Josh Garrels and Context

It has taken me awhile to write this post, but first let me say that if you haven't heard Josh Garrels' new album "Love, War, and the Sea In Between", you should check it out here: http://www.noisetrade.com/joshgarrels

I was really looking forward to hearing this album, as I've been kept updated by his newsletter and run into him in various times and places in the last couple years - Lancaster, Bushnell, North Carolina. So when he announced it was out and available as a free download, I got it. At the time, I was on fieldwork in India, and internet connection was a bit spotty so I sat in a friend's internet cafe in Shillong for 2 hours in order to get the whole (large) file. It's a testament to the world's increasing globalization that even that was possible, as it probably wouldn't have been even a year or two ago.

So this was the context in which I put my earbuds in, turned on my ipod, and listened to the whole album in one shot. And... it kind of fell flat. I wasn't sure what to think, since I've always liked the music Josh makes, and all the reviews I read beforehand had nothing but good things to say about the album. So I forgot about it and continued to work on documenting Pnar.

About a month later I had been in the US for my sister's wedding, which was pretty awesome, and after two weeks I was on my way to NYC to catch the airplane back to Singapore. On the greyhound bus I had just finished a large portion of the 40+ page paper I was working on, and needed a break. I found Josh's album on my ipod and started to listen. It was really good! I remember we had just got on the NJ turnpike to head into NYC, and I thought - "why is this so much better than when I listened to it in India?!"

It struck me that in India, a lot of the things that Josh writes/sings about, and even the music styles he uses, simply didn't connect with the world I was experiencing. It was as if the issues he deals with have no grounding in a non-western, non-american context. Which totally makes sense - I think how my music doesn't necessarily translate to people outside my own particular contexts. I think that speaks to the role of the artist as both a creator and reflector of culture, and thus how important it is to know the context to which you intend to speak, which Josh seems to have figured out pretty well.

At the same time, we would like to say that art transcends culture, and that this is our goal as artists. But how well does that work? Take your art outside your own culture and I guess you'll find out.

New Old Hymns

A short essay I wrote about writing hymns has just been posted on the New Old Hymns blog/site, an effort by Sandra McCracken and other Nashville-based musicians and theologians. Check it out and give your feedback, let us know what you think, and spend some time on the site checking out the other great resources!

http://www.newoldhymns.com/why_write_hymns/

Life on the Road

So I'm on a banquet speaking tour - the idea being to raise awareness of the need for bible translation into the more than 2,200 unwritten languages that are left in the world. Those 2,200+ languages represent over 350 million people (yes, 350,000,000!) that still have no access to scripture in a language they can understand. My parents have been with Wycliffe since the 70s, which is why/how I was born and raised in Ghana.

As anyone who travels for work can tell you, life on the road can be grueling. Dan and I travel to a different city, set up our equipment for the media part of the presentation, feed a meal and present to a different room of people almost every night. So far we've done 20 banquets over the past four weeks - 5 banquets per week. Tonight is the first banquet of our final week - our 25th and final banquet will be on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida.

This kind of schedule doesn't leave much time for sightseeing (it's kind of like being on tour), but we have managed to see some of the sights, nonetheless (when there were sights to see, that is). This is particularly true of local eateries - there are lots of restaurants down here that I've never been to, chains as well as local delis and cafes. Here's me and Dan in 'Sweet Magnolias' in Gainesville, GA, which is in what used to be the old JC Penney arcade on the square.

And of course I would be remiss if I failed to mention the tour of UGA that my friends Sam and Marie gave me after the banquet in Athens, GA. On our day off (wednesday), they offered to show me around the campus, busting the myth of the 5-year curse, taking me to see the book bound in human flesh in the school library (not shown) and of course the tree that owns itself (not shown) as well as the double-barreled cannon that only fired one round. Check out the video below.

A Weekend Jaunt

This past weekend I played a couple shows - one near Lewisberry, PA (which I forgot to take video at) and one in Severna Park, MD. They were both a lot of fun, but very different. In Lewisberry I played for a church event in which the audience were mostly older than me. They sat quietly and listened carefully and laughed appropriately - it was very easy to engage them, and they expressed a lot of appreciation afterwards. It was a lot of fun.

