Panther Creek State Park, Morristown, Tennessee
And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” ~ Genesis 1:3
To most of you, our lifestyle probably seems like we’re constantly on vacation, but it’s not. I just don’t post about everything going on. We still have issues in our everyday life (both good and bad) that need to be addressed just like everyone else. Some are done long-distance, sure, but we have to deal with them nonetheless. And there are bills to pay, and projects that need doing, and phone calls to make, and routes to plan, and the list goes on. It may not be a vacation, but it’s still a wonderful way of life! And even though we miss being around family and friends, we are still happy with our decision. In other words, our zeal for the adventurous life hasn’t yet ebbed.
Blaine and I went our separate ways today. I’ve been dealing with chronic insomnia and chose today to go back to bed, and in order to help facilitate my nap, Blaine left for a two-hour hike. He went about 6.5 miles today and took a grand total of three pictures! Note the distance and time. He walks a lot faster when I’m not with him. God bless him for still wanting to hang back with me!
After my much needed rest, I went for a walk around the campground, thinking to walk the road as well. That part was a bust because there was simply too much traffic and the road too narrow to feel save walking on. I couldn’t walk trails because it was warm today, so I’d put on sandals.
I did however, witness a wedding! Being outdoors and in a State Park, I was kinda surprised that people were dressed up fairly well, and the bride even had on a long white gown. Take a look at the pictures I managed to snag.
Today also marked the death of one of TV’s greatest icons, Alex Trebek. In honor of his 80 years of life, here’s some information I was able to dig up on him. Truthfully, we had no idea what a philanthropist and humanitarian he was.
July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020
Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he grew up in a French-English bilingual home. His first job was as a bellhop at the hotel where his father was a chef. He was 13. He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy in 1961. He became a journalist, working as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. In 1998, he became a naturalized United States citizen.
In 1966, while still in his mid-20s, he switched from journalism to hosting game shows, starting with a quiz show titled “Reach for the Top,” and followed a few years later by another, “Jackpot.”
It wasn’t until 1984 that Trebek landed what turned out to be his big break, when producer-host Merv Griffin chose him to emcee a revival of “Jeopardy!,” which was paired with another hit game show, “Wheel of Fortune.” He hosted over 8,200 episodes spanning 37 years.
His longevity was reflected in a personal milestone, when he passed Bob Barker of “The Price is Right” in the Guinness Book of Records as the person who had hosted the most game-show episodes. (I couldn’t discover how many Bob did. The answer seems to be, anywhere from 3,500 to 7,000. Regardless, Alex has more.)
In 1996, Trebek ran the Olympic torch in Jacksonville, Florida, through a leg of its journey to Atlanta.
On January 30, 2004, he escaped major injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck while driving alone on a rural road in the Central Coast town of Templeton, California, returning from a family home in Lake Nacimiento. The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet over an embankment, and came to rest against a utility pole in a ditch. He was not cited for the accident and returned to work taping Jeopardy! four days later.
Trebek owned and managed a 700-acre ranch near Paso Robles in Creston, California, known as Creston Farms, where he bred and trained thoroughbred racehorses. His colt Reba’s Gold is the stakes-winning son of Slew o’ Gold. He sold the operation in 2008 and the property is now an event center called Windfall Farms.
In a 2018 interview with Vulture, Trebek said he was a political moderate and registered independent, neither conservative nor liberal, with some libertarian leanings. Trebek stated he believed in God as a Christian. During a 2019 gubernatorial debate, he said he was raised Catholic during his childhood and adolescence.
On December 11, 2007, he suffered a minor heart attack at his home, but returned to work as scheduled in January 2008. In July 2011, he injured an Achilles tendon while chasing a burglar who had entered his San Francisco hotel room, requiring six weeks in a cast. Trebek suffered another mild heart attack in June 2012, but was able to return to work the following month.
On December 15, 2017, over the winter break of Jeopardy! taping, Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after reportedly experiencing complications from a fall in October of that year. The incident resulted in a subdural hematoma. Trebek underwent surgery to remove blood clots from his brain the following day. Trebek required a short medical leave and returned to regular hosting duty in mid-January 2018.
Trebek earned numerous awards over the course of his career, including the Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding game show host, which he won seven times, most recently in July. He also received a lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmys in June 2011, and a Peabody award in 2012. ( In the 1930s, The National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to establish a prestigious award similar to the Pulitzer Prize for excellence in broadcasting. The first awards were presented in 1941.)
In 2017, Trebek was named an officer of the Order of Canada, his native country’s second-highest civilian honor. He is one of the few celebrities to have been honored with a coveted star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Canadian Walk of Fame.
Trebek has maintained strong ties to the University of Ottawa: he has created scholarships, sponsored a Lecture Series, and supported the construction of Alumni Hall, which, in May 2015, was named in his honor. He was conferred an honorary doctorate, and he received the Meritas Tabaret Award for Alumni Achievement, the top award bestowed upon University of Ottawa alumni. He is a long-time supporter of World Vision and has traveled to many third-world countries on behalf of that organization. In 2020, Trebek and his wife, Jean, made a joint donation to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission in the San Fernando Valley.
Alex has gone on tour with the USO 13 times to show his support for the troops and their families. Without government funding, the USO relies solely on individual contributions – another reason why Alex is so passionate about educating people on what it’s all about.
Since 1985, Alex has been a passionate supporter of the work that World Vision does on behalf of children around the world. His efforts span many countries, and his investments in education, healthcare, and clean water have helped hundreds of thousands of children move out of poverty to pursue their dreams.
Trebek published a best-selling book in July 2020, “The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.” He will donate all his proceeds from the book to charity.
In March 2019, he announced that he had pancreatic cancer. Since the announcement, he has undergone treatment while continuing to host Jeopardy!, inspiring millions with his upbeat and candid messages about his health. His last day in the studio was October 29, according to Sony Pictures. “Jeopardy!” episodes are set to air through December 25.
He is survived by his wife, Jean and their two adult children: Emily, a real estate developer in Los Angeles, and Matthew, the owner of OSO, a Mexican restaurant, and Lucille’s, a restaurant/bar, both in Harlem, New York. As well as a third child, his first wife’s daughter, Nicky, whom he adopted during their marriage.
This is out of order for our days, but as we drove around Cattanooga, Tennessee later this week, we saw a billboard honoring Alex. It read, “The host who will be missed. The answer is, Alex Trebek”.