... somehow being a member of thrivent financial it seems that i can acquire funds for charity and public service events ... this morning i was in part a sponsor of the annual mt. vernon "loon lap" ... i'd like to take credit for all the great work i did, but, to be honest, with my niece, sara, and nephew, jon, both being very, very successful thriven financial agents, it seems that for the most part all i did was supply my name to the endeavor ... i did, however, get out of bed in the actual am's so i could make a little wanderabout down to mt. vernon to take pictures of the event, that should count for something ...
... jon distributed free t-shirts and explained what thrivent is ...
... then, with a chorused "1-2-3," they were off ...
... entrance requirements were rather vague ...
... this family showed up all the way from massachusetts to run as a team ... considering the sunday heading-out traffic on i95, they might've been quicker getting back if they'd just kept on running south ...
... for some, it seems, it wasn't really a "run" ... this was the first time using my new fuji x-t1 in a "fluid" situation, one traditionally would've been reserved for my nikons ... for this even i used the rather so-so quality fuji 16-50mm zoom, a sort of "kit" lens ... someday—[sigh]—i hope to get the rather expensive and fabulously sharp fuji 18-135mm vr (vibration reduction) wr (weather resistant) lens ...
... jane and jon did all the work i think was supposed to be mine ...
... by his age i'd already decided 5k=bus/plane/train/boat/car/bike ...
... those who know me know i'll walk from a burning building ... i ever become president, is going to be an executive order banning that "i love running" expression ...
... some of the little people seemed to fly around the lake ...
... there was great crowd support at the finish ...
... this is the crew that planned and managed the event ...
... this is ervin, who has lived in mt. vernon for 84 years ... "furthest i've been ... hmmmm, well, one time i drove a fellow to new york city ... he wanted to stay in the ymca, but i didn't like that so i drove back home" ... ervin's been married for over sixty-years, his grandkids love him, and, if he had the money, he'd get an even bigger backhoe ... last year he went to the doctor and they fixed him up with "cadillac eyes in an old ford body," so he continues to drive to farmington to get his groceries ...
... i took an instant liking to ervin, meeting him made me feel good about being a member of the human race ...
... what a nice day ... everyone seemed very happy, and i've a feeling the loons are going to be pleased, too ...
MT. VERNON PEOPLE:
IF YOU GO TO THIS
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE AND MORE OF THE FULL SIZE/QUALITY IMAGES.
ENJOY!