18 August 2007 -- Garibaldi was true to their promise, and we had a fantastic ride on their 45 foot MLB, self righting boat. Yes, self righting ... this thing can flip right over!!! And you might think you're tied on when it happens, but nope. You just hold on for dear life for the longest 8 - 10 seconds of your life. So they tell us. And they're just handholds, no seriously, look at the picture and you can see them.
Jonathan wanted to assure Leta that she was gonna be okay ... on this, her first time on a boat ... so he tied her to the rail. The Coast Guard was not with him on that idea, and she had to hang on just like the rest of this. No rope advantage there! lol
It was also cool seeing the military members of varying services play together. Larry is Army, Jonathan & Krystal are both Marines.
We had a great time with the crew, they explained everything we were experiencing, and graciously answered every question. They even let us all take a turn at the helm.
Pelicans flew along side us in formation, and the rain clouds held their own, leaving us with a perfect ride. No... we did not flip over. And yes, we are good with that. ( ;
Next up, Pat & Mark took us down to the station and continued the fun. We got to ride in their antique fire rig through town. I sat in the front next to Pat, looking back at the crew with great big smiles on their faces. You ever see cute little cocker spaniels, happy to ride in the backseat of the car with their heads out the window, the wind blowing their ears back? You get the idea.
From the Tillamook firehouse, we headed over to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a tour (Tip: They don't do tours on the weekend) and some samples, and gift shopping. And yes, some great ice cream.
Then it was southbound. The team had not been to the Oregon Coast and having been here numerous times, it seemed a crime not to share it with them.
So we headed to Lincoln City, famous for launching beautiful glass floats out into the Pacific Ocean. The floats (handblown glass balls) then float back to shore and tourists find these cool pieces of art in the sand. I actually found one of the Millennium balls during a visit in 2000.
This was where the special glass float we presented to our FDNY pirates last year, was made. So we got to say hi to the artisan, Kelly.
With that it was off to Depoe Bay. This is such a gorgeous part of the coast, if you ever have the chance, take time to make it to Oregon for a vacation ... you won't forget it! And they have a special program, knowing that their state is so scenic and everyone wants to take their picture, they have arranged for a 55 mph speed limit, just to accommodate that! (Okay, I made that up. But not the 55 mph part, that's real.)
Depoe Bay was just as I hoped it would be that day, whales played in the waters, close enough to see them rise, and watch their blow holes spout. Seals clamored for scraps under the fish cleaning tables as fishing boat passengers waited for their fish to be filleted.
A pirate strolled the sidewalk in full regalia, explaining the pieces of eight that he gave to all who stood and listened to his tales.
Before we left, a stop at Gracie's was perfect for their great big steaming bowl's of clam chowder.
Pelicans, seagulls, terns, and more, dotted the sky and nested in the rocks below, with chipmunks and other scurrying critters.
This was a perfect trip! And watching the team experience it all, was like being their for the first time again.
Our team is the magic that makes this happen. And as the effort goes on and on, more is asked of them. None of them have ever been able to go on a national tour. They are often in the background through interviews, but they rarely get the spotlight they deserve, and would never request for themselves. They give so much of their time. It was good to be able to give them something back, and it helped build back back some of the enthusiasm for the coming year's effort.
Garibaldi, Tillamook, US Coast Guard, Pat & Mark ... Thank you! You are more special than you know. And you helped tighten our team even more!
The last part of this trip found us doing a "no-notice" visit to the Dundee Fire/Rescue, in Oregon. If we're going to be honest, we were looking for a place to pull off the road when we saw their station, and there were obviously people onsite.
But it turned out that there were a lot of folks there. Families gathering for good food and company, all at this volunteer station. They were caught off-guard (hey, we told you it was a no-notice!), but they welcomed us in, and let us do a real quick explanation of the program.
The kids came out and met Chief, and before we left, they had even invited us to stay for a burger with them. Sadly we had to break Rule #1, and turn down the invite, as we had been gone from home, the weather was turning, and we wanted to get home.
We want to thank these heroes for their welcome. And hope they take us up on the invitation to the PackOut, on March 8th.
By the way, it is amazing what a quick stop like this can do. We were so impressed with the volunteers we met here, that as we drove away we were on our cell phones discussinghow much of a boost we got doing the Stomps we used to do. A Stomp is a mini version of the national tours. We go out and visit local departments with team members and military members in tow.
It's a great way to let departments know who we are, what we do, and why. We do photo ops and get to meet some awesome heroes!
The Stomps are also motivational for our teams. As the war goes on, and public support waxes and wanes, we have to keep ourselves motivated as well.
For this reason, we have decided we will do at least one Stomp this fall!!! We are calling it the "No-Notice Stomp". We are going to get a van or two, and head out for a weekend, around the 3rd weekend in October. We have no specific direction in mind, and the goal will be to avoid the major highways. We will stop at every department/station we come across.
Everyone will have a task, and the visit can not take more than 30 minutes ... unless we are having a meal at the house.
If you are interested in being a Stomp visit, drop us an email. Otherwise, we are going to use dice for directions.
Dundee, thanks for the inspiration!!! Hope to see you soon.
Love you guys!
lj & the Core Team road crew ... Larry, Leta, Jonathan & Krystal
... Chani was missing from the trip only because of her integrity, She could have called in sick to work, but she knew that would put her co-workers in a bad situation. So as much as it broke her heart, she missed the trip. That's what makes her a Core Team member! Missed ya, kid!
More pix will post later this week. lj
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