The BackWoods Drifter

…it’s the people of Appalachia calling.

I just discovered this article and had to post about it. Friends of Coal Push New Message, Outreach.

First paragraph - Steve Walker, president of Walker Machinery, said he was preaching to the choir at the Belle headquarters Jan. 30, but drove home the message of evolving clean coal by telling his employees, “This is not your grandfather’s coal industry.”

Mr. Steve Walker - you’re right - it’s not our grandfather’s coal industry - it is our father’s, their father’s, and their father’s before them. It belongs to the people that stood in the weather for six months fighting for a fair contract from people just like you. This coal industry was built on the backs of our grandfather’s. The very people you so easily disregard. That, my friend, is about to come to an end. You might think you are fooling the people but I have a wake up call for you - I’m going to shine such a bright light on this subject your cartoon talking bug will have singed wings.

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I really don’t understand how his opinion matters - It’s Walker Machinery - A supplier of new and used heavy equipment to MTR sites all over Southern West Virginia. I mean seriously… I think it must be - that is the way for the local reporters to show support for their income stream regardless of the morality. Journalism…

adding to this post -
You’ll notice this is the only post on this entire blog you can’t comment on - that’s because I hung the phone up on Mr. Walker.

This post is in response to Walker Machinery’s cartoon talking bug commercials. Part of this post is simply an irrational response to an irrational statement. But - I just couldn’t stop myself. After this I’ll try to let it go - I promise.

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Walker Machinery has a new commercial out (or new to me) that is more ridiculous than the others. I couldn’t find the commercial on the net but I will get the dialog from the most recent commercial as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have transcribed two of their recent commercials.

Interview with Mr. and Ms. Bug. The dialog in a court room setting between a live reporter and a cartoon talking bug.

Commercial 1
Interview with Ms. Bug -

• reporter - In West Virginia, court actions have stopped surface mine permits. One argument centers around what happens to bugs when valley fills are constructed.
• reporter - Ms. Bug, is coal mining a hardship for you?
• Ms. cartoon talking bug (Strong southern accent)- Why heck no the valley fills make great homes for us bugs.
• reporter - What about streams?
• Ms. cartoon talking bug - When the rain falls the water flows just fine for my family.
• reporter (addressing the screen)- So there you have it. That’s the bugs eye view of this issue.
• Ms. cartoon talking bug - Now can we talk about car windshields?

Commercial 2
Interview with Mr. Bug -

• reporter - Coal’s opponents used the courts and bug habitats to attack West Virginia’s economy.
• reporter - So Mr. Bug, how’s the water in your woods?
• Mr. cartoon talking bug - Waters fine. My family moved on the valley fill as soon as we heard about the beautiful reclamation the coal miners built.
• reporter - But the (undecipherable) stopped coal mining because you couldn’t live there.
• Mr. cartoon talking bug - Temporary my dear, we just moved during construction.
• reporter - So your homes aren’t in danger?
• Mr. cartoon talking bug - Creepers no! And you know what - I don’t need electricity in my home… Do You??? (cartoon talking bug points at the screen)

—

Quick note before I go on. I think the word Mr. cartoon talking bug was looking for was destruction. I’m not sure the extent of a cartoon talking bugs vocabulary though.

These commercials are the definition of propaganda - no basis in truth - no facts - no logic.

Someone at Walker Machinery needs to get the book out that has the word dictionary wrote on it and maybe the word Webster’s (probably on the binding (outside edge) or front cover) - flip through there and find the definition for asinine. If you need help - get a bunch of your buddies from Massey Energy corporate office. Look in the a’s (towards the front of the book) somewhere between ar and at. If you need help further - go ask anyone on the street to assist you.

*Maybe Walker Machinery will consider doing an interview with a cartoon talking tree or a cartoon talking stream (birdbath) or a cartoon talking mountaintop. Ask them when they’re coming back. On second thought - don’t bother asking the cartoon talking tree because you already killed it or the cartoon talking mountaintop for that matter. The cartoon talking stream is probably too sick for questions right now - come back in 50 years or so. A cartoon talking bear could probably do an interview but he may not be on your side seeing as how he looks for his dinner in a dumpster. — hmmm - I concede, so maybe the cartoon talking bug is the logical choice for an interview.

Implication running rampant.

