. So yesterday we wanted to hike somewhere close, and take a hike that wasn’t too strenuous.

Apparently, we have a strange definition of strenuous.

We ended up going to Thomas/Davis because it’s a short-ish drive, and there are tons of places to hike. We were considering the Canaan Wilderness, but I looked through the hiking books on the way down, and decided we should try some more hiking in the Blackwater Canyon (across the gorge from Blackwater Falls State Park).

Location: Blackwater Canyon
Trails: Allegheny and Limerock Trails
Distance: 8.2 miles
Elevation: 2863-3118 feet (590 feet rise)

It seems that for us, 8.2 miles turned out to be taking it easy. We did have a much slower pace than we normally hike (30 min mile vs 20 min mile) and the majority of the hike was on a railroad grade trail, so it was a slower elevation rise. Essentially, we parked, and hikeed out until we decided we were ready to turn around.

The temperatures were perfect for hiking, the weather was lovely, and aside from one dirt biker on the RR grade trail, we didn’t see anyone else while we were out.

So: a good day.

I’ve talked about WV roads before, and I truly don’t think most people really get it.

US Route 50 stretches from the east coast to the west coast. It was constructed in the mid 1920s. So it’s been around for awhile and used to be a major thoroughfare.

West of I79, US 50 in WV is relatively straight, and for the most part a divided highway. East of I79 it is two lanes, 7-11% grades, and hairpin turns. The GPS often loses signal along the more winding stretches and has us either inside the mountain or floating above the gorge. (“Damnit! You’re off-roading again!”)

When I talk about reasons why WV has trouble getting jobs because of lack of infrastructure, US 50 East of I79 immediately comes to mind. No one in the right mind would bring production into an area where you cannot drive large trucks.

So in an effort to try and explain WV roads, here is a small section of US 50, taken over approximately 5 minutes, up to and then down one of my least favorite stretches of US 50. (This is NOT the section with the switch backs.) I named the pictures with the date and time, and all should have GPS coordinates.

Ready? Here we go!

18-55-00. Coming up to the top of the mountain, there are multiple signs warning trucks about the hill. “Trucks must stop 1/4 mile”

18-55-16. “Trucks must stop 1000 FT”

18-55-27. “ALL TRUCKS”

18-55-39. “Trucks. 20 MPH Curve Bottom of Grade.”

Oh yeah, this section of downhill ends in a sharp curve.

18-56-03. Here we go!

18-56-20. “Rough Road”

Because of course the road is subsiding.

18-56-55

18-57-12.

18-57-15. “9%”

18-57-27.

18-58-46. “30 MPH”

18-59-12.

18-59-23. “9%”

18-59-45.

19-00-13. “9%. 1/2 MILE”

19-00-39. “20 MPH”

That’s the final turn and now you’re down in the valley.

Five minutes. 9% grade. And it you mess up you’re smashed into the side of the mountain or plunging into the gorge.

These is a US route, not a county road. THIS is why we can’t get jobs in WV. Not because the people are unwilling to work, but because businesses can’t GET to the areas where jobs are needed.

Wednesday Jules and I went to the WV Botanic garden for a walk and to take pictures.

USDA: Find Summer Meals in Your Community

Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session. Use the mapping tool below to find a site near you.

Mountaineer Food Bank

Mountaineer Food Bank is located in Gassaway, WV. Our organization provides food and other household items to our emergency food network in 48 counties including programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, Backpack programs, senior programs and mobile pantries.

MFB works with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to distribute USDA commodities in 43 counties in West Virginia, almost 3.5 million pounds annually. The products are generally staple items such as green beans, corn, canned fruit, juices and proteins such as meat or peanut butter.

Between family events and hiking and working on the house, I read a whole lot less this month.

And I’m good with that.

I enjoyed the The Geek Girl Mysteries by Julie Anne Lindsey. They solutions might have been a bit over-the-top, but I was perfectly OK with that, because they were fun stories, with a female lead who I really liked. Amy Stewart‘s Kopp Sisters mysteries are interesting in a different way, as they are based upon a real woman, who was one of the first women in NY to become a law officer. And finally, a M/M romance Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton was very sweet. It was also a little over-the-top at times, the characters were wonderful–and also complex, with complicated lives.

I also read some books that pissed me off, but those will be obvious from their ratings, and you’re welcome to read my reviews to see why I disliked them.

Fantasy

The Darkling Thrush (2012) Josh Lanyon (Rating: 5/10)
Ravensong (2018) TJ Klune (Rating: 4/10)

Romance, LGBT

Family Man (2017) Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton (Rating: 8/10)

Mystery

The Geek Girl Mysteries
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder (2015) Julie Anne Lindsey (Rating: 7.5/10)
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Arsenic (2016) Julie Anne Lindsey (Rating: 8/10)
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Justice (2016) Julie Anne Lindsey (Rating: 8.5/10)

Mystery, Supernatural

Magical Washington
Fright Court (2011) Mindy Klasky (Rating: 8/10)
Law and Murder (2017) Mindy Klasky (Rating: 7.5/10)
High Stakes Trial (2019) Mindy Klasky (Rating: 7/10)

Mystery, Historical

Kopp Sisters
Girl Waits with Gun (2015) Amy Stewart (Rating: 8/10)
Lady Cop Makes Trouble (2016) Amy Stewart (Rating: 8/10)
The Summer of the Danes (1991) Ellis Peters (Rating: 8.5/10) (Brother Cadfael)

Mystery, LGBT

Hell & High Water (2014/2018) Charlie Cochet (THIRDS) (Rating: 5/10)

Now: THE STATS!

All ebooks. Not a surprise. Only one re-read, which is slightly more surprising.

eBook: 13
Re-read: 1

Split fairly evenly across the genres this month, with mysteries slightly ahead.

Fantasy: 6
Mystery: 10
Romance: 9
Boinking: 4

Almost no male authors this month. And sadly for them, it was one of the books I strongly disliked, mostly because the story went off-the rails right at the end, with several things that just PISSED ME OFF.

Male: 1
Female: 9
Male Pseudonym: 3

Male: 5
Female: 8
White: 13
Minority 2ndary: 2
Straight: 9
LGBTQ: 4

Variety of characters this month was a little low, but that happens. After all, I’m reading for fun.

Mountain laurel is probably my favorite WV native flower.

I adore the open flowers, and how they look like porcelain tea cups. The the buds are a marvel, with their sharp lines and darker colors.

So gorgeous.