Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there!
First on the schedule of to-do things today was join Mike and Kelly for church service at 9:15. Then while the kids were in Sunday school, Jim and I went to a place Mike suggested, Stony Point Fashion Mall. The stores were all closed, but we easily found a Panera Bread after walking around the mall just window gazing.
This shopping center even had a section with water shooting up from the ground where little ones could play. We were convinced by all the strollers we saw that the mothers were getting the toddlers worn out so they’d sleep while Mommy shopped.
Eventually it was time to meet the kids for a Vietnamese lunch…another culture heard from…only thing Vietnamese we’ve ever had was Tim Dinh’s spring rolls that he would sometimes bring to Odyssey of the Mind practice. As usual Kelly and Mike led us in the right direction with our order, and we certainly weren’t disappointed with their choices.
Jim and I were delighted to find that Mike had another adventure planned for us. We went over to Kelly’s house so they each could change out of their Sunday clothes…It was there that Mike surprised his Dad with a large bag of Starbuck’s anniversary blend coffee beans. To Jim’s great delight, Kelly presented him with two types of Vietnamese hot sauces (they share a taste for flaming hot sauces!) As if that wasn’t enough, Kelly absolutely blew us away by giving Jim and me each our own walking sticks to use on hikes. We were thrilled beyond words with her thoughtfulness.
These two sticks have an interesting history. They once belonged to Kelly’s uncle, who is a pastor in Princeton, West Virginia. A member of his church liked to make wood come alive by
carving walking sticks made from native trees. Kelly’s aunt gave her three of them quite a while ago and since she said she didn’t have 3 hands, she didn’t need that many…plus, they were a little too short for her (or so she said). They are now in good hands (pun intended) and we will treasure them as we use them on our walks and hikes. 
The kids then took us to Pump House Park where those walking sticks came in very handy. Most of all, for me, it gave an increased sense of confidence and I was able to really, really enjoy the hiking without constant worry that I would fall.
Though this park was much smaller than the others we have been to, it had its own part in Richmond history.
Having been built in 1882, this granite church-like building once was the second oldest water pumping station in the city and provided drinking water to the people for over 40 years.
Because of the thick walls that resisted water pressure and a sturdy ceiling, a second floor was
added as a dance floor for the Richmondites to enjoy nights of socializing and dancing or attending concerts. They would arrive in canal boats dressed in fancy ball clothes, listening to the lap of water as they danced the mild summer nights away. It is a long term plan of the city to restore the facilities and the custom.Kelly and Mike found the bridge next to the pump house too tempting to just walk across. It became a ladder to help them get a better view of one of the canals.
The next hour or so was spent exploring the rugged
pathways which lined the sides of the three different canals and taking photos.
Jim and Mike chose to ignore a no trespassing sign so Mike could show his dad a spectacular view of the James River…at least Jim says it was spectacular, I wouldn’t know!We even found the spot where George Washington, who in 1791 was president of the canal company and was inspecting Richmond canals, was to have lunch with a delegation of Richmond City Council members. However, they were late so he dined alone with only the company of a livery of servants
dressed in red satin uniforms.Since it was Father’s Day, Kelly and I tried to take plenty of father/son photos. This one shows the guys standing by one of the w
aterfallsentering an old canal lock. I even loaned Jim my walking stick for this captured moment with Kelly and Mike.
Later, Mike and Kelly found other uses for Jim’s walking sticks, which he gladly shared as I supervised the activity. We certainly didn’t want any injuries!
By popular demand (Jim’s and mine), the
kids attempted to stretch their arms out as high as they could while holding the walking sticks…sounds like a spontaneous problem…what else can you do with a walking stick! The kids wanted Jim and I to participate in this activity, but we politely, but firmly
refused their generous challenge.Instead Jim and I chose to go investigate some “feathered”
rocks. (This is a technique that they use to break the rocks in a straight line! Bet you didn’t know that.)Even then, the kids found another way to enjoy these rocks. First, they
crab walked backwards up to the top of the main rock and then slid down!
Once again, Jim and I chose not to attempt this daring feat. Emergency room visits would definitely put a damper on the day!
There was time for one more shenanigan before we left the park. Mike held Kelly up so she could fly off the bridge. Then he told me I needed to take him out of the photo. Well, I wasn’t sure I could successfully meet his expectation, but…here’s what I got. What do you think?
To finish off the day, we all went strolling down Cary Street where we were going to get a snack
of some kind. Mike and Kelly, with their continued knack for picking the right place, chose the Galaxy Diner which reminded 
Jim and me of a 50’s dinerwith lots of chrome and glass…one major difference we did notice was that the standard jukebox had been replaced by a digital internet one!
Finally, it was time to say our final good-byes as we would be leaving Richmond early Monday morning. That was hard to do.
“There are no good-byes, where ever we are, you'll always be in our hearts”…Source unknownOne last day in Richmond,
Jim & Barbara
