15 years experience in secondary education. Master's degree in Creative Writing. Published in various publications and multiple genres. Interested in animals, writing, wellness, and relationships.
Down and Dirty, for a Cause
Dahlgren Lions Club Mud Run fundraiser is a family affair
by Amanda S. Creasey, Outdoors Writer
Saturday mornings are made for sleeping in, slow wakeups and relaxing, unless it’s Dirty Lion Mud Run Saturday and you’re either a Dahlgren Lions Club Lion or a runner.
Then, Saturday morning is made for rising with the sun, traipsing through the woods and splashing through the mud. This year, race day fell on June 25, the perfect kind of sunny, blue sky morning made for outdoor fun.
For Race Commi...
Of Wildlife And Local Legend: Visiting the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Visiting the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
JULY 2022
by Amanda S. Creasey, Outdoors Writer
As soon as we cross the bridge from the mainland, I sense a change. The land seems flatter, the trees shorter, the sky broader. I have never been to this part of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and my friends Ashley, Stephanie, Sarah and I have been looking forward to this trip with an anticipation akin to a child’s at Christmas.
After a quick lunch at our lodgings in Church Creek, my three friends, my ...
Appalachia’s Greatest Conservation Story: A bus ride up a mountain to see elk at Breaks Interstate Park
A bus ride up a mountain to see elk at Breaks Interstate Park
by Amanda Creasey, Outdoors Writer
At 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, I climb aboard a large, white bus idling in a parking lot on the Virginia side of Breaks Interstate Park. For a trip that begins at 5 p.m., I’m a little on the late side, and most of the seats are already taken, so I find myself a spot in the front, directly behind our driver. He introduces himself as Avery and speaks in a vernacular I’ve heard only in...
The Longest Yards: Virginia Adventures' Freight Train Ultramarathon test endurance runners
Dec. 11, 2021, is an unseasonably warm Saturday in Farmville, Va. Gusts of wind rattle the bare branches of the small trees in the town square behindWalker’s Diner, tousling the holiday lights draped around the robust Christmas tree keeping vigil over what would normally be a sleepy Saturday morning.
But there is no sleeping in on this day. A group of trail-runn...
Enjoy an 'Ugly' Day on Tangier Island: Outsize charm on a shrinking outpost
The day is already hot when my parents, my friend, her son, my dogs and I board the Chesapeake Breeze in Reedville, Va., on a late August morning. The air is still and warm, the sun is strong despite the early hour and my skin is already sticky with perspiration. We settle on the second level, near the front of the vessel, and with a startling blast of the horn, it begins to lumber away from the dock.
After about an hour and a half, we dock at Tangier Island. A stark, white cross standing in ...
Pandemic Picture Day
Colonial Heights High School
Colonial Heights, Virginia
Amanda S. Creasey, Teacher
I stand in the sunshine in the middle of School Avenue on a crisp Wednesday morning in October. The sweet scent of fall–leaves, campfire–slips its invisible fingers between my skin and my mask, and lets itself inside. I inhale deeply. Six feet ahead of me, one of my students shivers, arms wrapped tightly around herself, shoulders tense, trying to ward off the morning chill. Six feet in front of her, another of ...
Blue Ridge Tunnel Vision: History and mystery in reopened tunnel
History and mystery in reopened tunnel
For almost a century, trains rumbled through the Blue Ridge Tunnel, which opened in 1858 and closed in 1944 upon completion of a new tunnel capable of accommodating larger trains.
Today, the tunnel is once again open to traffic, but the only wheels that roll through its cool, damp corridor belong to bikes and strollers.
On a sunny day in June, my party is in Afton, Va., at the mouth of the tunnel’s eastern entrance. I exchange my sunglasses for a headlam...
Where to 'Park' It: Post-pandemic, Virginia state parks offer glorious getaway opportunity
With the dedication of Clinch River State Park in June, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation added its 41st park to its system. While all of the parks offer a variety of activities, we’ve highlighted some specific attributes of these spectacular parks. By no means are the opportunities limited to what is listed here; it’s just a representative sampling of attractions and adventures. In other words, Cooperative Living readers shouldn’t take our word for it; get out there and ...
SUP with your Pup: What to know and where to go for stand-up paddleboarding
This piece explains how to prepare for and enjoy stand-up paddleboarding with dogs. It also details five good places to SUP with dogs in Virginia.
Warblers, Waterfowl and a Weekend Retreat: Paddling the Pocomoke on Maryland's Eastern Shore
Describes a birdwatching canoe adventure
What I Learned From a Walk in the Woods: After an endurance race is canceled, finding other ways to endure
A narrative piece about life lessons learned when plans go awry.
Cowboy Church
A local pastor and his two canine companions pray daily in the town gazebo.
Dale graduate goes from pro hoops player to life coach and author
A local high school graduate goes on to play professional basketball overseas, returning to the States to teach high school, coach basketball, and ultimately start his own business as a motivational speaker.
Back to busy at the B: Local salon reopens under Phase 1 guidelines
Local hair salon reopens under Phase I guidelines
Studio B first opened its doors on April 18, 2017. Not quite three years later, salon owner and master stylist Bethany Yurachek found herself closing them, under orders by Gov. Northam in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. “I was totally shocked in the beginning,” Yurachek said. “I did not realize the magnitude of the virus, but quickly realized that the safety of our clients and staff was first and foremost.”
The temporary...
Local restaurant, catering business opens outdoor site to serve community
When R.M. “Dickie” King, Jr. opened King’s Korner Catering and Restaurant in 1982, at the corner of Matoaca and Hickory roads in southern Chesterfield County, he had no idea of the challenge his business would face 38 years later.
The restaurant, which normally operates out of the Chesterfield Airport, employs six full-time staff members with a combined 125 years’ experience and, according to King, “on any given day, 25 additional part-time staff to accommodate corporate events, government ev...