Occasionally Nature will give you a view that, well, looks like something other than what it is.
Imagine seeing this “tree” coming out of a field on a gray foggy night. This thing has an otherworldly flavor and I’d no doubt run if I saw it coming.
Nashville’s Fudge Kitchen is a sweet shop
Nashville, Indiana is a small town in southern Indiana know locally as a popular tourist destination. The town is filled with many shops offering a wide variety of merchandise. One of the favorite stores in the downtown is the Nashville Fudge Kitchen.
The front of the fudge shop
Free samples are offered at this counter
We always put a stop at the Fudge Kitchen on our schedule when we visit Nashville. In addition to fudge the store also makes all flavors of gourmet popcorn and kettle corn. Samples of both popcorn and fudge are gladly offered to all customers.
A wide variety of popcorn sizes and flavors
Another counter filled with scrumptious fudge
Nashville is one of our favorite day trip destinations. Not only are there many stores and restaurants in town, but there is also an entertainment venue, Brown County Music Center. We have attended several concerts and events at the Music Center. Take a trip to Nashville and you’ll see what all the talk is about.
Woven Co Candles for a fun DIY project
Sometimes a simple adventure is as enjoyable as a intricately planned and complicated multi faceted one. A couple of weeks ago one of our sons and one granddaughter came over on a day trip. Sher and I found a simple adventure for us all in a nearby town.
On the front porch of Woven Candle Co
Our three creations
The Woven Co Candles is located in downtown Franklin, Indiana in an older two story house. We saw the listing for Do-it-yourself candle making. It sounded like fun so we headed to Franklin. The store has several tables for candle making. One wall is covered with shelves full of different liquid scents.
Finished candle ready for a light.
Metallic “sprinkles” reflect the candle flame for a neat effect
The process is interesting. You pick out the jar you want. Each of those are already set with a wick in the center of the jar. When you decide what scents you want they are poured into the bottom of the jar. Hot wax is then poured onto the scents, and stirred until it turns cloudy. After a couple of hours your candle is ready to take home. We had a great time and would recommend a DIY candle creation at Wove Co Candles.
Hand carved Indiana limestone monument for young apprentice carver
Indiana is famous for the quantity and quality of quarried limestone that has been used for edifices around the country and the world. Lawrence County, Indiana was home for many quarries but also many incredibly talented stone carvers. One example of this craftsmanship is a stone monument made for the grave of a young apprentice carver in Green Hill Cemetery in Bedford.
Yes, that is limestone lettering
The workbench as Baker left it
Louis Jackson Baker (1894 – 1917) was an apprentice stone carver. He fell to typhoid fever at the age of 23 years. Stone companies of the day gave employees stone for cemetery markers. Baker’s fellow stone workers created a stunning monument that made a limestone recreation of his work bench, complete with all the tools as he left them when he went home for the last time.
Incredible details of the tools
Side view of the work bench
The Green Hill Cemetery has scores of beautifully carved monuments. If you enjoy walking cemeteries, this one is one of the best in Southern Indiana.
Baker’s work bench monument is well known and worth an up close and personal visit.
Rushville’s Fish Moon Brewing Company
During our travels around Indiana we had seen the exterior of the Fish Moon Brewing Company in downtown Rushville, Indiana. Seems like we just never had time to stop and check it out. After lunch this Saturday we headed to Fish Moon brewpub to see what we have been missing.
We’re ready to go in
The welcoming bar
We got to the establishment at 2. There were a few tables with patrons and a couple at the bar. Our server explained the beers that they had on tap, prices and the flights they offered. Sher ordered a glass of Strawberry Blonde I decided to try the Small Town Ale. Both brews were ok, excited to try something else on our next visit.
Cold ones on tap!
On site brewing means fresh beer!
The food menu is quite extensive. It features great brewpub food, The list of sandwiches is long, includes all your favorites with trimmings. Salads and lots of sides round out the menu, all of which are available for carryout.
Decor that is appropriate for the theme
Fun map, entertainment stage in front
The brewpub decor is most intriguing. The building once housed a large small town 2 story furniture store. The building was refurbished in 2019. Several large screen TV’s are scattered around the restaurant and bar area. Brewing vats are in clear sight at the back of the building. We plan on returning both for a meal but also to enjoy live music or live comedy.
Duke Energy takes a huge Mulberry tree from our yard
Over the years our local electric utility has twice in the past stopped and announced they were going to remove a very large Mulberry tree from our yard. It’s growth was a hazard to multiple powerlines. Finally third time is the charm, as Duke Energy worked the past two days to remove this massive tree.
