Modern Mechanize Movements

Modernday Mechanize Movements
Jim Thurmond

My wife Sarah and I traveled from Newport News to visit with My sister Carolyn in Shady Spring last Friday. We returned home today, Tuesday. I had forgotten how wonderful West Virginia really is. We went to Thurmond and walked around the town my Great Grandfather settled many years ago. The old C & O Depot has been restored as has become a museum much like the one in Alderson. It was a nice visit to see where my Father Fred worked as a book keeper as a young man. Lot of family history there, We had lunch overlooking the beautiful Greenbrier river on Sunday and then drove to Alderson to see the new alumni park. I took several pictures and even got to hold my breath as a train came flying by with a load of empties on the way to the coal fields. It's in a great setting and every on who helped to make it possible should be proud. A drive around Alderson always brings back many memories from the football games to the house where my girlfriend/wife lived and the homes of Harry and Barry, classmates who are no longer with us. We drove down the river to look at Kamp Kick Back, property my nephews bought, and wondered how desperate[ any would have to be to use that "out house" they had there. On the way back to Shady Spring we drove through Hinton. What a mess even if A. J., my dentist is from there. On the way back we stopped and checked out "John Henry". I guess one of the most outstanding part of our visit, except for seeing my sister and her sons, was my visit to the Beckley Gun Club waaaaay out in an old strip mine location where I got to try out my new Beretta. After about 100 round I think we will get along fine together. Our local shooting ranges are nice but nothing like being outside in those wonderful hills.

A reminder of what a wonderful area the Greenbrier Valley is !!