The Severna Park event was also at a church, but the listeners were mostly younger than me, and were doing other things while listening (pretty smart, in my opinion - when I was that age I wouldn't sit and listen to someone like me for very long). So it was a very energetic audience, but the energy was different than at the PA show. I also noticed that most of the people older than me who were there moved closer to the stage and when I directed comments to them they really responded and got into the music. It was a lot of fun.

So those are just a few thoughts. Interesting how events can be so different and yet both be incredibly enjoyable. Unfortunately, since I forgot to video the first show, you can't compare them yourself, but here's some video from the second event. Two videos - one of me explaining the event and soundchecking, and a song by Brian LoPiccolo (who just released his first album, so click here to check it out) which features harmonica and bagpipes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPrQeRbeA0I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4uliKFyLwk

Tunes in the Car, Will Travel

One really sweet thing about not having Florence anymore is that I now have a car that is slightly newer. 1991 Honda Accord - six whole years younger! Some friends at church had wanted to get a truck for the last 12 years, and when they heard about my accident, thought it might be the perfect opportunity to bless me. So amazingly cool how God works!

So not only does this car meet my needs for transportation, it also has a sunroof, auto windows and locks, and is a station wagon (so lots more room for stuff). And did I mention cruise control? When I was touring around last year, that was one thing I really wished I had. Those 9 hour drives are no joke.

With all these modern amenities, I thought "hey, why not go overboard and get a real stereo system - with a CD player or something so I can listen to something besides the radio". So my friend Ethan had an extra one lying around which happened to be perfect for my needs - a car CD-player/radio with an aux input for an MP3 player. Pretty cool. Now I just had to figure out how to install it.

Accordingly, around lunch time the other day I began the installation process. And was it a process! I realize now that I should have videotaped the whole thing because it was actually quite humorous. I thought it wouldn't take too long, a couple hours and I'd have it changed out... The reality was a total of 5 hours, with a trip to the store for extra tools. Do you realize that they make some screws impossible to get at?!! The most time-consuming part was connecting the wires (they don't leave much room for this sort of thing, and there are like 50 million of them that have to be properly connected according to the little diagram) and then trying to get it all to fit back properly into the right spot. Honda does not make it easy...

But all's well that ends well - and I now have tunes in my car! Which makes it much easier to listen to mixes and all the CDs that people have given me on my travels. I may still need to invest in an MP3 player (anyone have one lying around that they're not using?) and a new radio antenna (the one I have is a mechanical extender whose motor has broken), and I'm wondering if there's some sort of wire mesh stuff that will help protect against skipping (though it's only skipped once since I put it in, when I happened to drive over a HUGE pothole). It is pretty amazing though - this is the first car I've had where I can listen to music of my own choice. And the choices are endless!

Saying Goodbye to Florence

When I first met Florence five years ago, I had just graduated from college. She happened to be born in 1985, just a couple years younger than me, and I was struck by her beautiful voice. We hit it off wonderfully from the beginning - she always seemed to be free when I wanted to go somewhere and so we spent lots of time together. We would go shopping, out on the town, and many times to visit friends. When I went out on tour she accompanied me over the 6,000 plus miles. With just a change of oil, she sang like a nightingale.

Yup, Florence was my car, a 1985 Toyota Tercel hatchback. When I bought her she had 35,000 miles. Five years later she has 104,000 and still runs great. Unfortunately, Florence and I got into an accident in Philly the week of Thanksgiving and will cost $1000 to fix. It's a thousand dollars that I don't have, so I guess it's time to move on.. Tomorrow I'll be driving Florence to the junk yard for the last time. I'm hoping one of the mechanics there will take pity on her and spend the time and effort to fix or replace her door. If that does happen she'll have many more miles and years to run.

In retrospect, we've had a good life together, but fortunately life does not consist of possessions. The past few months have reminded me that everything we have comes from God, and that attachment to the physical objects around us can be detrimental to our spiritual development. I guess the important thing is to be able to recognize the gifts around us and be willing to relinquish them when we must. So here's to Florence!

An MP3 Christmas Gift from Hiram!

