Cherokee People...Cherokee Tribe

All that's left of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia is this sign at a rest stop off I-75 north of Atlanta.

First there was fake meat, now fake coffee?

Really wanna see you, really wanna be with you

I-57 in Benton Illinois

CBD Oil is everywhere these days

Living better with hemp, legally

Blast from the past

As far as I know this is the first native band to hit the top 40 in pop music. Come and get it...

The American Legion

Somehow I missed this one from July 30. All honorably discharged veterans are now eligible to join the American Legion.

Please tell me this is just a bad dream

I can't believe they want to shoe horn another set of high rises into Lexington.

Mister Whizbang sharpens a chisel

This is looks like a great way to quickly and easily sharpen a chisel. Mister Whizbang is a bit windy, I play the video at double speed once youtube starts up, but it's worth watching and learning.

Bridged Again

Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy

This recipe reminds me of Hungry Man frozen dinners, of which I've had a few. My son once ate two of them for supper. Looks pretty good and simple and fast. Thanks to allrecipes.com for this recipe and video.

Don't mess with my chicken

You can still get finger lickin' good rotisserie chicken for $4.99 at Costco. It's so popular they've started their own chicken farm in Nebraska.

The eyes are the window to the soul, and a whole lot more

Mammoth Cave National Park

Leaving the killing fields of Perryville behind us, the next stop on our meander from Minnesota to Florida was Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. This park accesses the worlds largest known cave system, with 400 miles discovered so far. That is a big cave. Mammoth really. We rented a rustic cabin and settled in to explore the cave on a guided tour and hike the stunning trails winding through the woods and bluffs above the Green River.

While the fall colors had come and gone at home in Minnesota, autumn was just beginning in Kentucky. The days were beautiful but the nights were chilly. Our rustic (rustic is code for really old) cabin was not heated but comfortable and clean. The next morning as we packed, we decided to make some time toward our destination. This would be our last day in Kentucky. We checked out of the park and headed for Nashville, Tennessee!

The Horrors of War

As we continue our slow meander from Minnesota to Florida, we just can’t seem to get out of Kentucky. That’s ok, that’s what a road trip is all about, taking your time to look around. In amongst the Shaker villages and  bourbon distilleries of central Kentucky lies the town of Perryville. On October 8, 1862 the Civil War Battle of Perryville  was fought. The American Civil War was one of the last examples of the Napoleonic style of battle, where the opposing armies formed long lines facing each other out in the open, armed with muskets, bayonets and cannons. They literally blew each other apart in an unspeakable carnage, followed by a bayonet charge of the survivors and hand to hand combat. Despite the slaughter on the battlefield, far more Civil War soldiers died of disease, not battle, due mostly to the lack of clean drinking water. Latrines were posted on the same creeks as fresh drinking water supplies. Even the Roman legions knew better centuries earlier, never drinking local water during military campaigns, only wine they brought with them. The Perryville Battlefield is remarkably well preserved and worth a visit. A museum, walking trails with interpretive signs and memorials to casualties on both sides provide a place to reflect on the sacrifice and horrors of war. The Battle of Perryville Union casualties totaled 4,276 (894 killed, 2,911 wounded, 471 captured or missing). Confederate casualties were 3,401 (532 killed, 2,641 wounded, 228 captured or missing).  We can also reflect on a simple human kindness one Confederate soldier offered to a wounded Union soldier he discovered alive, lying on the ground at night after the battle.

The Kentucky Shakers

Kentucky was home to two Shaker villages. Both the South Union Shaker Village near Bowling Green and the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Lexington are now museums dedicated to preserving and telling the story of the Kentucky Shakers. Who were the Kentucky Shakers? That's a  big question, but in a few words they were a devout communal Christian society of inventors, craftsmen, entrepreneurs and farmers from 1807 to 1922. Their name comes from the energetic dances of their worship services. Their simple, solid, functional and unadorned furniture has always been popular with people all over the world, and still is today. Seeing original Shaker furniture was one of the highlights of our trip, a simple gift from the past.

Home Alone

One of the scariest things about leaving home for a couple of months is leaving your home alone. Especially for a worry wart like me. Lots of things can go wrong in a house unattended, especially during a Minnesota winter. I was fine until I saw the weather had turned bitter cold at home. I was concerned that a snafu of some sort would leave my house exposed with pipes freezing and bursting.

Thanks to the kindness of neighbors and family, the house was checked a number of times and the furnace was running and all was fine, but I knew I could do better. There are wifi enabled thermostats on the market that allow you to check and manage your HVAC system from an app on your phone.

Philip and Karla both have the ecobee 3 lite smart thermostat so I looked into it and got one too. Xcel Energy even has a rebate program that makes it a pretty good deal. 

I bought the thermostat from Xcel for $50 (it's $169 on Amazon). I received a $75 credit on my next electric bill for installing it myself. Then every year in October I receive a $25 credit on my electric bill. What's the catch? I'm now enrolled in the AC Rewards program, which gives Xcel the right to turn my thermostat up a couple degrees on really hot summer days when demand for electricity peaks. You are allowed to opt out up to 3 times per cooling season. Karla said she doesn't remember any time last summer when she was notified that Xcel was going to adjust her thermostat.

This thermostat will tap into your inner geek. Phil and Amanda even talk to theirs. "Alexa, turn up the thermostat 2 degrees". You can get all kinds of reports about your energy usage that help you be a better consumer but I have not looked into them yet. Next time I go on a trip this thermostat will give ME a little peace of mind and my kind neighbor Sharon a little rest.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Heading east on I-64 we passed through Louisville without stopping. We were thirsty. Kentucky is known for it's bourbon whiskey and there are many distilleries offering tours and samplings, loosely connected by the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. You could spend weeks touring them all but we hit a few notables, including Woodford Reserve, Wilderness Trail, Maker's Mark and the amazing Kentucky Cooperage, one of the worlds largest makers of fine barrels. I must admit my palate is not sophisticated and I have a hard time discerning differences between them all. But they say practice makes perfect. I always enjoy a good tour and I received free or reduced admission with my veteran's discount.