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Friday, December 13, 2013

POST 1199; DECEMBER 12, 2013; BLAINE - PEACE ARCH - WASHINGTON





PEACE ARCH

USA / CANADA BORDER CROSSING

BLAINE, WASHINGTON


In 1814, the Peace Arch was built straddling the border of the United States and Canada at the western end of the nearly 3,000 mile border...the longest undefended border in the world.  The walk and roll of SAM and ME begins and ends at this Peace Arch.  Our first departure was March 20, 2010.   Yesterday, December 12, 2013, became our fourth departure, which will see SAM and ME circumnavigating the entire lower 48 states...a walk and roll of some 10,000 miles, returning us to the Peace Arch in a mid 2015.



This roadway, Portal Way, begins at the Peace Arch and ends near Bellingham, Washington, some 32 miles distant to the South.  Yesterday, SAM and ME walked Portal Way for some 20 miles, having already walked a couple weeks ago some 26 miles.  Between now and January 01, 2014, we will continue to walk short chunks south of Bellingham.  On January 01, we begin our quest in earnest with our first major destination being San Francisco, some 900 miles distant.  We plan to cross the Golden Gate Bridge on or about Valentine Day, February 14, 2014.




The border town of Blaine, Washington is the start of Portal Drive...which is "old 99" highway, travelling from mid Canada, across Central America, and ending near the tip of South America



From Portal Way (Avenue), Blaine Marina sends SAM and ME off on our first mile from the Peace Arch.

Please say HELLO to Sally.  Sally, driving her pickup truck, stopped to send SAM and ME on our way.

Sally lives in Ferndale, some 10 miles from Blaine.  She is employed at the Blaine, Marina.  Sally is the first of many new friends SAM and ME will meet along the roadways as we circle America..  In addition to my first HUG, Sally slipped into my hand, two twenty dollar bills...her donation to help supplement our travel funds.

Our saga is financed only by our Social Security $$...and donations here and there.  Thank you, Sally.






Main street (Portal Way) in downtown Blaine, Washington.


The Peace Arch, standing tall astride the USA / CANADA Border.









                                                                                                                              


                                                                                                                               


                                                                                                                                               
Please say HELLO to June.  June met SAM and ME some three years ago, as we began our first walk from the Peace Arch.  June works at Peace Arch Park...yesterday, she was pruning bushes in the light drizzle.  She remembered SAM and ME and has been a regular reader of our blog as we completed the first 3 + years crossing America 5 times coast to coast walking and rolling some 19,000 miles.

See you in a couple years, June...



                          

Please say HELLO to George and his puppy Biscuit.  George lives near Peace Arch Park, where he walks daily with his dog.  George has completed many long distance walks in the recent - and not so recent years...keeps us healthy, says George.





On patrol round the clock are Border Police.  




Please say HELLO to Mark.  Before leaving Blaine to return to Bellingham, stopped in the Blaine Bakery and Coffee Shop for a snack and cuppa.  Mark, sitting with his friend at the next table, inquired as to what I was doing...and joined in a conversation about walking after retirement.  It is for folks like yourself, Mark, that SAM and ME are out walking...offering "awareness" of our Lymphatic System...the Immune System of our bodies, which is in need of daily exercise to keep us healthy from all manner of disease.

A waterfront private home in Blaine.



                                                                                                                 
Please say HELLO to John.  John is the owner of a local Convenience Store / Gas Station, where SAM and ME stopped in on our walk and roll to the Peace Arch...and again on our way back to Bellingham.  As I walked into his business on our return from Blaine, he confessed that he had searched the internet, found our blog, and shared with other customers that SAM and ME are for real...

SAM and ME made a half dozen new friends today...and we were on the road for only five hours.  

Good start for our new walk across and around America.

Goodies in our apartment are slowly being packed into boxes and / or given to others.  We should have no problem to put items into long-term storage...ready to spend our last night sleeping on the floor of our apartment on New Years Eve.

At daybreak of New Years Day, 2014, SAM and ME will be on our way.

Did you know that our white blood cells - immune cells within our Lymphatic System, actually KILL Cancer Cells...  


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                           































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