Commercials like these caused me to get involved. It’s one thing to support your arguments with fact and logic it is quite another to support your argument with a cartoon talking bug.

Walker Machinery - your audience is more intelligent than you’re giving us credit for. Treat me like a child and I’ll return the favor. Makes me think you don’t have an argument to support. Maybe if we discussed profit margins you could contribute something useful to the discussion.

Traditional Coal Mining
“This is West Virginia…”

Mountaintop Removal
“…this is West Virginia on drugs.”

 If this is a good thing -
I’d try some of whatever they’re smokin’.

—

*This entire paragraph is in response to the newest commercial. The reporter is basically asking Mr. cartoon talking bug when he can return to his new habitat.

(All of the photos displayed within the mountaintop removal posts were taken by myself.)

The new blog is up and running. I’ve got one post and the same link lists as here - Fighting For Appalachia, Blogging For Appalachia. The new blog is in it’s most infant stage but will quickly grow - seeing as how I have all kinds of time right now.

At any rate, be sure to bookmark because as I said things will definitely get interesting over there.

Come visit us at Stop MTR - Join us in ‘writing‘ a wrong.

I have added a link list to the right sidebar for bloggers blogging for Appalachia. If any bloggers would like to write a post (feelings, opinions,… etc) in support of stopping mountaintop removal - leave a comment and I will add a link to your post under Blogging For Appalachia. There are a lot of things you can do to help, this is just another one.

I’ve also added the link list - Fighting For Appalachia - these are groups dedicated to Appalachia. These websites will supply you with more info on mountaintop removal than you will ever hear otherwise. Be sure to check them out.

Adding - The Blogging for Appalachia link list will be displayed on the four blogs in my network and the website outdoorswestvirginia.com as soon as it is up and running. In other words - one post = 5 backlinks. I’d love to see this list consume my blog.

Adding - The Outdoor Bloggers Summit has declared next week “Blogging For Appalachia” week. That is just too cool. Thank you OBS!!!

Adding - I’ve created this badge just in case someone would like to use it to link to this post.

Alternately, you can take the graphic below and link it to this website.

Stop Mountaintop Removal - New Home

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This post is basically just a big FYI.

I’ve brought the West Virginia Outdoors sub title back to this blog and have purchased outdoorswestvirginia.com. The new site will be much like the old site. Basically just an ordinary website with tons of info about recreational activity in and around West Virginia. This blog will once again become an extension of the website. I haven’t started building it yet but it’s in the works.

Also in the works - a new blog dealing completely with the issue of mountaintop removal. I can see without question the topic of MTR could easily consume this blog (it is the nature of the beast - to consume). I don’t intend to totally stop posting here about MTR but I don’t want it to be the primary focus of this blog. There are so many good things about this state. Plus I’m sure this year is going to be quite the adventure.

The new blog will be 100% dedicated to education. You will not hear my opinions about *Walker Machinery on the new blog. What you will hear and see are stories and photos from people and places heavily impacted by MTR. If everything goes according to plan - you will literally hear their stories and see the devastation. The new blog will also have a link to all the separate organizations fighting to save Appalachia from all over the southeastern US. As a matter of fact, I’m going to put the same link list here. I’ll let you know the new blog address as soon as it’s up and running. Be sure to visit - it will definitely get interesting over there.

*I do have to make another post on this blog about Walker Machinery and the cartoon talking bug. I’m sorry - I just can’t help it. I kind of think it’s funny albeit just a tad bit ridiculous. I just can’t keep my mouth shut about it. It’s in draft - some of you will like it, some of you won’t. I promise, after that, I’ll let the silly commercials go and get on to more serious matters.

Adding to this post - how about I promise to try and let it go. I think honestly promising to let it go is beyond me at the moment. It’s just silly.

Also in the works - I’ve been approached to possibly be a contributing author to a book. That’s interesting. Especially since I take writing lightly. I’m more concerned with telling the story than I am in the writing of it. I had been told by friends I had a unique way of expressing my thoughts but that always went in one ear and out the other. At any rate - I’m going to stumble down this new path till I can see what I’m getting into. Who knows? Maybe I am a writer. Life’s kinda funny sometimes, interesting most of the time, and full of surprises seemingly all the time. We will see what happens.

This is the last post in a series about A Man And His Dog. Click the label to bring up all posts in this series.

