Lighting the DHT in Langley

Lighting the Dog House tree, First and Anthes, and why.

DHT as seen from Langley Whale Bell Park
photo by Janet Ploof

In the lovely town of Langley, at the corner of Anthes and First was once the center of town, back when the Dog House Tavern was up and running.  It's amazing how one business can change the look, feel and culture of an entire town.

Fran Abel, last year in a bucket installing some lights on the tree.

Langley has been years in recovering from this loss and finally other businesses are filling the void.  If you want to hear music you can go to Moe's; if you want to watch baseball you can go to the Village Pizzaria; if you want to just hang out you can go to the Commons; and if you want coffee you can go to Useless Bay Coffee Co.  We now have more options than we once did when the Dog House thrived.

Janet Ploof shows off her skills with a zip strip.

But there is still no true replacement for the community after the huge hole left by the death of Pete and the closure of the Dog House.

Upon lighting the tree, many more people are using the park and walkway to the waterfront.  

The new businesses in town are all good, but they can't totally replace the vibrance and the diversity that the Dog House provided.  Perhaps it was the alternative home provided for the youth of Langley, hanging out on the bench or working for Pete.  Perhaps it was the nostalgia of a business that had been around for many decades.  Perhaps it was the old historic building, mysteriously perched on a steep bank, linking first street to the Water.  Or perhaps it was the huge Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Pete at the Dog House for the entire village.  Come one; come all!  If you can bring a pie,  please do, but come no matter what.

Janet Ploof picking up garbage behind the Dog House Tavern.

Whatever it was, Langley misses the Dog House!  It's gone from the center of town to a big dark hole.

dbBrad doing a little dead limb removal at the same time.

But there are people who are trying to remedy this, who understand community and commerce.  The Dog House no longer looks vacant and empty, thanks to the wonderful revolving displays provided by Langley Main Street.  Through their volunteer efforts the windows are washed and lit and displays change depending on the season and the town's activities.

Ashley Taylor of WOW (Wander on Whidbey) on Belay

Despite the closure of the Dog House, remedies are at work.  One way to fill the dark corner is to light the  magnificent Oak Tree in the park, right next to the Dog.  As you come down Anthes this winter, you will surely see the hundreds of lights.  It is fun, it brightens a dark spot, it serves as a focus for the eye and it makes walking down to the water fun rather than scary.

dbBrad goes out on a limb for Langley!

These wonderful winter lights are good for Langley,  good for business and its thanks to Main Street.  For the past two years of lights we owe thanks to Janet Ploof,  Fran Abel, Yessi Ye,  Ashley Taylor,  dbBrad and Cato Company.

Ashley Taylor of Wander on Whidbey and the Braeburn ascending the tree to install lights.

Holiday Cheers

No matter how far I travel I draw hearts.  Here are two hearts I carved in the snow on the Annapurna Circuit.  They remind me, as I'm drawing them, how important both our emotional and physical heart health is and the important role exercise plays in one's heart health.  I started Heart on the Trail when I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  The fund raiser exists because I wanted to acknowledge that important link between heart health and exercise, and I wanted to give back to my world.  All proceeds collected  go to the Pacific Crest Trail and the American Heart Association.  The best Christmas gift you can give to me personally, as well as those two hard working organizations, is a donation to Heart on the Trail.  All proceeds (100%) will be sent to The American Heart Association and the Pacific Crest Trail.   Thank you and may your lives be blessed with good cheer and good health.  Peace and Happy Holidays!

A Heart along the Annapurna Circuit 

A heart in a Nepalese Village

The Birth of a Fundraiser

Along the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) I started a fundraiser.  After 5 months of tramping in New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail and another month or two on the PCT, I found myself with a bit of a broken heart.  I made a decision to turn my hurt feelings around and into a positive venture.

PCT hiker Freestyle with one of his HOTT hearts!

I had previously figured out by way of an accident how to draw hearts in the trail as I walked.  Starting with my hiking poles in front of me and then stepping through the poles and closing them behind I created little inverted heart shaped scratches in the trail.  Leaving these short lived hearts was part of my personal healing process; but it attracted lots of attention.

dbBrad inside a Heart on the Trail!

Other hikers told me how they followed the hearts after getting lost, or that they were having a tough time keeping going but the hearts motivated them to push on.  One hippy hiker thanked me for all the love on the trail.  With these kind words from so many hikers, I decided maybe there was more to be had from drawing these hearts in the trail.

dbBrad aka Freestyle demonstrating drawing a heart.

And thus my HOTT (Heart On The Trail) fundraiser was born.  All told I drew a couple thousand of the hearts which are all gone by now.  Given that about 250,000 Americans will die from Heart Attacks this year and about 600,000 people will come to pass because of heart related issues, it seemed like a great way to make the point that hiking can save your life.

One of the more permanent Hearts along a stretch where everyone seemed inclined to rearrange dark rocks on the barren land.  Though this heart is longer lived, rest assured snow and wind will render it unrecognizable by next season.

