Blackmans on the Web (log)

“If, when we were young, we tramped through forests of Nebraska cottonwoods, or raised pigeons on a rooftop in Queens, or fished for Ozark bluegills, or felt the swell of a wave that traveled a thousand miles before lifting our boat, then we were bound to the natural world and remain so today. Nature still informs our years – lifts us, carries us.” Richard Louv http://richardlouv.com/ begins his book “Last Child in the Woods” with that beautiful statement. He is right. For me, the outdoors has always been an integral part of what makes me who I am. Whether it was my Mom yelling at all of us, “Go outside and run around!” or finding a solitary moment to lay in the field behind the house to watch the clouds, outside is a place I have enjoyed and have found I truly need. I believe everyone is enriched by the opportunity to spend time in nature.

Why am I passionate about Camp Grady Spruce and why am I asking you to care? Because I know from personal experience that when a camping program is not just located in the outdoors but is focused on outdoor programming, it has the power to reinforce love and respect of nature as well as getting along with others and learning to be creative and improvise. Making sure children – and the outdoors – are cherished and protected pretty much gets to the essence of what Camp Grady Spruce is here for.

Scholarship requests are poring in to Camp Grady Spruce at record-breaking rates. As a board member, in addition to making a donation, I am involved in reading over scholarship requests and am, quite frankly, horrified by the prospect of how many more well-deserving children there are than funds available. Everyone has their own preferred charities. I respectfully ask that you help Scott and I support this worthy effort in any way – big or small – that you can. CLICK HERE

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Ann, Sam and I took a long weekend a couple weeks ago and visited Alex at Tarleton (conveniently it was parents weekend) and then on to Lubbock to visit Texas Tech.

It was the first chance we’d gotten to visit Alex at the ranch since he took up residence part time (soon to be full time) in one of the trailers that Kobie Wood has on his property. It was nice to finally have a picture in our head as to where he was living. We had a nice weekend in Stephenville and Lingleville (where the ranch is located) and even went to Cowboy Church with him on Sunday in Dublin, TX.  

Sunday we drove to Lubbock for a Monday visit to Tech. LONG way out there to be sure. We’d heard about all the wind turbines that are out in that part of the state, but had never seen them. Once you get to Sweetwater, TX there were wind turbines for as far as you can see and they seem to go on forever. It was pretty amazing. Texas Tech is a big place. over 1800 acres of campus. A little too big according to Sam. But it was worth the trip.

Cali, Alex, Sam and Ann

Sam is hanging out with Alex this weekend at Tarleton. We met Alex in the Fort Worth Stockyards for dinner. He brought his friend Callie along. Callie is from Denton and her dad happens to work at Collin College in Frisco.

It was great to see Alex. Sounds like things are going great at Tarleton. He’s enjoying school, his new friends and his job with Kobie Wood. Kobie is a horseman in the Stephenville area. He’s letting Alex work at his ranch. Another great opportunity for Alex to learn from people in his field of interest.

Keep up the good work, Alex!

Another college conference. Fortunately, the hotel and conference center are not only close together but they are both right downtown. A very walker-friendly downtown. It was windy and drizzling this morning but since it was the only possible time for me to get out and about, I put my hood up and headed out. I liked the Liberty Bell exhibit better than I thought it would – a good exhibit that not only tells you about the origins of the Liberty Bell but how it has continued to figure into the fights for equal rights.

I like how historic homes and businesses are all mixed right in with very modern day architecture. It’s very obvious there has been no whole-sale razing of buildings and/or zoning for one particular use.