[ EDIT: The free MP3 download offered below has expired. However, stay tuned to this blog for more free Christmas music in the coming week, including this song on iTickets.com on Dec 22, 2009! ]

O_Little_Child-Hiram_Ring.mp3 (one week only!)

This Christmas I want to give you a song that is still very close to my heart - newly re-mixed and mastered for 2009. It's a song that I wrote in 2006 as the holiday was approaching. I had just read GK Chesterton's 'Christmas Poem' and was thinking about his last stanza:

"To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home."

Beautiful words from a gifted writer whose thoughts continue to capture us. I began to think about how God left His home to become homeless on the earth, to become a little baby, and began to wonder whether He knew what was happening when He was born, or whether He simply had to rest in the arms of his mother, to be and do what all little babies are and do. The wonder of God growing older from infancy, preparing for the sacrifice of the cross... through which there is full redemption and forgiveness of sins... I picked up my guitar and this song wrote itself that evening.

"O Little Child, o tiny babe, are these your hands that came to save?
Held in your mother's warm embrace, remember me this Christmas day.

O Little Child, your tiny feet will bear the cross toward calvary.
Now tightly wrapped on mother's knee, on Christmas day I think of thee.

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
That the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

O Little Child, you must be fed - you who will give us living bread.
The final Word is said, it's yours to say - do you remember Christmas day?

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Now let us sing with one accord jubilant praises to our Lord!
Join with the angels' heavenly choir, proclaim this wondrous clarion hour!
That God would leave his heaven above to live with us a life of love,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men!

O Little Child, your eyes still sleep, your tiny form a mystery.
Come with the world on bended knee - on Christmas day I think of thee."

(if you would like a PDF chart of the words/music, please let me know - ringrecords AT gmail DOT com)

Musicians:
Hiram Ring - guitar, vocals
Alisha Ring - violin, background vocals
Matthew Monticchio - piano
David Green - bass
John Haughery - drums
Yolanda Mott - cello

Vermont

I drove from Rochester, NY through the Adirondacks to northern Vermont, and just as I crossed the bridge at Crown Point I got my first whiff of fall breeze - molting leaves and peat moss mingled with cow's breath and the cool smell of fresh-picked apples. This state is beautifully rugged, with vibrant colors that pop out in the warm sunlight and far enough north that the threat of moose crossing the road is not taken lightly.
My first stop was The Bee's Knees in Morrisville, VT north of Stowe, where I ate some incredible food and imbibed local beverages before performing a laid-back set of acoustic music in a cosy atmosphere. I know this is going to sound like a write-up for a travel company, but somehow that doesn't deter me from trying to convey the sense of homeyness and friendship that I felt in that place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DabSvfB88s

So it was natural that the girl behind the counter, on discovering I didn't have a place to spend the night, offered me her lean-to while she slept over at a friend's house. What a great night to spend in my sleeping bag out in the woods! The following morning Karen gave me a tour of the CSA (community supported agriculture) farm that friends of hers run, near Morrisville, and of course that meant meeting a bunch of great folks and eating fresh carrots, among other things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEsE3TZ66e0

They directed me to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Cheese, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory (all just down the road), and I went on my way well-fed by a true Vermont experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqB9-ZXJ4o

Atlanta... and Greenville via Cherokee National Forest

In Atlanta I met with Margie Ulsh, editor of Among Worlds, a quarterly publication for TCKs and ATCKs (Adult Third Culture Kids) that addresses issues such as transition, crossing cultures, and coping strategies for grief and the pain that accompanies being transplanted - issues that more people are finding common to their experience. You can learn more about the magazine by visiting Interaction's website: http://www.interactionintl.org/amongworlds.asp or Margie's Blog: http://amongworlds.blogspot.com
  I played at Covenant College as well, where rain forced us to set up the picnic in the dining hall - an enjoyable experience nevertheless. I then traveled to Greenville, SC, where I played outdoors in an amphitheater on a beautiful day with a good crowd, and received some excellent responses from the audience - it is wonderful to make new friends!
So here's some video of meeting with Margie and then my drive from Covenant College through Cherokee National Forest to Greenville, SC, where I played at Paris Mountain State Park's 'Music in the Woods', sponsored in part by WNCW. Good turnout, fun event.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzPDp0sTc4
I'm in Lancaster at the moment, hanging out, working for MathUSee and getting ready to head out on the road again on Saturday. Fun times. Right now I'm wondering whether to install the ProTools LE 8upgrade, or simply let the disc sit on my desk until I get back from the road at the end of September. I'm leaning toward the latter, but I'm curious by nature, so having it sit there is rATHer tempting..

