Another walk through Zoar

With the weather continuing it's awesome streak, I had to get back out and take another walk around Zoar.  This time, I took a different path.  Instead of walking through the town, I walked on top of the levee that is just west of the village and protects it from the often flooding Tuscarawas River. It's always nice to see things from a different perspective.  This being birds-eye.  

A walk down to Zoar

Finally.  For once this summer, it hasn't been super hot or super humid or raining.  A cold front had pushed through the region last night and left nice cool and dry air behind it.  So the entire family, including the beagle, went for a walk down to Zoar.  Hoping for more of these nights.  Seems like the summer is passing by way to quickly.  

Sugarcreek at night

Last night, my wife and I took a drive out to Amish country and stopped in Sugarcreek.  Sugarcreek is also known as the "Little Switzerland of Ohio" thanks to many Swiss and German immigrants that settled there.  The town is also home to the worlds largest cuckoo clock. It's a lovely small town in Ohio that is normally buzzing with tourists on a Saturday.  But at night, it's pretty deserted.  So much so that we almost felt like we were in high school out past curfew and we were going to get in trouble.  We strolled around the town a bit and visited the clock as well as checked out the new brick carving featuring local communities.  Why brick, you say?  Sugarcreek is also home to the Belden Brick Company and is a large part of the town.  Pretty interesting detail in carvings.  Especially the carving dedicated to former resident Lt. General Donald L. Putt.  

In this place of honor rests....

The engraving on the monument reads:

"In this place of honor rests an unknown solider who gave his life in the struggle for American independence."

Every July in a the small town of Bolivar, OH, a ceremony is held to remember a fallen hero.  No one alive today knows the mans name. No one knows where he was from.  If he had a wife.  If he had children.  If someone somewhere longed for his return.  No one knows why he joined up.  Did he have a deep feeling of resentment for the crown?  The fact is, he served this young country of ours and it's fight to break free from England.  At some point along the way of struggling to maintain Fort Laurens, this American died.  But for him, no one kept a record of who he was.  So unlike his counterparts that sit in a spot of honor hundreds of miles to the southeast outside of Washington DC, this fallen hero doesn't get the fanfare of daily changing of the guards or hundreds of people lined up to pay their respects.  No, this fallen hero of our early nation gets his just dues just a few times a year.  If you are ever in Bolivar, make it a point to stop at the Fort Laurens State Memorial and spend a minute to thank this nameless soul known only to God.  It's sacrifices like his that allowed this country to be born and to grow.

Pictures to this years encampment and reenactment at Fort Laurens are still being worked on.  Stay tuned for links.

A walk around Canton First Friday

We've heard it advertised before but had never decided to check it out until tonight.  And I wish we would have done it sooner.  On the first Friday of every month in the art district of Canton, Ohio, a street fair springs up and invades the downtown area.  It's called Canton First Friday.
Now, I have to be honest.
We've always thought that the downtown area of Canton was pretty much empty.  We were wrong.  The area is full of art galleries, trendy restaurants, coffee shops and bars.  It has a really good buzz to it.  Each months events have a theme and tonight's was based around "chalk art" on the sidewalks.  There were some really great works by kids and adults alike.  Seems like the event is very inclusive of the public and allows them to embrace and express their art.  But the bands and singers throughout the event added a lot to the evenings enjoyment. Another major plus was getting to go into the Palace Theater and listening to the organ that rose up from below the stage.  Really cool "old school" experience.
So, I think this is going to be our monthly "thing" to do every first Friday of the month.  If nothing else to get out of the house, walk round, listen to some live music and just enjoy the city we obviously don't know a whole lot about!