Flat Richard at the Relay For Life of Tacoma

This weekend my wife is at the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Relay For Life held in Tacoma, Washington - The birthplace of Relay For Life.   She is a member of Team Relay Nation, which is made up of Heroes of Hope from across the United States and the world.  As a Hero of Hope she has spoken all across the state of Arkansas including the steps of the Capitol in Little Rock.  (You can hear her speech at the Capitol here.)

Although I really wanted to be able to experience the Relay Celebration in Tacoma our finances made it impossible.  I was feeling sorry for myself, but was cheered up when my wife took me to the Relay in 2D form.

Apparently Flat Richard made lots of friends at Relay.  He had his picture taken with Shannon. She lost her battle with cancer on Memorial Day 2014. She had already signed up for the last lap. She made that lap with the help of her friends.  These guys walked 14 miles from the coast carrying her to Relay.  Now that's the Relay spirit!

Flat Richard also made friends with a dance team of little girls from the Samoa Team who danced at Relay For Life.

He enjoyed getting to spend time with family.

It was awesome to get to experience one of the largest Relays ever at the birthplace of Relay.

I was able to actually experience some of the Relay because they had a live internet feed.  I was able to see Flat Richard circle the track, and see him with Team Relay Nation.

Flat Richard experienced this 24 hour Relay and was on the track for the final lap.

Flat Richard was at Relay the whole time. Always wanting to be helpful, he even helped get the last wagon load of stuff to the car.

The Relay For Life of Tacoma was very successful, raising over 530,000 dollars.  If you aren't involved in Relay For Life, find a Relay near you and get involved.  There are over 5,200 Relays in the U.S and over 600 Relay For Life events to support cancer organizations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.  To find a Relay For Life event near you click here.

Coast

C is for coast.  Last week my wife and I were able to spend a few days on the Oregon Coast.  My wife's siblings all met for a reunion.  We had a great time and the weather was beautiful for January.  Family from Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arkansas came to the coast and we had a great time together.

While we were there we visited places along the coast from Tillamook to Newport.  There is beautiful scenery all along the coast.

Some of my favorite memories of our time on the coast are of the sunsets.  We had beautiful sunny days, and incredible sunsets every evening.

On of our favorite stops was at the Sea Lion Caves.  This is a natural sea cave that is the home to many Stellar Sea Lions.  The attraction has been open to the public since 1932.

Later, while we were in Newport, we saw a couple of sea lions right beside the pier.

There are so many beautiful sights along the Oregon Coast.  If you ever get a chance to visit I highly recommend it.

Of all the fun and interesting things that we did, my favorite thing was walking on the beach with my best girl.

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Old Washington

Washington, Arkansas is a peaceful tree-shaded town and one of the most amazing historic places in Arkansas. The old town still looks like the 19th century with plank board sidewalks and streets that have never been paved.   Most of the town is now a part of Historic Washington State Park.  It is commonly referred to as Old Washington.

In the State Park there are over thirty restored historic structures including classic examples of Southern Greek Revival and Federal architecture, Gothic Revival, Italianate, and the oldest building built of hand-hewn timber.

From its establishment in 1826, Washington was an important stop on the rugged Southwest Trail for pioneers traveling to Texas. Frontiersmen James Bowie, Sam Houston and Davy Crockett all traveled through Washington on their way to the Alamo. Houston planned parts of the revolt strategy in a tavern in Washington during 1834.  James Black, a local blacksmith, is credited with creating the legendary Bowie knife carried by Jim Bowie at his blacksmith shop in Washington.

At the State Park they often have blacksmith demonstrations.  My wife enjoys watching blacksmiths at work. Her Grandpa was born in 1855 and was a blacksmith by trade in Stratton, Colorado. Her Dad said that when he was a boy, you could hear his anvil ringing all over town. When it quit ringing you better get home. It was time for supper.

Washington's history during the Civil War is fascinating.   Following the capture of Little Rock by the Union Army in 1863, the Confederate government moved the state government offices to Hot Springs for short time, then moved the state government to Washington, making it the Capital of Confederate Arkansas from 1863-1865. 

When the railroad was built that connected much of the state with Little Rock, it was eight miles from Washington.  Because it was no longer on the main travel route, Washington began a slow decline. The decline caused by most of the business moving to Hope, Arkansas, which was on the railroad, was the reason that Washington seems to stand still and lets modern visitors go back in time.

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