I like going to street fairs and seeing the interesting and creative things created by local businesses. I believe in local and family businesses and try to support when I can. Here is a list of random cool stuff that I have found from my various local travels. Cool Woods Serious cool, handcrafted, artisan wood items. Ian Beyer Metals Fun metal creations including critters, yard art, rusty things, etc. He also has a very simple and clean website. The Rusty Bolt Metal creations for home and yard including rusty things. Claire Cundiff Handcrafted stone art. Steel Bamboo Metal art for home and yard. They create both functional pieces and purely…

In Marysville (WA) our local cemetery always lines its roads with American flags on Memorial Day. Years ago I drove to the cemetery to take some photos of the flags. I drove to the cemetery early in the morning and was disappointed to not see any flags. As I turned onto the road in front of the cemetery I saw a group of people at the side entrance. I parked my car in the church across the street and wandered up to the group. I asked about the flags and was told that they were there to set up the flags. What a lucky accident! The volunteers included recent veterans,…