Vine Hidey Spot

Using drift wood from the Falls of the Ohio I made a vine structure for Ruby to hide out in. The top picture was back in March. The second picture is how it looks at the end of July. There are three different vines planted on it. Hyacinth bean, moonflower and lufa gourd. The lufa is definitely the most aggressive. I also have a few okra plants growing in the circles at the base and some peppers in pots. The bottom picture if a similar structure (and an older one) that Nathan and Otis made over at Aleve's house. This one is two years old now and it's beautiful.

Falls of the Ohio

Visiting the Falls of the Ohio is like stepping back in time in more than one sense. It's a world famous fossil bed but it feels ancient in other ways too. And it looks like a boneyard with the white bleached trunks, branches and nibbins of wood that collect there. Some are huge trees complete with their roots. Ruby loves it because there are lots of treasures to find. If you want to get a really great sense of the place you should visit the Artist at Exit 0 blog that I have listed as "blogs I watch". That blog is one of the most extensive and interesting place-based blogs that I think exists.

The 17 to Childhood Home

This evening we took the 17 bus out Bardstown Road to Buechel to visit the home that Erin grew up in on Plaza Avenue. Ruby got a kick out seeing where her mommy grew up. Then we waited for the west bound return bus in front of Fern and Moody's where some regulars entertained us with their cornhole tournament. A train traveling across the old Buechel Rd blocked the bus route long enough for me to run in and grab a quick cold one. The benefits of not driving.
Sweet evening.

Zoo Blues

Here's a Louisville places tip: Visit the zoo when the weather is overcast and threatening rain. The crowds are very manageable on those days and it's not so miserably hot. What's the worst that could happen? Perhaps a downpour that sends you to a shelter with an orangutan to visit with for a spell? This is Ruby watching the sea lions at Glacier Run. Love these colors.

One Walk Triad

Last evening we took a stroll through Cherokee Park and on to Bardstown road. This hollow tree is a new found favorite hidey spot for miss Ruby for obvious reasons. It's a fairy hideout. Complete with large inviting door and well placed window which also serves as the carryout window when ordering food from her restaurant.


Further along the trail we hiked up Dog Hill just as the sun was setting over the uplands. The weather has been undeniably great this week.

And we ended up going for an ice cream on Bardstown Road where we ran into three young gals creating an epic hopscotch grid. By the time we headed home they were all the way down the block with no obvious signs of stopping. I thought that was just grand. Love this town.

Crackle of the Bat

In the Some Peoples Republic of Billy Goat Hill some of our parties are heated with Louisville Slugger bats and chilled with cave conditioned air. This is not an exaggeration or a boast. It's just how we roll on the hill.

Chicken Coop Concert II - Musician Portraits

In the order they performed at the concert. All photos by Tim Furnish.

Top Photo: R Keenan Lawler
Lawler is a prodigiously talented raga guitarist who performs frequently on resonator guitar. Lawler has an encyclopedic knowledge of Carnatic music and has developed many idiosyncratic instrumental performance techniques to complement his ragas with percussive and drone elements. http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9590-music-for-the-bluegrass-states/

Middle Photo: William Tyler
The Nashville-based guitarist for Lambchop, Silver Jews, Will Oldham, and many more has recently released his first or third solo album, depending on how you count. A cd-r and LP under the name Paper Hats were released on his own Sebastian Speaks label , while the first album under his given name, entitled "Behold the Spirit" was released on the Tompkins Square label to widespread acclaim. http://www.tompkinssquare.com/william-tyler.html

Bottom Photo: Michael Chapman
A brilliant, if somewhat obscure British singer-songwriter recorded albums for Harvest, Decca and Deram among others; his second album, "Fully Qualified Survivor" produced by Gus Dudgeon (Shirley Collins/Davey Graham; Elton John; John Martyn; Fairport Convention; David Bowie) was recently reissued by Light in the Attic Records, introducing Chapman's classic recording to contemporary audiences. Chapman recently ...completed a UK tour with William Tyler who will join him on select US dates including the chicken coop concert. http://www.michaelchapman.co.uk/

Tyler Park Found Art

Someone scribbled this on a concrete embankment just outside the Tyler Park tunnel. While playing there with Ruby this morning I captured it on the ole phone. Looks like someone found their voice.

Rise up and Peep

Walked the Cherokee Park Loop this morning. Someone had taken literally hundreds of peeps and marshmallow bunnies and created a scene. Spread out for hundreds of square feet under a big ole sycamore were little clusters of bunnies and peeps, some with little fancy drink umbrellas and some perched on branches or climbing the trunk of the tree. And among them was what looked like a funeral procession of bunnies leading one crucified on a popsicle stick cross. If it was you that did this...thanks.

Ruby in Leaves

The maples along the entrance allee at Cavehill Cemetery provided this place for miss Ruby to play. I love that a place dedicated to death can bring such life to our lives.

Guess Who Built a Hoop House

They did.

Panegyric to Aprettypickle

A favorite new blog is aprettypickle. Just found it of recent. The author is a favorite too. Reading it over inspired an "adventure shopping" outing today with Miss Carmen, Little Toot and Aleve. We had coffee and took off for lunch in a new spot that turned out to be at La Perla La Pacifica out Preston Highway. Get the fried fish tacos if you go. They come five to a plate.

After lunch we hit the Viet Hoa Food Market (7100 Preston Hwy) inspired by aprettypickle. Captured the top five photos. Aleve went home with the pig.