The MoSoul Poetry Festival

When Josephus Thompson III invited me to be part of the MoSoul Poetry Festival in Greensboro this year, I didn't quite know what to expect. Having now experienced it, I am totally blown away by the talent and abilities of those involved as artists and as organizers. When I came to Greensboro in March while on tour, Josephus was my first introduction to serious spoken poetry, and I can easily say that he is not the only one with mad skills in wordplay.
At the risk of making this a long post and expanding on the excellent post by Reason2Rhyme's blog, let me detail the talent represented by this month's (the final of the year's series) poetry festival. Keep in mind that many of the things I say about a single artist are true of every other artist - what I say here are simply what strike me from our first interactions. This post is too long to embed videos, but definitely check each of these artists out on their own websites, go see them live, and check out my YouTube page for performances from the festival weekend.
Here they are in the order that we performed:
Josephus Thompson III - one of Greensboro's premier spoken word artist's, he has been in the thick of the arts scene in this city for most of the last 8 years. He has started or is involved in numerous organizations to foster the arts and most notably to encourage young people in schools to express themselves in new and constructive ways. Along with T.I.G. and a core group of volunteers, Reasons2Rhyme was formed to continue this vision and bring poetry to Greensboro and elsewhere.
Keith Rodgers - a man of many talents who hails from Tallahassee, FL, where he formed Black-on-Black Rhyme, a network of many spoken word artists that has chapters in various cities around Florida. Keith is incredibly business-savvy (he carries a point-of-sale credit card machine with him on his belt), has a way with words both on stage and in everyday conversation, and can really work a crowd.
Hiram Ring - the one writing this post. Need I say more?
Ebony - part of Keith's Black-on-Black network, she is a serious poet dealing with social issues. Ebony is also the co-founder and marketing director of Yo-Talent.com, a social network for poets allows them to sell product as well as connect with other artists.
The One Sun Lion Ra - a musician and rapper as well as a poet, Ra went to school in Greensboro but now lives in New York city. His rhymes run the gamut of rhythmic and inspiring to contemplative. He is a committed family man and speaks from a depth of experience.
Will McInerney - a Chapel Hill, NC native with a political/social bent, Will's poetry often deals with what it means to be human. He is not afraid to tackle and speak his mind on issues such as land rights and political conflict of the past, present, and future. He's a member of Sacrificial Poets and took part in the Brave New Voices poetry competition recently documented on an HBO miniseries.
Justice - Antwidamala Justice Umbiya translates directly to, “He who greets with fire” and “Just and righteous champion of the people”. It's a fitting title for one whose poetry speaks so passionately about individual struggles from a personal perspective. Justice's life is a story of determined struggle, and he recently left his high-paying job at GM to continue pursuing his passion - sharing his stories with others.
Evin Gibson - an award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, Evin is tons of fun in person and on stage. He has traveled the world with his music and resides in Greensboro. Usually backed by dancers and musicians, this guy is an excellent singer and manages to pull off his songs a-capella as well.
Isaiah 11:11 - a teacher in Newark, NJ, Isaiah also pursues his musical passion as a hip-hop and reggae artist and started getting into spoken word poetry around the same time that he first met Josephus at a rap show. Originally from Liberia, Isaiah's words deal with social inequities and racial issues, and his knowledge of history and world politics deepens his expression.
Moe - another Floridian, native of Jacksonville, Moe's rhyme is pokes fun at himself and the world around him while capturing his audience with its depth and wordplay. His phrasing and expression is smooth yet complex. A favorite in his hometown, he regularly sells out shows at Jacksonville's biggest venue.
Andrew Tyree - another killer poet from Greensboro, Andrew has won numerous awards for his work. Most recently he was the 2009 Charlotte Grand Slam Champion. He deals with personal issues, relationships and nearly everything else, making his listeners think about life in new ways.
As I said, the weekend has completely expanded my horizons and makes me want to encourage spoken word events all over the US - hopefully this festival simply continues to grow. To find out what you can do to help the cause, visit the Reasons2Rhyme blog and become friends with them on Facebook and elsewhere. Lets spread the word and encourage people to write.

Vlog Day 50 - Peel Mansion, Wal-Mart Museum and Steakburger

I visited the sights of Bentonville, Arkansas today - saw a really neat old house built by Colonel Sam Peel, who was a soldier in the confederacy before moving back to Arkansas and becoming a statesman. It was recently renovated with the help of Wal-Mart and is a pretty cool place. Some really pretty gardens and one of the oldest oaks in the area. The largest sycamore is now in pieces, and they have a giant ring from the trunk sitting against the house.
Sam Walton's original 5-10 has now been converted into the Wal-Mart Visitor's Center, which acts as a museum for the company and catalogs its growth from a small variety store to the incorporated international company that it is today. The museum is really interesting, and shows how Mr. Walton's company grew through a focus on people promoted and exemplified by the man himself - this guy was really committed to providing decent goods to people at the lowest price possible, yet his passion for this was combined with a care for the customer and the people that worked for him, as well as a sense of humor. He was not a person that was wrapped up in himself, and I think the world has benefited from his efforts, for the most part.
Right next to the museum is The Station Cafe, which claims to have the best steakburgers in Northwest Arkansas. I have to admit they are pretty good - as are their chocolate malts. All in all, a great day!

Vlog Day 49 - Friends & Harvey's Video

My friend Harvey Robinson just finished the excellent video he took of me performing in his kitchen, so I'm embedding it below. Harvey does really good work and has some good equipment. When I traveled through Greensboro, NC I got in touch with him and set up a time to visit his home, where he films. His work with Monkey Whale Productions is pretty incredible, and I hope you'll check it out.
Back to the tour, today we generally hung out around the house and I helped with some chores (like mowing the back yard). It's been really great to have some downtime with family here in Arkansas. In the evening we went to visit Franny's family nearby and I played some songs for them. Here's part of 'One Girl for Me' in their living room, and playing with their dog Molly and nephew Charlie.

Vlog Day 48 - Church

I visited my brother and sister-in-law's church today for the 11am service. It's quite a large church, and they have a scan-in system for the kids, which is pretty cool and necessary, I'm sure.
The church is named Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas, and they unveiled a new song that one of the members has written - it's actually a decent song, and here's a piece of it.

Vlog Day 46 - World Garden

I drove the 8 hours from Nashville to Bentonville, Arkansas today - stopped in Memphis for lunch, which I discovered was not conducive to a streamlined drive. Did you know that on half the streets in Memphis (maybe more) you can't turn left? This means that turning left involves intense circumlocution and lots of extra time. But all's well that ends well.
In Bentonville I played at World Garden Salads, a new soup and salad place that just started last fall and has a really neat focus. Through their sales they provide funding for orphanages around the world - a seventh of what they make from their soup and salad bar goes to seven different orphanages, so when you eat there (and the food is really good) you are making a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of children who otherwise would not benefit. Their food is great and they roast their own coffee - which is also phenomenal.
Rick and Mark's vision is to provide a fair-trade network for coffee growers and farmers both locally and worldwide that also benefits those who normally go without. They want to extend their food and craft resources to many different countries by purchasing coffee, tea, and spices directly from farmers, and crafts directly from artisans or through other trade resources such as Ten Thousand Villages. It is a really unique idea and one that really is working and making sense. World Garden is now beginning to think of franchising. You can hear directly from Rick in the video below - pardon the excited girls in the background. =)

Vlog Day 41 - Easter Song

I hung out with my friend Andrea at her church (Stonebridge) this morning, and then we had brunch with friends of hers nearby. Brunch was fabulous (I remained stuffed for several hours) and we also had fun hunting for easter eggs and sat in the sun talking about spiritual things. I played 'I Am Not a Thief' as well. Playing songs for friends is probably my favorite thing to do - totally unplugged and relaxed. Isn't GRACE amazing? I could go on, but read the Gospels for yourself.

