Harper's Ferry West Virginia

U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee smashing the armoury door at Harpers Ferry, Va., behind which John Brown and his men were trapped on Oct. 18, 1859; hand-coloured engraving. 
 (Photo: The Granger Collection, New York)

For a time I lived minutes away from lower town Harper's Ferry.  There were all kinds of little shops, places to eat and even a wax museum.  I love wax museums and couldn't resist, John Brown wax museum.  Nice little museum.  I also hiked a bit on the Appalacian Trail and actually the house I lived in was sitting next to part of the trail.  I visited Jefferson Rock and John Browns Fort, all worthwhile historic locations to check out.  I didn't get to see any enactments or tours that they do from time to time.  I also missed the ghost tours, but I heard they are pretty cool. Whitewater rafting tours are available, but alas, I never made the time for them.  I pretty much checked out the entire town, I wish I had taken photos then, it's hard to remember too much since I lived there over twelve years ago.

The reason I even lived in West Virginia, is because of my employer.  I had moved to Ocean City, MD in 1999 with an old flame.  Originally I worked for Down to Earthwear, a small head shop, I made hemp bracelets, did Henna tattoos and did hair wraps.  Near the end of the summer, I quit that job because the guy was an a**hole and found another job with the Wax Hand Man.  I really liked the guy, he was married with a few kids.  At one point, he proposed my flame and I accompany his family to their home in West Virginia.  There we would get ready to do carnivals during the beach off-season.  We put together games and hung out on our off hours.  He owned quite a few amusements, the rope ladder, fishbowl ping pong ball toss, gone fishing, monster paintball and of course wax hands being the big seller.  I was his go-to girl for wax hands, being artsy and all.  Anyway, there were other peeps that worked for him at the beach that tagged along with us.  The carnival days are stories for another day.

My boss lived in a beautiful A frame house overlooking the Potomac river with land stretching right to the waters edge.  Many a night we enjoyed bonfires, hammocks and good times.  Right across the river was Maryland, a friend used to tell us stories of the Blair witch woods and haunted places on occasion.  It was nice to laze away in our chairs watching the tubers float down the river or the kayakers paddle around.  On our days off we ventured around hiking the railways and through the woods.  We were also warned not to drive down any unmarked gravel or dirt roads we weren't familiar with already.  Apparently you start to hear banjos if you head down the wrong road.....lol.  

My bosses wife's family owned an Old Tyme Photos business and she also had a photography business called The Portrait Ladies.  For a short period of time I traveled with her to Huntington, WV and stayed with her and her family, helping out with her business.  However, it was very short lived because she confided in me she was cheating on her husband!  MY BOSS!  MY FRIEND!!!  So needless to say, I told him.  But don't think I am a snitch or anything, because she USED me.  Made me watch her kids so she could go on dates and told me to lie to her husband.  I just couldn't do it.  Anyways, after that she was pretty mad and obviously they had things they needed to work out, so I moved back to Pennsylvania.  Hence the end of my West Virginia tour.  I spent two fall seasons, one winter and a partial second winter in the state of West Virginia.