What's that smell?

The smell would be the more than 50 of these buildings filled with more than 20,000 barrels each of bourbon. As we drove up the road we were wondering what these buildings were and the closer we got the less we wondered, the air was filled with the wonderful smell of bourbon.

We were able to take a look inside this building and see each of the barrels stacked inside. It takes at least four years for a barrel to fully age. After our tour we tasted two of the bourbons that are aged for 8 years, they were quite lovely. I have always enjoyed the smell of bourbon but never enjoyed a mixed bourbon drink. At the tasting I found that for me bourbon is much better on its own. To sip bourbon on a cool day (or in a frigid hotel room) is very peaceful.

After the bourbon is emptied from the barrels they are not used again for bourbon. They are sold and used for making scotch.

Another look at Louisville

While walking to and from the museums and dinner we encountered beauty everywhere. It was a pleasure to be in a city that treasures its history and its art.

The dancing waters on the left are in the entrance to the park from where the pic on the right was taken. We were standing by the river and looking back at the city.

The building on the right had life size red penguins atop it. Never did find out why.

The chandelier was hanging over the sidewalk.

The serpent is a bike rack. There were many bike racks on our walk and not one of them looked like a bike rack.

Two Days in Louisville

We've been in the Midwest for 15 years now and have only managed to visit two areas outside of Ohio; Traverse City, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Both were great trips that we all enjoyed immensely. This winter while thinking about places to go during summer break we thought about seeing the sights in Boston, or Seattle or Yellowstone. Why is it that the places close to home are the last ones we think about visiting?

This year that changed with our trip to Kentucky. We started in Louisville which was a quick 3 hour drive down 71.

We found a downtown full of restored buildings and amazing artwork. While on our way to the Louisville Slugger factory,

Steve hung out with a former mayor of Louisville.

Then, CJ and I sat on a beautiful horse. In the couple of block walk to the museum we fell in love with the city.

The Slugger factory and museum were fascinating. We saw a bat being turned on a lathe, just as they were when the factory first made their famous bats. Back then it took 20 minutes to make one bat. Now machines turn one out in just 30 seconds.  Our tour guide told us all about the wood, ash & maple, used for making bats and how the best grades are used for professional bats. They have a machine that is dedicated to making bats for MLB players, it was not in use when we were there but was impressive looking. Bats can have many different finishes and players have their favorites. There are even bats coated in carbon fiber.These are used by players who are making the switch from aluminum, which is not allowed in the majors, to wood. It was a great place to visit even for us non baseball fans!

Next we visited the Frazier Museum. It houses assorted weaponry from English history. Steve and CJ listened to a recreation of a battle from the Crimean War, which was what The Charge of the Light Brigade is based on. While they listened to the account of a bloody battle, I wandered through the pistol and rifle room. Don't worry Steve and CJ got to see it too!!! The museum was three stories of English battle history. My favorite parts were the evolution of the Tower of London and the section on pirates.

After checking into the hotel we walked down to the river to have dinner. It was fun to look out on the water while eating. On our way back from dinner, we were surprised to see moose in Kentucky.

For being a state famous for its horses the only ones we have seen so far are like this one.

On our second day in Louisville we headed to the science museum. It was about a six block walk which we did mostly in the shade of the buildings. At 9:30 in the morning it was already quite warm. They are having the same warmer than usual temps as Ohio is. On our way we stopped to explore a riverside park. The park reminded me of Rittehouse Square with it green spaces and benches, it also had 'dancing water' and a fountain and of course the river. At the river we learned about the men from Kentucky who traveled with Lewis and Clark.

The science museum was good, not our favorite, but good. In case you are wondering our favorites are San Francisco and Seattle.

The visit to the glass museum was great. We enjoyed watching a 'martini' glass being created. Martini is in quotes because while it had the shape of a traditional martini glass it was much more elaborate than anything one would see at a store. The factory makes just about every type of glass object that you could think of. The glass walkway we had passed earlier that connected a hotel and the convention center was made at this factory. They are working on another for the city as well. Their work is commissioned from all over the world. Currently they are working on a cathedral in Chicago and a chandelier for a mall in Dubai.

While we hate to leave Louisville we are happy to have see some of what it has to offer and decide that it would be a great place to visit again. It's time to get back in the car and head down to the cave area. Maybe we'll see horses on the way.

Summer Vacation Starts

For the last day of school the elementary kids were home before the middleschoolers. They decided to greet the big kids when they got off the bus.

The greeting included water balloons!!!

And turned into a party that later included water guns and soaking wet kids.

Happy Summer to All

And he's off...

This is the last day of school smile.

6th grade has been an amazing year. The teachers were fun, interesting, caring and helpful. The environment was much more relaxed and the students were given more independence, this was perfect for CJ.

