A View to Eternity

The title come from my thoughts that since West Virginia is Almost Heaven and we ought to keep in mind those things that have eternal value we kinda have a view to eternity. I've been thinking a lot lately about the views that we have here in WV. There are the numerous views along the scenic highway to Snowshoe resort, I drove there recently in order to help with the transportation conference and for almost forty miles along Highway 150 I only saw one motorcycle and one car and that was right at the end of the journey. This road is well maintained and has beautiful scenery, takes your breathe away. As I was returning home that afternoon I saw several Hawks that were flying right even with the highway, one was a real pretty Red Tailed Hawk. That drive was what started me thinking that since this was "almost" heaven we could "almost" see into eternity. I might have been influenced by the Phillips, Craig and Dean CD, it was their "live" album and is very moving. Every time I work or play on the river and there is a difference, the view is amazing, 600 - 800 feet deep in a gorge with beautiful sights on both sides. On one recent Sunday morning trip I saw a large owl on the road to the beach at ACE, several egrets and a blue heron along the river looking for small edible delicacies among the rocks and a bald eagle perched in a tree between Surprise and Big Baloney Rapids. I love doing the early morning trips at ACE, when you are the first one down the river and the wildlife is still out and about. I love the view from Long Point, that is the picture on my Facebook page, my wife and I back in October of 2000. Sitting at Long Point you can hear Wolf Creek running, watch the trains cars with their loads of coal destined for some distant power plant, see the rafters on the New, watch the traffic on the bridge, you can almost hear some kid telling their parents that they see someone out on the rock, sometimes you can look across and see Fern Creek Falls, I'll bet a lot this summer - it has been a wet one. I love the view driving over the NRG bridge, and I get to do that almost daily, I think at times we take that awesome view for granted and can only appreciate when we slow down in order to take it all in. There is the spot along Route 19 just on the other side of Summersville when if you look left there is a break in the trees and ridgeline and you can see all of Clay County with small hilltops and vistas, some of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen were right there, small moments of time when the conditions were just perfect, a gift from God. Once it was so pretty that we had to get a picture and we turned around and drove back, but in just those 30 seconds it took to turn around the sun was set and although it was still a nice view it wasn't the same view. There is the view along Gatewood road of the three crosses that at times has a beautiful sunset. It does seem as though the views here allow us a small glimpse towards eternity. I can't think of any place that I'd rather live and understand what is meant when folks say, "all this and heaven too."

Always and Never

Zig Ziglar said, "Always remember to never use words like always or never." I said when I retired from the Marine Corps that I would never work in Food Service again, it was a thankless job. (God laughed) My brother in law, Art asked me what I would tell people that I did in the Corps during my 20 year career. I said that I would tell them that I killed people. He replied that if the food was as bad as he remembered I probably did kill a few people.

I am glad to be back in Food Service, I think God has given me a heart for it.