A Gloomy Peaceful Day

First, I want to begin by saying thank you for your support with the blog.  As you can see, I put a counter on the bottom of the blog to see how many hits that it receives.  Today's pictures may appear to be disappointing to many of the viewers because the pictures were taken today, which was a gloomy day.  For the past several days, I have uploaded pictures with vibrant colors and that were taken on beautiful days.  

While I was waiting for my tire to be fixed today at Simpson County Tire, I started reading the manual that came with the camera.  Afterwards, I wanted to take the opportunity to take pictures and try some of the settings that I read about.  I left Franklin and went on Highway 73 headed toward South Union, KY (Logan County).  I turned left onto Moody Road and took this picture below.  I took this picture because of the hazy background behind the barn.  I felt that this picture truly captures the day of picture taking.

The second picture was taken on the grounds of the Shaker Museum in Shakertown near South Union.  I took this picture of the main residence (pictured left) and the Ministry Shop that was built in 1846.  In Kentucky, there were two Shaker settlements...this one and in Mercer County.  If you ever get a chance, visit the one in Mercer County.  They have a nice restaurant on the site as well even antiques / gifts during Shaker Days.  Be careful though because Highway 68 going to that site is HORRIBLE.  Now, back to this site in Logan County...the Shaker colony was established in 1807.  For you history buffs, that is 13 years before the Simpson County was formed.  The colony was disbanded in 1922.  When I was younger, we took several school field trips to the Shaker museum.  I know I did not appreciate these trips to this site as much as I do now.  Also, the old road of 68 / 80 has a special place for me too.  I love walking along that old stretch of road.  If you want a pleasant lunch during spring and or summer, I would encourage you to have a picnic lunch on the grounds of the Shaker museum.  It is absolutely peaceful.  Also, you can see a monastery located adjacent to the Shaker museum.  I did not venture too far onto the grounds, but a friend of mine told me that is a place that you have to experience.  The Shaker museum is located along the old route of 68 / 80.  You can get here via 68/80 from Bowling Green or Russellville.

The last three pictures were taken on Highway 816 near the Schweizer community in Simpson County (roughly 2 miles from the KY and TN border.  I have passed this place many of times as I would take drives in the country, but today I wanted to take a picture of the picnic table (not pictured).  These pictures today brings up a recurring lesson that I learn when I take pictures...sometimes the main thing that you go to capture ends up getting overshadowed by something else that captures your attention.  That today was three things...the outhouse (seen in the first and third picture), the cross underneath the picnic table, and the site to get water.  This area was a memorial to the Zion Lutheran Church founded in 1899.  The church burned in 1949.  These pictures are pretty interesting because the other day my mother and I were talking about outhouses.  She said that she had not seen an outhouse since theirs was removed in the 1970's when they got an indoor bathroom.  How crazy is it that this functioning outhouse is located no more than 5 miles from my mother's home.

The last picture is of the cross that captured my attention underneath the pavillion.  The cross and the benches were covered by moss, but it added to the overall picture.  I liked this picture because the cross and benches form a silhouette against the background.  I feel that this place is a good place for spiritual meditation...granted the passing vehicles may serve as a distraction, but in general this is a peaceful place.

In closing, does any know what kind of dog this is?  It was a pretty dog and appeared to be friendly when I was taken pictures on the ground of the Shaker Museum.  As I was leaving he followed me, so I started to rub him again.  This dog tried to bite me and started barking.  Then he tried to bite my ankle.  I am not sure if he was playing or really serious, but I did not want to take any chances.  I did not run, but walked very quickly keeping my eyes on him.  He kept running around me as I walked nearly hundred yards to my vehicle.  Basically, my time at the Shaker site was cut short.

Monell's - Nashville, TN

For my fellas out there who has that special lady and still trying to make plans for Valentine's Day or if you are just looking for a good place to eat, then I have the place for you.  Today, my family and I went to Nashville to eat at Monell's Restaurant on 6th Avenue (last picture).  It was recommended by my uncle, sister, and other family members that have eaten there.  The food was so good that I could have slapped my mama. Ha ha, no I did not slap her...she would have clocked me into the wall since she was sitting beside me, but you get my point.

We got there around 3pm CST and was seated fairly quickly.  On the table was already some food that served as an appetizer before the main meal came out. Did I say that this is a Family Style Restaurant.  The restaurant itself is located in an old home.  The room that we were in had two long tables.  One table alone accommodated our party of 11.  Now, back to the food and drink...there was a cucumber and onion salad with italian dressing (second picture), cole slaw, biscuits, and cornbread.  There was a marmalade that consisted of peaches and honey.  On the table was sweet tea, unsweet tea, water, and fruit tea....That is right, fruit tea.  When the main course came out...well look below to see what came out with the main course.  When they served the food, they served it in bowls and you had to pass it around when you got your serving.  The menu is already prepared that day...all you have to do is just sit and wait to taste a little bit of heaven.  The chicken is freshly fried and the food is served piping hot.  You can ask for extras and it does not change the price of your total bill.  I ate so much food that I thought my stomach was going to explode.

