Shooting My Gun at Claysville Game Lands

Long ago, when we first moved back to the Pittsburgh area, I spent a lot of time looking for nearby places to hike.  I've since learned that you need to travel at least an hour and a half to get to anyplace really good, but that's another story altogether.  My quest led me to State Game Lands 245, near the ultra-Trump-loving village of Claysville, Washington County.  I returned there today to clean and fire my grandfather's old shotgun, which had not been fired in at least 40 years.

                                

For years I've been meaning to bring the old gun down here and see if it still works.  I nervously took it to the gun shop in Bridgeville to see what they might say.  The creepy militiaman behind the counter said they don't deal in shotguns, only high-powered weaponry.  That place was full of old taxidermied baboons and ostriches.  It had Trump paraphernalia about and sold "blue lives" flags.  From there I went to the gun shop on Thoms Run Road, which seemed much more like the kind of place where hunters shop--as opposed to the kind of place where angry rednecks go to stock up on killing machines.  The helpful fellow there showed me how to clean the shotgun, told me what kind of ammo to use, and sold me everything I needed.  

Then?  Then I took it to the game lands where they have a shooting range.  I put an old plastic bottle in a tree, and I fearfully loaded up the thing and shot it.  What a beautiful noise!  After that, I thought I'd make a quick trip down to the area of WEST VIRGINIA that I've been exploring of late.

Wingfield Pines and Chartiers Creek

Wingfield Pines is a park, of sorts, that belongs to the Allegheny County Land Trust.

Even though it's nearby, I hadn't gone there in years.  I didn't like the way people let their dogs run wild there.  But I had an hour or so to hike in the bright, cool autumn air before the gun stores opened, so I went back to this place.

The lovely Chartiers Creek runs right through it.  Did I mention that I stopped coming here because I don't like having to deal with strangers' dogs?  Suburbanites and their dogs!

Much to my surprise, there were no more dogs!  Happily, dogs are no longer allowed here because it's designated now as a nature preserve.  A big sign at the gate reads, "No Pets."  I was so happy.  I mean you can't have their precious dogs chasing after the wild ducks, can you?  There were many handsome birds here, most of which I could not identify.

You might be wondering why I went to a gun store.  I wanted to make sure my grandfather's old 12-gauge was still operational, so I thought I'd have a professional take a look at it.  What a weird experience that was!  I was not at all surprised to find that the kind of people who hang out at gun stores also do not wear masks during a pandemic....

Lower Buffalo Church

Lower Buffalo Presbyterian Church looms large in the early history of Western Pennsylvania--at least in its religious history.  I accidentally came across it while driving Route 50 into Wellsburg, West Virginia.  (Yes, yes, I know, West Virginia again.  I tend to fixate on things for several months at a time.)  This congregation has been around since 1789, and their building stands less than a mile from the state line.  I gotta say, the place looks a bit ragged, with paint peeling off the window frames and wild vines growing up the sides.  The rule of thumb with Washington County churches is this: Pick the nearest body of water, which is often (but not always) named after an animal.  Pick either the word "upper" or "lower," then add your denomination and the word "church."  "Upper Buffalo Presbyterian Church, Lower Buffalo Presbyterian Church, Upper Raccoon Presbyterian Church, Lower Raccoon Presbyterian Church, Upper Ten Mile Presbyterian Church..."  You get the point.  Oh, and since I'm trying to switch my day off to Monday, I did take a long drive out to West Virginia again and got lost many times.  Find that adventure HERE.

 

Is West Virginia Truly a Southern State?

It's long been my policy on this blog only to post photos and thoughts about places in Pennsylvania.  For that reason, this is a nondescript photo of the Allegheny National Forest.  Why write about Pennsylvania?  I guess because no one else seems to be doing it.  This is a historic, beautiful, and unique place that doesn't get the attention that it deserves.  That said, it's funny how, as soon as you cross the border to the north or to the south, things get immediately MORE beautiful and unique (if not more historic).  For example, the Chautauqua Institution is just across the line in New York...and somehow it could not exist on the southern side of that line.  And Cooper's Rock is just across the Mason Dixon Line to the south, in West Virginia, and you'd be hard pressed to find such a cliff in the state to the north.  I've often said that Pennsylvania's only job is to make sure New York and West Virginia don't have to touch each other.  We've got elements of both things here: refined East Coast and wild Appalachia.  But not enough of either.  However, I've been exploring the question of whether West Virginia really is a Southern state, and I've gotten two very good days off in that place!  Click HERE and HERE.

Apparently convention states that the red areas are the South.  The pink areas are the Near South.