For the first two years of Sam’s short life, she spent 99% of the time with me. After the house was completed I had to look for work elsewhere or Sam and I would end up back in a tent. The job I found is the one I still have. It requires a lot of traveling and long periods from home. When I first started the new job is when I came to realize all the time spent with Sam may have done her more harm than good. Sam was an extremely sensitive animal. It was easy to hurt her feelings.

Luckily when I first started the new job, I had some friends that could babysit Sam for me while I was away. I hated, even in the beginning, how Sam must feel to see me leave her for long periods. I imagined she watched for me every day. When I did come home, she got so excited I had to pet and calm her. I really thought she would have a heart attack. It was a wonderful reunion for Sam even if I was gone for a day. That’s what made me wonder what she was thinking when I was away. I felt bad for her - but I had to work.

The first couple of months went as well as can be expected although I worried about Sam every minute I was away. Sam was a reason for me to say - I do care. I cared for Sam. Any decision I made with my life, I took Sam into consideration. I know that is a lot of dedication to an animal but read the whole story. She deserved to be rewarded for standing beside me unquestioningly as I was condemned by everyone else. She was my friend.

The friends I had watching Sam had to move out of their home and couldn’t watch her anymore. I wasn’t sure what to do. I had no one else to watch her. I couldn’t leave her at home for days alone. I couldn’t take her with me. I had to make a decision during a weekend. By this time I had tossed around the idea of giving Sam to a good home. But, to be honest, I didn’t think either one of us could live without the other. I was being selfish. I wanted Sam to stay with me. I didn’t want to give her to the unknown. I owed her more than that.

It was time to go back to work. My landlady volunteered to look after Sam for the upcoming week. That would give me time to figure something out. I was ecstatic as I told Sam goodbye for the last time. I went to work and never saw her again.

When I came home and found Sam no where I immediately start looking around the neighborhood for her. I looked for two days. I was everywhere calling for her. I knew if she just heard my voice she would respond. I so wanted to hear her respond. The whole time I’m looking, I’ve got this big knot of fear building and burning my gut. She’s gone - and I knew it.

It took the landlady two days to get up the nerve to tell me what happen. Sam had gotten loose - she didn’t know how. The day after, her son found Sam in the middle of the highway, about a mile from the house. Sam was hit by a car and died on the spot.

I can’t begin to tell you how devastated I was. I cried for a week. It was my fault. I should never have left her. I should have given her to someone. At least then I would have still been able to visit her. If I had known for one second that my taking that job would have resulted in Sam’s death… she was so innocent. Sam deserved a full life. So much to yet experience. I felt so bad and still do. I can’t get past it. All her toys are still where I kept them. I don’t have the heart to throw them away. If I could make one sincere wish it would be to give that poor little dog, Sam, her life back. It breaks my heart knowing decisions I made contributed to the death of an absolutely wonderful animal. We were supposed to watch each other grow old.

—

Everybody forgive me but this post will be posted as is and unedited.

For readers that have been following my blog lately you can easily tell I’m taking a stand on the very important, very controversial issue of Mountaintop Removal. The articles I write are 70% education and 30% why can’t we stop it? I’m very open to comments from every side of the issue concerning every aspect of the issue. I’m not currently aware of every aspect but I encourage discussion from those that are. 99.9% of the time if I have something intelligent to add, I will. If not, I will let the conversation go on without me.

The other .1% is when I have to get involved to prevent comment bashing, so to speak. Comments for the sole purpose of putting someone down, revealing another commenter’s identity, or past or anything will simply not be tolerated. Those comments I will delete without hesitation. I’m sorry I have to do that because I’m all for free speech but at the same time I’m doing it because I’m all for free speech. Anybody can comment here and I don’t care who you are or what you had for supper yesterday or which side of the issue you are on. Just be grown up about it.

Anonymous posting -
I’ve talked about this in the past but for some new anonymous posters I want to clarify my position on anonymous posting.

If you have something constructive or at the very least civil to add to the conversation then I don’t care if your name is Bugs Bunny. If you post anonymously and attempt to harm a commenter verbally then I do want to know who you are. Thanks to some pretty decent blog statistic software and the internet - your not as anonymous as you think.

All that being said - I respect your right to be anonymous and don’t care if you are Bugs Bunny as long as you treat this blog and it’s visitors with a little respect.

btw - This post is to anybody considering posting anonymously concerning mountaintop removal. I don’t care if you do, just be civil about it.