Support trails and healthy hearts and get your 'HEART ON THE TRAIL'!  All proceeds are split between AHA and PCTA (American Heart Association and the Pacific Crest Trail Association)

Hiking for Health

I'm really hoping to make a huge contribution to the Pacific Crest Trail and the American Heart Assoiation when I finish the PCT.  Please visit Heart on the Trail and help me raise money for these two wonderful organizations that have been so important to me.  Also, please visit Heart on the Trail on Facebook and "like".  Thanks for your generosity!  Thanks for following along on my adventure!

 Hiking for Health ~ Get Your Heart on the Trail

 Heart on the Trail

Heart on the Hood

Freestyle is Hiking for Health and  hoping you will Get your Heart on the Trail by going to Heart on the Trail and making a donation to support the Pacific Crest Trail and The American Heart Association.

Freestyle's heart on Hood

Day 122

dbBrad and Heart on the Trail make local news.  Thanks South Whidbey Record and Reporter Ben Watanabe for publishing such a nice article.   Hiked 29 miles today.

Freestyle, the guy behind Heart on the Trail

Freestyle, Mt.Jefferson, PCT

Looking north to Hood the Columbia River and Adams in Washington.  PCT 2012 highlight Willamette Hood boundary.

Mismatch and Bodybag

Photo by Freestyle

Jefferson from North

Hearts in Oregon

Hearts are now appearing on the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon.  Be sure to purchase your heart and help raise money for The Pacific Crest Trail Association and the American Heart Association.   Thanks!

Heart on the Trail

Hearts are popping up everywhere!

Making donations ~~  Click on the heart on Heart on the Trail to make a donation through PayPal  ~~ Send a check, made out to Heart on the Trail, to Whidbey Island Bank, Langley Branch, Post Office Box 665, Langley, Washington 98260 