Large trunks flaring out from the base heading in all directions
Bucket truck reached in from overhead
First day started using a bucket truck for higher branches. This tree cluster had five large trunks that grew out from a center area. The crew had two men on large chain saws supported by six or seven ground workers moving the branches and waste up the steep bank to a road that runs on top of the flood control levee.
Hauling branches to the chipper
Lots of wood for hauling off the levee road
Lots of stump left to cut up
The large trunks were carefully felled to the ground. Once downed, the saw operators cut the branches for removal to the road above for processing in the chipper machine. It took great effort for the crew to haul all the branches and trunk wood to the road on top of the levee.
Lots of space opened up!
The finished product. Seems like we just gained 1/4 acre!
The common garter snake is a friend in your backyard
We had a surprise today as we were enjoying our backyard swing. Our son had just moved a tarp from the mat that our swing sits on. There exposed was a snake, the first one we have ever seen in our 12 years living in this property. We’re glad to see this guy in our yard.
Surprise, I was hiding under that tarp
This retile is a common garter snake. (Thamnophis sirtalis) It is fine to have around, it is perfectly harmless to humans. They are carnivorous and thrive on small live prey like insects, earthworms, slugs, snails and small fish, among other backyard pests.
Portrait of our new found backyard resident
Garter snakes are diurnal, meaning they are primarily active during daylight hours. In the summer heat they come out early morning and late evening. Spring and fall are the seasons when they like coming out during mid day. You may see them sunbathing during the day.
Highway 40 yard sale vendors
The Historic National Road (US 40) yard sale wrapped up Sunday after a successful five day run of this annual event. Our set up was at Dunreith, a small town between Richmond and Greenfield, Indiana. Nearly 30 different vendors had spots at which to sell their wares.
One very popular set up was selling home made fudge and fruit cobblers. Their selling spot had a large tent with the product shelving underneath. Blueberry, peach, strawberry and other flavor cobblers were available in either 4×4″ or large 8×8″ aluminum pans.
A truly delicious vendor site!
It seemed like the cobbler stand was quite busy. One day Pat had to go home to bake more cobblers when they sold out of several. Sher and I purchased one of the large blueberry cobblers. It was a wonderful treat, we enjoyed it over a couple of days!
One of the vendors likely would win the “who came the farthest” prize. Griffin Leather Company is based in Alabama some 460+ miles from Dunreith. Tim and Ruthie run the business together and travel extensively during the year to shows, festivals and other venues. They are true talented leather crafters.
Griffin Leather belts, gun cases and slings
..
Their set up at the 40 Yard Sale included displays of adult and child size hand tooled leather belts. Tim on the spot puts names on the belts for personalization. Fancy rifle and shotgun cases and holsters for revolvers are also on the sale racks. Griffin Leather also makes beautiful leather gun slings. The business card has the slogan: “Our gun slings look so good your scope will be jealous.” You can reach them at their website.
Twin Peaks Restaurant near Greenwood Mall
Sher and I try to stay as active as we can . One of our exercise routines is to walk in the Greenwood Mall, a large retail mall south of Indianapolis. After one of our walks it was time for a bite to eat. On the edge of the large mall parking lot we saw a sign for Twin Peaks, an establishment we had yet to patronize.
The Main Bar
Twin Peaks is a national chain. The decor is similar to a mountain hunting lodge combined with a huge digital screens filled sports bar. Oh, and don’t forget those cute outfits the waitress staff wears. It is known for the menu of scratch-made food, tall mugs of 29° draft beer and sports on large tv’s from any angle.
Near perfect fried fish
Loaded Baked Potato
Now there’s a pretzel
Actual temperature of beer on tap
The service was, as advertised, fun and friendly. Our waitress recommended to me the fried fish sandwich. Sher ordered the baked potato and our son wanted to try the (huge) pretzel and fries. If you have a Twin Peaks near you go ahead and try it. You will be glad you did.
Hummingbirds in our backyard
Captured one feeding with the phone
This is one of five hummingbird feeders that we have installed in our backyard. We put these out the first week of April. No hummingbirds showed up until the first week of May and we were glad because we were thinking we might not see any this year. On a podcast we saw a report suggested these feeders for $1.50 at Dollar Tree.
Glad to report that as we enjoy sitting in our yard swing hummingbirds come to all five of our feeders. This is backyard birding at its best.
Roadtirement 