—

A stray thought -
Sometimes I wonder why it is that the majority, not all, but most that do post anonymous are from the opposing opinion. That makes Mountaintop Removal, Anonymously Controversial. It’s a big issue everybody is afraid to discuss openly. Well… not everybody.

I’m going to keep the poll open for another week because the participation level didn’t reach high enough to suit me. I did have quite a few voters and for those I say thank you.

You might think - he is so worried about the numbers they must not look good for him. On the contrary, it seems that either 1) I’m preaching to the choir, 2) the opposing opinions don’t have an opinion, 3) I’ve got a whole bunch of buddies.

It was actually a near landslide.

• I’m completely against MTR. 80%
• I’m somewhere in the middle. 10%
• I’m all for MTR. 8%
• What is Mountaintop Removal? 3%
• I don’t care. 0%
• undecided 0%

The results gave me something to talk about, just a little. I’m going to leave the poll open just for the benefit of a doubt but I don’t think the minority will ever overtake the majority on this particular issue. I guess it makes a huge point that I’ve been trying to make. I just couldn’t figure out how to make it. Why is it allowed to continue? It is a simple question. Look at the results of this poll to find the answer.

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Maybe it’s because it keeps the lights on?

My answer to that - KEEP YOUR ELECTRICITY!!! Give me back my hiking trails, 4 wheeler trails, hunting areas, ginseng patches, ramp patches, oak groves, clear mountain springs and streams, fish I’m not afraid to eat, rivers I can once again swim in, … get the point? It’s not worth it to me. I’ll go buy some solar panels and be happy. For crying out loud, when are you people going to come to your senses? Not soon enough for me - or the mountains apparently.

Montani Semper Liberi - uh ok…. whatever.

—

Once again thanks to all that did vote. It should be an eye opener.

I’ve left the poll results link on the poll itself so that, for this next week, those interested can follow the results. I won’t display the number of voters because, simply put - it would never be high enough for the minority regardless of where they stand.

—

—

adding…
Just a thought - I think someone should go down below Elk Run, catch a big mess of catfish out of Big Coal River, cook it up real nice and then invite the powers that be from Massey and the state to dinner. I wonder how many would show up for that little Coal River feast?

FYI - Coal Company Hit With E.P.A.’s Largest Civil Penalty

Excerpt from above article - “The fine was part of a $30 million settlement with the government over allegations that the company violated water pollution permit limits at its mines and plants more than 4,500 times between January 2000 and December 2006. The government said Massey polluted and clogged hundreds of streams and rivers in Kentucky and West Virginia by releasing millions of pounds of metals, sediments and acid mine drainage into their waterways.”

And yet it goes on…

—

It’s time to talk a little LOUDER!!

From comments with permission-

BlueMountainMama said - “…call your representative and tell him/her you want them to support The Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 2169 . It only takes 5 minutes to call. here’s a link that has who is sponsoring it, and you can send a letter through the link, also:

Call or Write Your Representative

we need this act to pass, to keep our waters clean and non-toxic! everyone’s downstream….“

This post is just to remind readers about the poll and to say that there is just about 24 hours left before I reveal the results. If you haven’t voted I implore you to do so. If you don’t know what Mountaintop Removal is about, don’t be afraid to say so. The poll is anonymous after all. There has been fairly good participation so far but not quite the numbers I would like to see. I’ll reveal the seven day percentages but may keep the poll open for another week. We will see how it goes.

In the meantime - Please Vote!!! 2 clicks and your done!—–>

This is the continuation of a story about A Man And His Dog.
Click here to go to the beginning. Or click the label to bring up all posts related to this story.

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The cool thing about Sam was that she adapted. We moved into a house and Sam, never having lived in one, seemed to be house trained from birth. Apparently she just knew it wasn’t a cool thing.

Anyway, moving on - about the next 9 to 10 months as I was helping with the house. Sam was the job mascot. If we weren’t on the job we were off to the mountains. I had put the website WVOutdoors online and it seemed to be very hungry for photos. I didn’t mind though because having a home caused our trips to the mountains to be a more enjoyable experience. If it started to rain, we could go home. Things as simple as that.

