about town ...

  So in 2016, there was a flood that nearly destroyed White Sulphur Springs.   This picture of The Greenbrier golf course shows the flooding (top) and what it looked like before the flood (bottom) to give you an idea of just how severe the flooding was.  

  I thought about sharing a photo of the burning house that floated down Main Street, or the dog guarding the empty foundation of a house that was washed away.  There were 23 people, including a 4-year old boy, that died in the floods.  But that isn't what this post is about, and I don't want to be disrespectful to those that were lost or their family and friends. 

  This is a post about rebuilding, restoring, and recovering.  Appropriately enough, 2016 was also a year of heart-breaking loss for me.  My soul-dog Trooper died.  We moved to Ashland, Wisconsin which marked the beginning of the end of my marriage [which was not nearly as much of a heart-break for me as losing Trooper was ... I really wanted to die when T died.  I couldn't imagine life without him.]

  It also feels appropriate that this is where I came to rebuild my own life, restore my self and soul, and recover from a decade of psychological and emotional abuse I could never even have imagined would be worse than what a decade with my previous abuser had been.

   Main Street was devastated by the floods.  Businesses were lost, and I've been told that for a long time it was like a ghost town.  But thanks to investors and others, they have been revitalizing and restoring [Click there > Main Street WSS.

  Two businesses are currently being built and reimagined.  [Click there for Facebook page > Big Draft Brewing is one that is currently under construction.   A combination beer brewery and restaurant.  Half a block away will be the [Click there for Facebook page > The Schoolhouse Hotel which is giving new life to an old schoolhouse by turning it into a boutique hotel, restaurant, roof-top bar, and event center.

  Fancy a coffee and cupcake?  Stop into [Click there for Facebook page > Tootsie's Place.   I haven't tried a cupcake yet (waiting for my birthday in May) but the coffee is GOOD!  

  Two doors away are Charlie's new BFF's place.  [Click there for Facebook page > Paws Spa Boutique where he got a much-needed haircut today.  He is so handsome when he gets a haircut (and exhausted for the rest of the day!).  He hasn't had a professional cut since before we left Wisconsin last November.  I don't count my attempts to trim him as being even an amateur cut.  More like a three-year-old me cutting my bangs.

  Speaking of May ... One place that I will be making an appointment at in my month-long celebration will be [Click there > The Salt Cave and Spa.  I'm especially interested in experiencing a Salt/Halotherapy session.

  If you are a fan of the DIY Network on TV, you may have seen [Click there > Barnwood Builders.  Their hometown is in WSS, and they have a shop [Click there > Barnwood Living that I can't wait to shop at.

  There is also The Greenbrier, which I have shared in a [Click there > previous post last year.

  Next week I will share spots of interest for the outdoor adventurest, including all places suitable for Charlie and I to explore when the weather warms.