The Mountain

Mount Rainier as seen from American Lake, Lakewood

This is what I see on a clear day. 14,410 feet of stratovolcano. It is beautiful but its history of lahars (volcanic mudflows) and its proximity to populated areas makes it one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.
The Puyallup Indians called it Takhoma or "Mother of Waters" because its glaciers are the source of the Puyallup, White, Cowlitz and Nisqually Rivers.  George Vancouver named it after a friend in England (who never got anywhere near it) but the Indian name lives on in the city that was built on their land.

The Gettysburg Address (as recited by Johnny Cash)

150 years ago today (Nov 19, 1863) Abraham Lincoln gave a 2 minute, 272-word speech at the dedication of the military cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield. He thought it would soon be forgotten, but it became one of the most important speeches in American history.

First post/introducing myself

My name is Patrick Pastor. I live in Lakewood Washington. I have lived here most of my life. I work for Skookum Corporation (a contractor) as a Quality Control Clerk at the Central Issue Facility on Joint Base Lewis McChord.