I had borrowed a four wheeler from a friend and Sam took to that like a fish to water. She got up in front of me the very first time with her paws on the gas tank and that is where she rode from then on. I’d open the front door, tell her let’s go, and she would be headed for the four wheeler at a dead run. When we went to the gas station I could tell Sam to stay and she would sit right there on the four wheeler no matter who came up to her until I got back. Sam was the kind of good natured animal that just naturally made friends. People just fell in love with her. There were often people petting her when I came back out from inside the store.

Sometimes if I got the four wheeler in a precarious situation I’d have to make Sam get off. She would bark at me until I let her back on the four wheeler. Sometimes I pretended like I was going to take off, but there was no leaving Sam. That may sound cruel but if she could, she probably would have laughed. She probably would have called me a jerk as well, had she been able.

I mentioned earlier how Sam was afraid of everything that moved, except people. Well she was also afraid of some things that didn’t move. When we moved here, there was a ceramic chipmunk about 8 inches tall someone had put under the pine tree out front for a lawn decoration. Sam was absolutely scared to death of it. She wouldn’t go near it. The first time she started barking at it I looked at her and said you got to be kidding me. She wasn’t joking - it was big, ugly, and looking at her and she didn’t like it. Maybe if it had made some response to her barking. I think that it was bothered her, it wasn’t moving and probably it smelled funny.

It took about a month for me to get her to approach it close enough for her to see it was harmless. That was a funny experience to. I was kneeling beside the chipmunk and coaxing Sam to me. I wanted her to smell it directly. Oh how she didn’t want to. She wanted to come to me but not near the chipmunk. I could tell the split feelings was killing her. I didn’t force her and it actually took about four of those sessions before she finally approached me nearly on her belly. You know how dogs do. She was approaching from the side that put me between her and the chipmunk. I think not being able to see it helped her. Once she made the crawl to me I pet her and calmed her. When she did finally approach it I don’t think I have ever seen a dog extend its neck that far. If it was going to get her, it was just going to get her nose. She made sure of that.

In two years I had grown very attached to Sam. The experiences we had gone through. I just seem to be able to relate to Sam better than I did to most people at the time. Except for very rare occasions, Sam went where I went. That was a mistake that was a contributing factor in Sam’s passing.

As you can probably guess. I’m nearing the end of my story. I hope that when people read this you can understand how a person gets attached to an animal. I thought me and that little dog was going to grow old roaming the mountains together. That was my plan anyway. I used to tell my friends that either Sam or myself was going to have to watch the other die. I would have never parted company with Sam.

And that brings us to the ending…
Next post in this series -
A Man And His Dog, Friends To The End

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I’m adding a photo here that would have been more suited for the last post in this series but I just found it. As much as I hate to admit, Sam and I called this home for a little while. I had a better tent or at least better looking tent but you can see the remains of it behind this one. I had just got this old canvas tent set up before taking the photo. The cabin tent was just a little further up the hollow, fifty yards or so. It was demolished by a severe thunderstorm the night before. Piece of advice - DO NOT trust a cabin tent in a thunderstorm. The old canvas tent survived a more severe storm just a few nights after this. It may not be pretty but it would stand up to a near hurricane or so it seemed. The tarp over the top was just added insurance. After the previous night, I was taking no chances. It was a rough night to say the least.

I didn’t think I had a picture of the cabin tent but surprise. If you are into serious camping, this tent is NOT the one to have. The problem I found with it also is that it had such a large footprint it basically had to be set up in a pretty open area. Might as well had painted a bullseye on it for the winds.

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I’m not sure exactly when I will finish this story. It may be tomorrow but at least in the next couple of days. The last part is going to be the hardest part and I have to be in a very good mood to tell it. You will understand why when you read it so be prepared.

You might ask yourself why I’m subjecting myself to this. This blog is my diary… kind of. It chronicles a big part of my life in which Sam was a big part. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be blogging today had it not been for Sam and our adventures. That was the basis for my original blog. A man and his dog in the West Virginia outdoors. Hence, wvoutdoors.org which no longer exists. All of the photos I am displaying with these posts were used on the old site. It was a painful memory and with Sam gone I just didn’t have the heart to do it anymore. The website died with Sam. I’m hoping telling this story will get me past it and I can write with the same heart as before. Like I said - you will understand.

—

I’m adding this video because it just fits perfectly with the situation Sam and I were in for a while.

Rodney Adkins - If You’re Going Through Hell
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3YBUXXY460&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1]