Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tombstone Shopping


























Something we don't think about much, is tombstone shopping.
Unfortunately, I have had both of my parents die within the last 5 years and so tombstones have come to have a new significance in my life. I have had to go shopping for tombstones.

As a letterboxer, I have spent some time in cemeteries. The tombstones are sometimes parts of clues and landmarks to send you along your way. And both of my parents joined me in adventuring through cemeteries. We would have talks about family tombstones and discuss which were our favorites as we walked along among the dead.

The Greeks and Romans used stone markers to honor the dead and prevent graves from being disturbed. From the Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, the tomb of the unknown soldier to the Pantheon, memorials to the dead are everywhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone

Placing a permanent, time-withstanding memorial marker at the site of a tomb or grave has a long tradition. It is believed tombstones originate from a Jewish custom of visitors to a tomb or grave placing stones at the grave. On a more pagan level, headstones might originate from a belief that in order for the dead to remain in the grave, large rock cairns must be placed upon the grave.

When my mother would come along with me on my letterboxing jaunts. We would often talk about the different tombstones that we saw in the cemeteries. Her favorites were always the obelisks. So when it came time to purchase her tombstone, I knew that I wanted her to have an obelisk. Traditonally, obelisks were usually found on the graves of people with a high social status or at family burial sites. Egyptian obelisks have pyramids on the top, and symbolize Ra, the giver of all life. Others can have anything from a kind of roof to a cross to an urn. There are lots of different variations. Obelisks were most popular during the Victorian era and you see them in older cemeteries. So it was a bit of an unusual request in this more modern age.














This past weekend, our obelisk was put into the cemetery at Bethel Presbyerian Church in Cornelius, NC. We are very happy with it, and we hope that mom would approve.

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog detailing his hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com

And remember that we will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association with hike-a-thon in August. Be sure to check us out on the WTA website


http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!
Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Monday, July 19, 2010

Trail Magic!











Flew out to meet Ryan on the trail this week. I flew into Sacramento and I just love these artsy columns in their baggage claim area. Ryan's birthday was this week, so I totally embarrassed him by greeting him with balloons and a birthday cake. But of course he did enjoy the cake and the other PCT hikers enjoyed it also.

As a birthday treat, Ryan got to "slackpack" for the days that I came to visit. This means that I would drop him off at the trailhead and he would hike with only a day pack. Then I would pick him up at another trail head later in the day and take him back to a motel with soft beds and hot showers!
A pretty sweet deal for a thru-hiker. Ryan would still put in a 10-12 hour day of hiking and while he was doing that, I did some touristy things in the area, visiting local ghost towns and happening upon a summer festival in the town of Graeagle, CA.
I would also do trail magic for some other hikers on the PCT while waiting for Ryan to show up at the trailheads. I made sure that I had a cooler of cold sodas and lots of candy bars and fresh fruit.

Ryan was also able to catch up on his own blogging. We always have to get a room with wifi. The other plus of "slackpacking" is that Ryan gets to eat real food and doesn't have to whip up his trail food on his homemade soda can stove. We had dinner at the Polka Dot last night. You know you are in California when the local Burger stand has fried green beans as an option. And they have avocado as a choice to put on your burger.

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog detailing his hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com

And remember that we will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association with hike-a-thon in August. Be sure to check us out on the WTA website

http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Hike-a-thon 2010 the countdown begins!!


It's that time of year again. Only 23 days away, starting August 1st, I will be taking to the trails to raise money for the WTA. First of all, thanks to everyone who supported me last year for the Washington Trails Association hike-a-thon. I raised over $1500 for Washington Trails!

This year, Ryan is hiking the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and he will be hiking hundreds of miles across Oregon and Washington during the month of August. I will be providing support as his “Trail Angel” so I wasn’t sure how much time I would have for actual hiking this summer. We decided to participate in hike-a-thon as a team this year with Ryan cranking out the majority of the mileage. Our Team name is Thru-Hiker and Trail Angel.

In fact, WTA trail crews will be out on the Pacific Crest Trail starting this July to repair parts of the PCT damaged from the 2009 Lemah Fire north of Snoqualmie Pass. The PCT is closed in this area and there are reroutes and detours via Forest Service Roads and other trails. This is just another reminder that the trails require constant maintenance and repair for our enjoyment.

Washington Trails Association is the state's most active group serving the hiking community. The WTA recruits over 2,000 volunteers annually to help repair and maintain our trails, they advocate on behalf of hikers for trail funding and protection, and they publish informative resources both in print and online that help hikers get out on trail more often.

We are seeking pledges for hike-a-thon. You can pledge a flat donation or an amount per mile. All donations are tax deductible. And every little bit helps! Last year I had pledges as low as 10 cents per mile or a flat $3. It all adds up. *For a contribution of $40 or more, sponsors are eligible for Washington Trails Association membership.

We have blogs on the internet detailing our hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com and

http://www.amandafromseattle.com

as well as a webpage on the WTA website

http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116