I Topped The Rock!!!!

B, C and I "Topped the Rock to Save the Library" this morning.

A little background in case you didn't read my earlier posting....

Several years ago, the city could no longer afford to run our little library, so it has had to have an operations levy every year since then. This last year, the library levy failed to get the super majority by just 4 votes and thus failed. The library has been running on donations ever since (yes those little cans at the grocery store).

The Friends of the Library hosted a 5k Fun Run & Family Fitness Walk called "I Topped the Rock". It incorporates some of our little towns famous features such as "the rock" which is a large basalt outcropping / hill just on the edge of town and our new river walk trail that meanders by the Cowlitz River. In addition, there was music, an auction, and semi street fair set up in downtown. (Most of it was blocked off this morning.) There were 2 bands playing. One "Carl Wirkkala and the Ghost Town Riders" are friends of ours. Carl grew up in our house and we bought it from his Dad. The drummer is M's best friend's dad. They are actually pretty good and Carl has made several trips to Nashville. (He's a really good songwriter and musician.)

Anyway....

It was a pretty neat little 5k fun run. It starts out in front of the library, goes on some city streets for about 6 blocks, then accesses the river dike path north of town. We went south along the trail until we reached "Castle Rock" at the south end of the town. We hiked up the steep hill trail until we reached the top and received our commemorative bracelets. Then down a different trail to the end of the south part of the path in Lion's Park. Then we turned around, went up the path until we hit Front street and walked along it (past the middle school) back to the library. It was a really fun time. Barbara ran it in about 31 minutes. Chris and I took our time and were 59 and 62 minutes respectively. I think the Rock really slowed down the times. There was a short 1 mile course which our friend accidently ran then went and redid the 5k so she really got in her excericise for the day. I liked that Top the Rock fun run had prizes for youngest to complete the course (5 years) and oldest (86 years). There were several 6 and 7 year olds and 77 year old runner and another 85 year old walker. That was just awesome to get that range of participants!!!

Since this was a fundraiser to save the local library there was a Storybook Theme Contest. We dressed up as our favorite story character, but didn't win any prizes. (The group of teachers dressed up as "Mother Goose and the Rhymes" and the little girl dressed as "Laura Ingalls" in her full length calico dress and bonnet took the top prizes. They were awesome!!) B was the accident prone Bella (from Twilight). C was "Billy" and Amber was "Little Ann" from Where the Red Fern Grows. (his choice - and favorite book) Our friend was the one of the fisherman from A River Runs Through It. I was Ferdinand the Bull and kept smelling the lovely flowers I had brought with me. (The local paper and internet media "guy" took pictures of us in our costumes.) I guess there's a Utube spot for it.

It was also announced that B won one of the coloring contests to help promote saving the library and got a free icecream cone at one of the local cafes. We all admired her pretty artwork which was hung up on the window outside the icecream shop.

There was a lot of fun music, food, and the Army had their rock wall there for the kids to climb. Good times all around!!!