Heart on the Trail

~~~


If you've had trouble donating to Heart on the Trail through PayPal, please try again or send a check directly to Whidbey Island Bank.  Setting up the PayPal Account took a little longer than anticipated so we've had a glitch, or two.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Heart on the Trail

heartonthetrail.com

HIKING for HEALTH  ~  Get your HEART on the TRAIL

Giving Back!

The Pacific Crest Trail is an awesome asset of hiking opportunity, beauty and conservation.  It is an example of the outstanding teamwork of various individuals, organizations, hiking clubs, towns, counties, states and federal governmental agencies.  It's what we can do when we pull together!    Thank you Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Exercise is critical to people's health, with our hearts being one of our most important organs to strengthen and protect.  Hiking is one way to achieve this goal.   Accordingly, and because my heart was on my mind as I hiked, I selected the American Heart Association as another key element in my "desire to give back".  

I am hoping to raise $10,000 through Heart on the Trail to be split evenly between the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the American Heart Association.  Please help.  Here's what you can do:

• Go to heartonthetrail.com, click on the heart, and make a donation.
• Go to Heart on the Trail on Facebook, like and share
• Share the heartonthetrail.com site with your friends
• Give directly to PCT or AHA, but please mention Heart on the Trail
• Hike for health - Get your own heart on the trail!

Thank you.  I wish for you good health and happy hiking!  

Freestyle


PS  If you do not like to make computer payments, please send a check made out to Heart on the Trail,  c/o Abel, PO Box 1471, Langley, WA 98260.  

Day 70

July 14, 2012:  The days here at South Lake Tahoe have been spent moving from one wi fi spot to another -- the library, campground, McDonalds, Starbucks -- to work on my computer while I have access to it.  I also needed to change the scene from time-to-time plus get food and drink.  Although these three days have been physically restful and helped curb my hunger, they have been mentally challenging as I set up heartonthetrail.com and focused on correspondence.  

Tomorrow I'll get back on the trail, and with Benton hiking with me again.  We'll leave from Echo Lake, headed into the Desolation Wilderness Area.

Day 68

July 12, 2012:  Camped at an unnotable campground with Ed, Fran & Benton.  The best part of the campsite we had was a small stream running next to our camp, huge boulders, wi fi showers and laundry facilities.  The majority of the 3 days we spent in South Lake Tahoe were at the library where heartonthetrail.com was born.  Lake Tahoe is, of course, stunningly beautiful; City of South Lake Tahoe not so much!

Get Your Heart on the Trail

Heart on the Trail

HEART ON THE TRAIL.COM 

 HIKING FOR HEALTH - GET YOUR HEART ON THE TRAIL!

As I walk I draw HEARTS in the trail to help guide other hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail, and for the LOVE of the TRAIL

PURCHASE one of these hearts at HEART ON THE TRAIL and help raise $10,000 for

The American Heart Association

and

The Pacific Crest Trail Association

Bentons Heart is on the trail! Is yours?

dbBrad, founder of HeartOnTheTrail.com and dbBenton, mascot, pose for a picture next to a trail heart.

As i hike with my dog, Benton, it reinforces my notion of having a heart on the trail.  Benton sets a wonderful example by greeting each and every person on the trail with the same excitement, regardless of who they are, what they do and where they're from.

Melissa and Rabecca thought Benton was the Cats Meow!

His enthusiasm for life, the trail and other people make him a perfect mascot for my fundraiser HEART ON THE TRAIL. 

These people from France and Quebeck were taking a day hike along the PCT and were enthralled with my hiking adventure on the Te Araroa and the PCT, my month in France several years ago following the Tour de'France, my fundraiser HeartOnTheTrail and most of all, Benton, the worlds cutest Australian Shepherd.

If your heart isn't on the trail, here's your opportunity.  Go to Heart on the trail.com, click on the heart and get your heart on the trail for $1 and help raise money for the American Heart Association and the Pacific Crest Trail Association, two great charities.

The adventures of dbDog (trail name Benton) and dbBrad (Freestyle)

Benton has traveled all the way from Whidbey Island to join me for a couple sections of the PCT trail in northern California.

He's quite a social dog and quite enjoys meeting people on the trail.  He's perhaps a bit more social than I am even!

No matter how tired he is, he greets people with a little woof, then an intense full body waggle and he doesn't discriminate against day and weekend hikers!

It's been great having a hiking buddy for a few sections and is even better that he brought with him Fran and Ed.

Fran and Ed have been trail angels as Benton and I hike from one pass to another.  It seems some of the other hikers have seen my parents more than I have!

It's great to bump into someone that's heard of you or met your parents--like you've already met!

It's also great to show up at an intersection of the trail and a road and find cold beer, fresh fruit, and hikers hanging out with my parents.

It works well for the dog too since he really can't handle more than a few days at a time.

Though physically he's capable of the 20+miles per day, the issue is as a younger dog (2 yo) he just isn't getting enough sleep.

I brought my tent along for these sections thinking he may sleep better at night and though he does relax more without the mosquitoes nibbling at his tender nose, he knows his job is to protect us and so he sleeps, but with one eye open.

After a few days he starts getting tired enough that his behavior begins to deteriorate. It makes sense, I've seen it in people.

So having Fran and Ed supporting me at the various passes like Sonora, Ebbets, Echo, Donner, and Yuba has made my hiking easier and has allowed the dog to hike a few days, rest a few days and hike some more.

The dog will only have hiked less than 200 miles with me, but as you can see, he's been in some fabulous terrain.

Benton's heart is truly on the trail and I know I'm heart on the trail.  Where is your heart?

If it's not on the trail, then get your HEART ON THE TRAIL and support the American Heart Association, the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

My goal is to raise $10,000 to split evenly between these two organizations and I can only do it with your help and support.  Thank you.

Get your 'Heart on the Trail' and support two great causes!!

HEARTONTHETRAIL.COM

After 8 months of hiking I have decided to finish my last 3 months with a fundraiser.   Inspired by my first 5 months of hiking the Te Araroa Trail and people and places I've seen along the way including a little heart break of my own, I've taken to drawing hearts in the trail's dust with my trekking poles.  The positive feedback from other hikers who have seen the hearts has prompted me to turn this into a campaign for the American Heart Association and the Pacific Crest Trail Association, two very important organizations.

The notion is simple.  Help me raise money for good causes by simply purchasing one of these short lived trail hearts for $1.  Because of my goal to raise $10,000, I am relying on everyone to help spread the word and forward HEARTONTHETRAIL.COM to others on their mailing list.  Like any effort of good will, this campaign will work only if we all act together.

dbBrad aka FreeStyle on top of Whitney along the PCT 2012.

Proceeds will be split evenly between the AHA and PCTA.

Key Words:  Please help, Fundraiser, Philanthropy, Brad Hankins, dbBrad, Freestyle, Te Araroa, PCT, Pacific Crest trail, Heart on the Trail, HeartOnTheTrail.com, purchase a heart, have a heart, healthy hearts, trails, thru hiking, hiking for a cause, community, National Forest, National Park, Rails to Trails, WTA, Washington trail association, tramping, TA, Te Araroa, Te Araroa Trust, cause and effect, heart disease, prevention, education, health, national deficit, Social responsibility, thank you.

Hearts and Hammers Defined

Hearts and Hammers together is synonymous with a day of fun helping your neighbors and improving your community.

Wet Hearts and Hammers volunteers after a long, muddy day--and still having a great time!  The pond in background didn't exist in the morning and was still empty until Fran brought the rain mid afternoon!

According to Wikipedia, The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system.

Human Heart from University of Washington web page.

But to have a heart, as the tin man found out, is to be sincere or to act of kindness.  A hammer on the other hand, is any tool used to impact other objects.

Old hand made Hammer from Williamsburg colonial times.

I can't think of a better name for a community based social help network which matches 'volunteers that can' with 'families with needs who can't' than HEARTS and HAMMERS.

dbBrad defines Hearts and Hammers, community volunteers making an impact with kindness.

'To impact ones community with kindness!!'  dbBrad Hankins