Our Voice: We’re grateful for many memorable experiences

Memories are often special moments — times thought back on that bring a smile.

Families together, a simple act of kindness or a community experience shared can add up, like a savings account, to a lot to be grateful for.

Blood moon

It was rare and a first in 33 years — the blood moon that rose Sunday evening. Families, friends, astronomy groups and more in the Mid-Columbia gathered at the Moore Observatory at Columbia Basin College in Pasco and all around the region to witness an event that won’t happen for another 18 years.

The unusual combination of planetary events played out in the night sky just after 6:30 p.m. when the moon, closer than any other time all year and known as a supermoon, gradually took on a dusky red color.

The phenomenon was caused when most of the sunlight was blocked from hitting the moon’s surface as the moon passed through the Earth’s shadow during a total lunar eclipse.

We’re grateful the sky was clear, making for an experience worth retelling for years.

Garbage truck

Adults may take the weekly garbage pickup for granted, but for one little girl in West Richland it was the highlight of her Tuesday mornings.

Gigi Campbell loved seeing the arm of the truck come down and lift the huge garbage cans, so much so that she rountinely would get up before its 6:30 a.m. arrival.

The 4-year old also looked forward to the driver’s wave.

But recently, the truck schedule changed to a later time, one that Gigi would miss because of school.

Ed’s Disposal driver, Fred Gomez, decided to keep the memory alive when he hand-delivered a pink gift bag with a green toy garbage truck inside.

Grateful Gigi immediately wore a smile, one like Gomez has worn every Tuesday when she brightened his day.

Prosser Balloon Rally

It was up, up and away as multicolored balloons filled the skies west of the Tri-Cities this past weekend.

The Great Prosser Balloon Rally in its 26th year featured 20 hot air balloons and pilots from the Northwest and beyond.

The public could take in the sunrise launches and the popular Night Glow, creating many lasting memories of this wonderful community event.

Rescued canines

It’s going to take a lot of patience and time to socialize and train four dogs rescued from a South Korean meat farm that have spent all their lives in wire cages, never touching grass or playing with a ball.

We’re thankful for organizations like the Humane Society which is working to convince some foreign farmers to switch to other kinds of food production and to give these dogs up for adoption.

Four of them soon will have new homes, with yards and toys, in the Mid-Columbia.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Our Voice: We’re grateful for many memorable experiences."