Stranger to Blue Water

by Donna Gloff

This is Oil Creek today. Some readers may have never been to Orlando, and for others the memory might be dim.
For more on Oil Creek see the July '08 entry Fish Stories

"Stranger to blue water" is a line from the John Denver song Almost Heaven, West Virginia. It comes to mind near the end of my nine hour drive fron Detroit, when my car makes that rollercoaster swing from Burnsville onto the Oil Creek Road, beginning the four miles into Orlando. That is because I am always surprised anew by the first glimpse of Oil Creek. It is ancient, persevering, calming and brown. I never expect it to be as brown as it is. As these photos show, Oil Creek has many looks along its journey to the Little Kanawha, but it is always brown.

When these photos were taken, in August,2008, there were sizeable dry spots, even in lower Oil Creek, which is carrying the water from nearly all its tributaries. There are deep spots, but it is difficult to imagine how this creek floods into a torrent when the rains come.

top and next photo: lower Oil Creek, in the McCauley Run/Posey Run area.

Third photo: Upper Oil Creek, a little before Three Lick joins it.

Bottom: Oil Creek at the brick church during the flood of November, 1995. Photo is from Sandy (Burgett) Conrad

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains
Shenandoah River -
Life is old there,
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Growin like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

All my memories

Gathered round her
Miners lady,
Stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty,
Painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine
Teardrops in my eye

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice

In the mornin hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin down the road I get a feelin
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

words and music by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver