Can you see that one last black walnut waiting to "conk" you on the head?

How nice to be coming up on a three-day weekend with the celebration of Columbus Day on Monday. If you stay at home to relax and enjoy the warm October temperatures in your back yard, be sure to watch for falling black walnuts.  They will make an impression on you – and your head!

We expect that many of our readers will take the opportunity to “get out of Dodge” and hopefully send us a report of their travels.  Today Around Davidson has news of Kevin and Celeste Colcord and their Grand Canyon trek as well as an account of a wonderful honor for Tim Fangmeier and details of a wedding for John Wadsworth and Marla Boughton.

Kevin and Celeste Colcord qualify as "rugged outdoorsmen" as they hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon!

TREKKING WITH KEVIN AND CELESTE

The children are away at college. The winter weather is dreary. The mailman brings a AAA magazine. The Grand Canyon trip looks intriguing; it is, after all, nine months in the future, so the Colcords say “Why Not?” and the rest is history!

Kevin and Celeste Colcord recently returned from a seven-day adventure in Arizona.  Traveling on a AAA tour, they were joined by one other woman from south Charlotte.  Their guide was a Charlotte resident, Tito Menjivar, who is very knowledgeable about the history, geology, flora and the Native Americans of the Grand Canyon.  He proved to be an excellent leader.  The group met with Tito two times before the trip so he could advise them on a training program to prepare for the 8-mile trek (at 2000- foot elevation), plus recommendations on equipment and gear that would be needed.

No mules for the Colcords!  They hiked down into  Havasu Canyon, in the Grand Canyon, where they stayed two nights on the Havasupai Reservation in the town of Supai.  Daily they hiked 9 miles or more, viewing each of the four beautiful blue-green waterfalls in the area that lead to the Colorado River.  Their favorite was the 75-foot high Navajo Falls which has changed dramatically since the 2009 flooding.

After hiking the eight miles (!) up out of the canyon, Kevin and Celeste spent time on the South Rim of the canyon (with all the tourists) before continuing to Sedona for a few days of R&R before heading back to North Carolina.

Now the Colcords are interested in a future Rim-to-Rim hike (from the North to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon).  This involves walking about 24 miles over the course of three to four days, staying at Phantom Ranch and Indian Gardens.  Anybody want to go along?  Good knees and good walking sticks are a must!  Contact Celeste and Kevin at CelesteC@LakeNormanRealty.com if you are interested.  Ah, the adventures that beckon empty-nesters!

Rae stands before one of her beautiful quilts while Tim holds a favorite water color.

KUDOS TO TIM FANGMEIER

We are proud of Davidson resident, Tim Fangmeier, and his wife, Rae, who live in the old St. Alban’s church building on Lorimer Street when they’re not enjoying the mountain air at their summer home in the North Carolina mountains in Newland.  How appropriate that the Fangmeiers now live in a former church, since Tim is a Lutheran minister who was recognized July 31 on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of his ordination. Click here to see the press release.

Tim was instrumental in starting a year-round congregation on the grounds of Camp Linn Haven in Linville, N.C.  This new church was named Mountainside Lutheran Church and now offers Sunday services for visitors to Camp Linn Haven as well as residents of the surrounding mountain communities.  Tim is a charter member of the church.

Tim has served as pastor of churches in Fort Myers and Delray Beach, Fla., as well as Ascension Lutheran Church in Charlotte.  The Fangmeiers’ son, Pete Fangmeier, lives in Charlotte, and their daughter, Beth, and her husband, Mike Jordan, and their three children (Lorien, Gabby and Grayson) live in Mooresville.  Tim and Rae love living in Davidson because of its close proximity to their children and grandchildren as well as an easy ride down I-77 to Ascension Lutheran for Sunday worship.  Rae joined others from Ascension Lutheran this summer on a Vision Testing mission trip (her first) to Haiti where they were able to dispense more than 1,000 pairs of donated eye glasses to needy children and adults.  (They carried 3,000 pairs with them hoping to find a match for each needy resident.)  She found her week’s work so gratifying, she now is eager to join another trip.

(l-r), Rev. Arthur Umbach, Rev. Tim Fangmeier, and Rev. Dennis Quackenboss, Pastor of Mountainside Lutheran.

Tim still preaches occasionally at Mountainside Lutheran Church and is involved in Wheat Ridge Ministries where by telephone and Internet, he manages a sabbatical website for professional church workers.  He also participates in KAIROS Christian prison ministry providing four-day programs two times a year at correctional institutions in North and South Carolina.  In addition, both Tim and Rae spend Tuesdays helping with Ascension Lutheran’s Soup Kitchen – from preparation to serving to clean-up.  Rae also volunteers weekly at Crisis Assistance Ministry.

In his spare time, Tim paints and is a very talented watercolor artist.  Rae is well known for her beautiful quilt designs. Both Fangmeiers are Davidson basketball enthusiasts and try to be in town for every home Wildcats game.  Congratulations again to you, Tim, for the 40^th anniversary of your ordination, and to Rae for her 40 years of support of your ministry.

John and Marla were engaged last Thanksgiving.

WEDDING BELLS FOR JOHN AND MARLA

Congratulations to John Henderson Wadsworth and Marla Diane Boughton who married on September 17 at St. Ann Catholic Church in Charlotte.  John is the son of Ruth and Ed Wadsworth of Davidson and Marla is the daughter of Scott and Karen Boughton of Oklahoma City, OK.  Following the wedding ceremony, a reception for the bride and groom was held at CenterStage@NoDa in Charlotte.  Members of the wedding party included John’s brothers, Robert Wadsworth (Best Man) and Greg Wadsworth (groomsman) as well as Marla’s brother, Matt Boughton (groomsman).  Longtime friend of the bride, Laura Lauth, was the Maid of Honor.  Davidsonian and good friend of the groom, Zach Eyler, was a groomsman.  A rehearsal dinner was held the evening before at Bell Acres in Charlotte.

Marla Boughton and John Wadsworth married on September 17 in Charlotte.

As with so many couples, John and Marla have a wonderful website that covers a lot of information about the bride and groom (http://johnandmarla.wordpress.com/). This young couple met at a mutual friend’s birthday party three years ago and got engaged over Thanksgiving holiday in 2010.  Marla is from Oklahoma City with an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and soon will complete a Ph.D. in Organizational Science from UNCC.  While finishing her dissertation she is working part-time for Carolinas Healthcare.  John graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006 and works at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte.

After a week’s honeymoon in Curacao, the new Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth are making their home in Charlotte.  When not at work, they particularly enjoy outdoor activities – hiking in the mountains is one of their favorite pastimes.  Later this year they will be in Oklahoma City to greet friends and family who were unable to make the trip to Charlotte for the wedding.  Best wishes to John and Marla.

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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbarger@bellsouth.net.