Even his clothes say that he liked school this year. During his 6 years of elementary at two different schools he never wanted any of the logo wear. Now he has at least 4 Olentangy shirts and 1 hoodie.

Thank you team 602 for a great school year!

A Place for Everything

My purses are chosen not only on look and feel but on its compartments. I dislike having to search for my car key or phone and when my Excederin bottle is missing things get a little nasty! So each time I see an add for a purse organizer I am tempted to shell out the $20. This weekend while wandering through Skip To My Lou I stumbled upon a pattern for a purse organizer. I was so excited, a quick easy pattern and an excuse to use some of my lovely quilting material. I picked out a pretty burgundy pattern to match my purse and a light colored lining. I am hoping the light color on the inside will make finding things even easier. After a quick trip to Wal-Mart for interfacing and less than an hour of work I have a custom purse organizer and everything has a place.

Another Early Arrival

The cottonwood trees are at it again. This year like everything else that blooms it is flying much earlier. The ground, the garage, any cars with open windows everything has fluff on it.

I try sweeping it out of the garage and then a slight breeze comes and blows it all back in.

After all that snow this winter it's surprising to see the ground covered with white so soon!

Even T-bone is a little flummoxed by the white stuff!

Yep, that's a picture of a flummoxed Tucker. What a life!

Orchestra Concert

May 27th was the date of CJ's final 6th grade orchestra performance. It was another amazing night of wonderful music. They sounded great, they looked great and they had fun.

Can't ask for much more! Especially after you hear about the events leading up to the concert.

CJ had the day off from school, his team was going to camp to do the high ropes course and CJ opted out of that excitement in favor of ATVing with dad. Steve had taken the week off to do maintenance around the house and welcomed the change of pace. I must tell that CJ also had the previous Friday off as it was the original day for camp. Due to a rainy week and a rainy Friday it was postponed to the 27th, the kid had 2 days off!

So off they go early Thursday morning. The plan was to head back to town about 2pm so that they could get cleaned up and to the concert in plenty of time. I got a call about 2:30 saying that Steve's bike was at the bottom of the pit of despair and that they would be heading home as soon as they got it out. Getting the bike out meant getting both of them back to the truck on CJ's ATV and getting the truck and the tow straps back to the dirt bike. Getting the truck back there meant doing some 4-wheeling, thank goodness we bought that truck!

Unfortunately they couldn't get the truck close enough to use it to pull the bike from the pit, but they did have enough straps and strength to do it with CJ driving his ATV and Steve guiding from down in the pit.

At 4:30 they were finally heading home. CJ was due at school at 6:30 for cello tuning and the concert was to start at 7pm. Steve and CJ had a 1.5 hour drive ahead of them. They hadn't eaten since breakfast and they both needed a shower.

Since the concert is 25% of CJ's grade for the quarter I went into panic mode. Time for to get the cello to school for tuning and me to school for volunteering. The boys will have to fend for themselves. I need to earn brownie points in case they don't make it!

As you probably figured from the picture they made it, with 10 minutes to spare. The fact that CJ managed to perform well after all that excitement tells me that he truly loves playing in the orchestra. Normally after a concert we go for ice cream, that night it was dinner we all wanted! Dinner and a good night's sleep.

Too Much?

When lettuce starts sprouting from your child does this mean you are serving salad too often?

The Hat

Recently CJ's school had Hat Day. The kids got to wear a hat during the school day. CJ is not a baseball cap kind of kid. And it is a little too warm for a winter hat. So he made a hat, a very large hat.

And he wore it all day. It even came home with a name.

Ahhh...

Winter in Central Ohio is a cold grey affair.

And then we have this...



These beautiful sunny days sure do make up for all that greyness!

He Did It!!!

After years of being told 'he could do better' by his teachers,
CJ showed us that indeed he could.
He made honor roll this past quarter and is on his way to doing it again.
The best thing about this is that he wanted it.
Way to go, CJ.

Who Knew?

On the way home from hockey, just as our spring rains were starting, Steve's windshield wipers quit working.

No worries, probably just a fuse.
Let's check the book, ahh #26. Hmmm...no connecters in #26.
What's this, now the car won't start.
Time to check all the fuses.
Did you know that if the fuse for the fuel pump goes your car won't start?
Yep, it is true.
Gotta love that volt meter!
Car starts, windshield wipers work,
The man can fix everything!

April Showers, finally...

Spring rains have finally come to Central Ohio. Perhaps there will be May flowers after all.

The rain has done wonders to bring out the green leaves. CJ's fort is almost hidden again.

Shelves for Stuff

Steve's spring break projects.
Shelves & a new to us car!
Thanks Steve, it is so much easier to get into the garage now.
A passenger can even get into the car while it's in the garage!