More Than a Name on a Wall

This past Memorial Day weekend, we visited Virginia. One of the side trips was an afternoon spent in Washington DC. We went to Arlington Cemetery and journeyed across the Potomac to see the White House and the eastern third of the Mall.

Washington DC is a history buffs dream come true. It contains in one setting probably the largest collections of tributes and memorials to our country's heritage and history.

From the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, from the Jefferson to the White House to Capital Hill, it's all there and more.

One of the more touching places on the mall is the Vietnam Memorial. The memorial is essentially a wall containing the names of United States men and women who gave their lives during the time the United States was engaged in Vietnam. The wall contains the names of 58,261 men and women.

The US engagement in Vietnam became at the time one of the more divisive events in our history and certainly in my lifetime. When the Memorial was first proposed and building began, there was a lot of chin music as to why it was necessary, cost and such.

Since it's completion, the memorial has been one of the healing places where people come to remember or for closure.

Bake Sales

It was 16 years ago today that probably the world's largest bake sale took place. Possibly 50 or more thousand people descended to Fort Collins,
Colorado for Dan's Bake sale to see Rush Limbaugh and help Dan get enough money to buy a subscription to Rush's Limbaugh letter.

I wonder if listeners would respond to Rush's call in the same numbers today?

And what ever happened to Dan Kay of Dan's Bake Sale Fame?

Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope Can Now be Viewed Here

Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope. Check it out.

Dave Ramsey - Town Hall for Hope 2009 from Central FPU on Vimeo.

Old Man's Cave Winter

Just below this article, I wrote about a recent trip to Old Man's Cave in the Hocking Hills. I commented on the beauty that we experienced and the enjoyment of the trip.

A year ago last winter (January to be specific), we took a similar trip right after a spell of very cold temperatures.

The area was again beautiful, but just in a different way. It's too bad I couldn't replicate the exact places the pictures were taken to allow for comparison.

Anyhow, enjoy the views.

Old Man's Cave

Sunday, Diana and I took some time and went to the Hocking Hills. For those who have never heard of the area, it is one of the prettiest areas in Ohio for natural wonders.

Although often overlooked as a destination place for scenic areas, Ohio has many areas of great beauty. Sure, in general we don't compete with the Grand Canyon area, the canyons of Utah, the mountains of New England or the coastal cliffs along the Pacific shoreline, but we do have some areas that are still breathtaking.

We've been to old mans cave a number of times, yet we both agreeded we've never found it to be so peaceful and beautiful as we did this trip.

The rest of this post is a collection of snap shots that show portions of our tour from the upper to the lower falls. I only wish I could capture in the camera what I actually see in person. If you only get a fraction of the beauty and peace we enjoyed this past Sunday, you'll understand how we felt standing in the valley of the canyon. Enjoy.

My Weekend--Flint Ridge and Black Hand Gorge

Here it is, a new weekend already and I've not chronicled my last weekend.

Late Saturday I ventured over to Flint Ridge and Black Hand Gorge.

What you're seeing is an outcropping of flint. The flint that was used by native Indians to make weapons, arrowheads and strikers. In later years, the flint was quarried at this site, although now it is a state park.

As you can see by the path, the flint is everywhere here. Look closely at the path between the two outcroppings. As I said all over the place.

A bit further up the road is Black Hand Gorge. Nestled along the north branch of the Licking River, this wall is supposed to have a black hand like appearance. As I do with fine art, I simply don't see it. Maybe you do.

I did find the trail cut through the rock to be pretty and interesting. It appears there must have been a railroad that once went through this area and they carved a path through the rock.