Vlog Day 38 - World of Coca-Cola

I visited the World of Coca Cola in Atlanta today - exciting stuff! I've always wanted to visit the museum since I'm such a fan of the drink (definitely not a Pepsi person), but haven't had a chance until now. It was pretty busy, as you can see from the video.
Once we negotiated the line we were herded like cattle into the 'paraphernalia' room which is chock-full of CocaCola memorabilia. Here we were given a talk by a guy, which I included a short snippet of. He also mentioned that they're missing 4 Norman Rockwell coke paintings, so if you happen to have one, let me know and I can talk to them for you... =)
After the video snippet the screen raises up and doors open and you enter the main exhibit, where I got a shot of me with the statue of the hero and creator of Coca Cola. Perhaps my favorite part was all the commercials from around the world - hilarious stuff! Then of course the tasting room and on home. By the time I left I had to go to the bathroom.

Vlog Day 36 - Dance Dance Revolution

Today I chilled with my friends who live here in Georgia - they're a missionary family that was also in Ghana with Wycliffe, so our families grew up together. I'm really enjoying my time with them. To relax we play Dance Dance Revolution, Mario Kart and Wii games. It's lots of fun. Here's some video of us playing DDR - I'm pretty bad at it, kind of like Guitar Hero. I guess if you can do the real thing it doesn't always translate to video games. That's a whole other skill set.

Vlog Day 32 - Epcot

I went with my friend Matt, his girlfriend Melissa and his friend Ivan (and family) to Epcot Center today, in the Disney World park. It was pretty cool - I've never been to any of the Disney World theme parks before. As we were walking around for twelve hours, it struck me that westerners (and particularly Americans) seem to play just as hard as they work, almost as if to have fun you have to expend tons of energy in recreation. Not that it wasn't fun - I had a blast hanging out with friends and riding the rides, being exposed to new experiences and learning new things. It was just interesting how dedicated everyone seemed to be to the experience and yet how tired everyone was. I wonder if we've forgotten how to rest.
I got to ride Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Mission to Mars, The Land, and a few others that were pretty cool (a really neat aquarium and greenhouse), but the country exhibits were probably my favorite. Different cultures representing themselves, albeit in a fake touristy way, but they did have museum displays that were actually interesting, and later in the afternoon there were live performances by musicians from each country. The Moroccans were jammin'! We ended up at the Norwegian restaurant for dinner (no goat cheese or real Norwegian bread, unfortunately) and the girls got to meet all the Disney Princesses except for Jasmine. Finally, the day culminated in a spectacular fireworks show. Notice how it's accompanied by music - the whole day was accompanied by background music intended to inspire and encourage and keep us happy. I think it probably works subliminally...

Vlog Day 31 - Wycliffe Tour

Today I took a tour at Wycliffe, led by my friend Chris who is also a connector/facilitator at Wycliffe. She had some interesting things to say about the work that gets done here at the office and around the world.

We were also able to meet with a national translator from the Brazilian Amazon who is here to develop relationships and partnerships with Wycliffe. You can hear some of our conversation in this video. There is much more about the tour that doesn't fit in this short video, though, so I recommend that you visit the office in Orlando yourself. You can also find out more on their website. Everyone is needed to accomplish the task of Bible translation.

Vlog Day 28 - St. Augustine

The title today refers not to the saint who penned the well-read 'Confessions', but rather to the oldest city in the US (which happens to bear his name). St Augustine (just south of Jacksonville, FL) was founded by Spain to protect its interests in the West Indies, and their fort, San Marcos, was never taken by force, only by treaty. We drove there today from Micanopy (the second city in Florida) on a gorgeous spring day. Spring has truly arrived here in Florida, though some would say it never leaves.
St. Augustine is also the home of Flagler College, which remembers Henry Flagler, a magnate of the early 1900s who (like his contemporaries the Rockefellers) built a lot of buildings and bequeathed a lot of money for the benefit of posterity. The college is a small liberal arts college that has a strong deaf education major.
On the way back to Ormond Beach, along A1A, we took a detour through the Tacoma swamp to visit the oldest Live Oak tree in Florida. This tree is huge and is over 2,000 year old! It's a pretty amazing sight.