Happy Flag Day
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress replaced the British symbols of the Grand Union flag with a new design featuring 13 white stars in a circle on a field of blue and 13 red and white stripes – one for each state. Although it is not certain, this flag may have been made by the Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross, who was an official flag maker for the Pennsylvania Navy. The number of stars increased as the new states entered the Union, but the number of stripes stopped at 15 and was later returned to 13.
In June 1886 Bernard Cigrand made his first public proposal for the annual observance of the birth of the flag when he wrote an article titled “The Fourteenth of June” in the old Chicago Argus newspaper. Cigrand’s effort to ensure national observance of Flag Day finally came when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for a nationwide observance of the event on June 14, 1916. However, Flag Day did not become official until August 1949, when President Harry Truman signed the legislation and proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day. In 1966, Congress also requested that the President issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week.
The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation to: call on government officials in the USA to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on Flag Day; and to urge US residents to observe Flag Day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.
Today is also my father’s birthday – he would have been 89 years old so Happy Birthday Dad.
Tomorrow is Father’s day. For those of you whose father’s are still here, call them, talk to them, hug them. Because once they are gone, the sound of their voices and their laughter will be too. Miss you Dad.
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Today’s journey took us on the road to the top of Pike’s Peak. In 1997, we took the cog railway to the top but driving it has always been on my bucket list. And since the road is paved, away we went.
We first packed a lunch as well as our coats because we remember how cold is was at the time – and are we glad we did!
With me driving - we made our way to the little town of Cascade and then to the Pikes Peak Toll Road.
And up we went – our first stop:
Our second stop – first glimpse of the peak:
There was a little trail that Sue, Andy and I walked to the top for some pictures:
Our next stop was Crystal Reservoir where we met this guy – Yikees!:
The Reservoir:
We hung out for a little, walked down to the water – lots of fisherman, then headed back up the mountain with a few more stops along the way:
This is the brake check area for vehicles on their way down. If your brakes are too hot, you must pull into the parking lot and wait until they cool down before continuing the journey.
At this stop, we put on our coats, hats, and gloves – it was very cold and windy – Brrrrr.
Almost there:
We made it:
Views from the top:
Amazing:
The Cog Railway:
The remains of the original summit house that was built in 1873. The building in the background is the new summit house – gift shop, rest rooms, and a cafe:
The Cog Railway is leaving:
So must we:
I drove to the summit and Andy drove down – he was afraid that I would burn up the brakes – 
The road:
We did a number of videos – here is one coming down the higher part of the peak:
BTW – Brake temperature check – ours was 75 degrees – Great Job Andy!
Passing over the reservoir – I just loved how the sun made the water sparkle:
More information here:
http://pikespeak.us.com/Activities/drive-to-the-summit.html
What a wonderful day we had –
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