By Stephen Smoot
Few age groups of people express joy without restraint as much as seniors and children.
The latter have not yet learned to restrain their feelings and expressions of happiness when driven to. The former no longer care to hide the thrill and fun felt from a new and different experience, knowing better than most that remaining “young at heart” leads to longer health and happiness.
Mountain Cajun Getaway is operated by Chris and Melissa Grimes in the uplands of the upper North Fork River Valley in Circleville. They operate a farm that produces maple syrup and related culinary products. Proceeds from this, plus grant funding, support the core of the mission. That lies in providing a laid back and customized resort experience for service men and women coming back from deployment who need to reconnect with their spouse and/or children.
Mission creep in a very positive way has settled in. For the last few years, Melissa Grimes has welcomed fourth grade students from their next door neighbor, North Fork Elementary School in the spring. She and her husband teach how to produce and even market syrup from the maple trees that dominate the mountain ridges here. Their business has also served as a core for burgeoning maple-based agritourism growth in Pendleton County.
Last week, they enjoyed what the late painting legend Bob Ross used to call “happy accidents,” when things happen or converge in unexpected, but wonderful ways. Ross’s message always lay in keeping one’s eye out for such happy accidents, not only in art, but in life as well.
“The Good Lord has blessed us,” said Chris Grimes, sharing that “we had 10 taps in 2022. Now, I think we have a little less than 700.” Along with other Pendleton County based producers who act more in cooperation than competition, maple syrup growth “is definitely an economic development boost for the community. We want to put Pendleton County on the map of agritourism.”
On one special day, 31 seniors came from the Hardy County Committee on Aging’s Moorefield Center at about the same time as Rebecca Heavner’s fourth grade class from North Fork Elementary School, almost next door to the Grimes’ operation.
“It turned out really good,” said Chris Grimes.
The Grimes work with Mrs. Heavner’s fourth grade classes every spring to give them a taste of the sweet life producing maple syrup. Students get hands-on experience helping to produce maple, even designing logos for their own bottles of syrup. New this year was the blending of youth and age in a wonderful recipe of fun and engagement.
Chris Grimes shared a touching story of one of the youngsters who understood the big reasons for the operation. He shared that the young man said to a veteran “let me thank you for your service,” then told the Grimes couple that “I want to be a maple farmer!”
“That’s why we do what we do,” shared Chris Grimes.
They described how the group gathered together. Seniors came first and gathered round as the family and some friends worked on preparations for the second round of Maple Days on Saturday the 21st. “Mel’s Dad played the accordion,” as the group sat as seniors do, cracking jokes, sharing stories, and making the most of the fellowship while waiting for the kids to get there.
“Chris and Mel at Mountain Cajun Getaway were awesome!”, shared Mike Crites, executive director of the Hardy County Committee on Aging. He explained that “they offered a wonderful experience for the seniors. In addition to learning about the maple syrup making process, the seniors were able to taste test many of the flavors of maple syrup produced by Chris and Mel.”
Crites stated “I think the taste testing of the different flavors of syrup was the seniors’ favorite thing.”
It all came together from “networking to get the information out.” Crites had been making calls, he explained. Calls went to Carla Kaposy from Grant County and Annie Humes with the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau to put the event together.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Melissa Grimes. Mountain Cajun Getaway regularly hosts receptions for events such as Maple Days and also has hosted the Pendleton County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.
Community, however, came together. As Melissa Grimes explained, the Circleville Presbyterian Church offered use of their facilities to handle the numbers as they ate food prepared by the Grimes family. As Crites related “the seniors were treated to a homemade lunch of chicken and sausage gumbo, potato salad with apples in it, and bread pudding with a pecan and maple syrup glaze. It was absolutely delicious.”
The Grimes family shared that in the infectious joy, eagerness, and appreciation for the day, the seniors and the children brought the same energy. They also shared that the success of the event has inspired them to do more for seniors. Melissa Grimes laughed and said about the seniors “when they want something, they go get it!” One lady smiled at her at one point and said “that’s okay Sweetie, we are just having a good time!”
Melissa Grimes said “it was the start of a nice relationship. We want to get the word out to other senior groups in the area.” That could include those as close as Franklin and nearby counties or as far away as Charleston, Martinsburg, the rest of the Mountain State, or even Northern Virginia.
Senior centers or other senior groups with interest can contact Mountain Cajun Getaway or Humes at the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau for an unforgettable excursion into the same valley that features Seneca Rocks is bounded to the west by Spruce Knob.
Men and women in military service facing challenges when their loved one comes off of deployment can also reach out to the Grimes family for reconnection services.
Events in either case could include a number of the other activities possible on their farm and resort, such as classes in using herbs.
And that all falls in line with the mission of the Grimes in Circleville that assists veterans and their families while promoting agritourism and also the continual building of community.