Happy Birthday Zeb!

Happy birthday to Zebulon Pike, the man who discovered the 14,110 foot mountain that he named for himself (It doesn't seem to matter that Native Americans knew about the peak for thousands of years and I'm sure they called it something else). At our house we celebrate every year with a giant misshaped chocolate cake that vaguely resembles the peak, complete with vanilla icing (snow) and one candle at the top representing the light at the summit house.
Pike was born on January 5th, 1779 in New Jersey of all places, where I guess pollution and organized crime drove him out. When he and his men were exploring the western plains they sighted what they thought was a huge cloud (the snow capped peak). As they got closer they discovered it was one enormous rock! According to legend, Pike then exclaimed "there is a mountain no man will ever climb". In fact Zeb and his men tried to scale the peak, but were driven back by the cold and snow (this was before global warming). Of course today it's climbed regularly by hikers, bikers, Girl Scouts, choo-choo trains and cars, proving that Pike was no Nostradamus. Since 1922 the Adaman Club, named because they add another man (and now women can join) to the group each year, climbs the hill. We all know they should change it to the "AdaPerson Club", but it would be too expensive to change the clubs stationary and embroidered logos. Every new year's eve the club members trudge through waist deep snow and fight off hurricane winds and frostbite just so they can set off fireworks for you and me to enjoy. Heck I can't even get my kids to take out the trash for me and these people I don't even know are willing to climb a mountain just so I can watch a pyrotechnics show! Like many of you I watched the fireworks this year (although by midnight my vision was a little blurry). I found that due to buildings and trees, the best place to view them was in front of my house in the middle of the street. Which is not the safest place to be on "amateur drunk night". Hats off to the Adaman Club, they are too cool!!! As for Zeb Pike, happy 230th birthday (although you don't look a day over 175).