DAY 9 -- LEXINGTON, KY

We had so many technical difficulties getting the journal up as we went.  sometimes you could get the pix set, and they would just disappear after hours of editing ... Probably a good thing that I didn't have a hammer.

This stop was a hold up for us in the beginning.  No fault of theirs, just that sometimes it is hard to cut through the tape and find the right person.  Who knew that the right guy would be right here at home!  Fire Chaplain Tim Works is a great guy who stepped up when he heard of our lack of connection.  Turns out his brother and nephew have been, and are, Lexington Firefighters.

So when we showed up, they were ready for us.  They have a lot of guys on shift.  It's always interesting to compare and contrast the various departments.  You get an idea of their numbers from the pictures.

As with most every stop, there were Veterans on shift, so the concept of what we do (and why) is helped along by them and their own experiences in the military.  We always salute our vets!

It was a typical hot day in the south, the day we visited.  Just a touch to the humid side, but the added warmth from the firefighters was most welcomed.

I remember being happy watching them all gather in the kitchen after the banner was rolled out, as they took pens in hand and added their messages to the Troops.

They brought out shirts, signed them, and helped us load the van ... Which was already getting full.

They did a great car wash for us, so we rewarded them with Romano's Italian Sodas and goodies from our give away items provided by recruiters and businesses across the country.

When you get support from the great folks at Hertz, Starbucks, Destination Harley-Davidson, Hooter's, Scion Motors, Romano's Sodas, Military Recruiters, Defending Freedom.net, FreedomIsNotFree.com, and more, as partners in an endeavor such as we have undertaken, good things get shared with our Heroes enroute!  These are the folks that filled our give away bags.  And these are the goodies we shared at stations, such as Lexington Fire.

The guys also played with our Stunt Bear.  She found out firsthand what happens to probes ... But, I bet they don't get dried off like she did!

We had a great time in Lexington, and even flew their KU pennant on our car as we left.

Thank you all, we look forward to your participation in the shirt drive this year, and hope we meet again!

A special thanks to Tim Works ... I'll stop by and say "hi" soon!

( ;

lj

ps ... How could I forget ... We had sweet tea here!  Love that stuff!