Guys, like I said, if you are looking for a place to take that special someone on Valentine's Day or just want to take her out on the town for good food, you cannot go wrong with Monell's.  If you want to take your family or just get some good food Monell is the place.  I mean look at the picture if you don't believe me...aren't you hungry looking at it :).  Oh and beside the macaroni and cheese is corn pudding.  To top it off was a lemon chess pie (you can see it sort of in the first picture).  Call ahead and check out the menu...they have a website that you can visit as well.  They also have a location in Gallatin, TN as well.  The price for the meal on Sunday (which it may differ from the other days) was the same as a good steak dinner from Outback Steakhouse.  Think about it...  All I can say is that the food, atmosphere, and laughs were worth it.  When you go, let me know what you think about it.

A Beautiful Day in January

These pictures were taken today when my family and I went to Christian County (Hopkinsville).  Today was absolutely gorgeous.  In Nashville, TN, the high was 65 degrees.  When we were leaving Hopkinsville on Highway 41 to HIghway 68 / 80, mom wanted me to pull over to see this man on the side who was selling vegetables.  At first, I passed him up, but turned around to comply with my mom's request.  The man was selling turnips, turnip greens, and brown eggs.  The interesting thing about this man was that he was Mennonite and he was black.  I know that sounds like an oxymoron, almost like a black-white supremacist (a la Dave Chappelle), but this is true.  I took this picture because...well for one...because no one would ever believe me...the other...well no one would ever believe me.  Minus the power lines, if I put this picture in Black and White, I feel that it would be difficult to date this picture. 

This next picture is not of the George Washington Monument.  For my Western Kentuckians, you all know that this is the Jefferson Davis Monument located in Fairview, KY.  Fairview, KY is located on the border of Christian and Todd Counties.  Jefferson Davis was the only president of the Confederacy when it seceeded from the Union.  Fairview, at the time, was located in Christian County.  When Todd County was formed, parts of the town became geographically located in Todd County.  I have passed through Fairview many of times, especially when in high school when we played in Hopkinsville.  The old 68/80 passed through the middle of Fairview.  However around 2000, the road was rerouted to bypass Fairview.  You can still see the obelisk miles before reaching Fairview, especially when coming from the east.  Jefferson Davis was born in Fairview, but his family relocated to Mississippi while he was still an infant.  An interesting historical tidbit that I remember learning from Mrs. Raines in 8th grade history class is that both Lincoln and Davis were born in Kentucky....crazy, huh?  Both leaders of their time period had their origins in Kentucky.  Sorry for my tangent, but I love history.  Another interesting thing is that this site, the confederate legacy, and local high school mascot (Rebels) was a controversial issue when a black man from a local community killed a white man who was riding in his truck with a Confederate Battle Flag (this was in 1995 or 1996).  For those that would be interested in visiting this site, the park around the monument is very nice for those visit.  I am not sure if you can go up the monument because that part was closed today.

One thing that I like to do when taking pictures is doing Drive By's.  No, I am not talking about blasting on fools (ha ha), but just holding the camera out while the car is in motion and hoping that you are lucky to snap a picture worthy to keep.  This picture below is a Drive By.  I would not recommend this style of taking pictures, I will say that I have caught some interesting shots like this.  This building looked to be an old train station.  I took the picture just to try to get "Hopkinsville" in the picture.  I liked this picture because of the effect the sun's glare.

In conclusion...take full advantage of a beautiful day.  If not then....shame on you.

N'awlins

As Mardi Gras approaches, I wanted to give a shout out to the Big Easy.  Today's pictures were all taken in New Orleans back in April 2008.  I was there for work....well kind of.  We were there for a conference supporting one of my then co-workers who was my favorite African American when I worked in Bowling Green :).  If you want to know what got me started taking pictures...I will have to say that this trip had a major role.  It is with these pictures that I took pictures with a purpose and tried to capture the memory.  No, it was not Mardi Gras, even though I would love to go there for Mardi Gras.  It was during the Jazz Festival, which to me was pure heaven.  Every street corner was music and dancing.  Then, also, I was immersed in the history of N'awlins as well.  We stayed right on the outskirts of the French Quarter.  We arrived on a Saturday and immediately went walking around the area.  My goals when going to New Orleans was to eat some Gumbo and Jambalaya, take about 500 pictures, and HAVE FUN.  I will say that all of the above was accomplished.  I even got to try some Bubba Gump Shrimp.  For those who have been to New Orleans, you know what I mean by it being a memorable place...the Big EASY!!!  The first picture is of a building in the French Quarter.  I edited this picture at the time using Paint.Net.  I took the actual building and kept it in color while everything else is in Black and White.  At the time, I was a huge fan of Softening pictures when I edit them so that is why this picture appears the way that it does.  Don't worry, for those that don't like the edit, I always save the original.

The second picture was taken as we were walking in Jackson Square.  The picture was originally taken in color.  The man, who was a mime, was in a bluish oil painted shirt and pants combo holding a ball on his fist.  When I got back to Bowling Green and looking at my pictures, I felt that this picture meant more to me if I kept him in color and placed the background in blackwhite.  I blurred the background to have him stand out more.  I colored the man so that he would be the color of what I imagined is the Statue of Liberty.  It was very hard editing this picture and not sure if I could edit it the same way.  Now, if you take a look in the blurred background you see the couple passing behind him not paying attention to him.

The next picture of Jackson Square.  Call me a dork, but it was on this day that I realized that I could take pictures on my camera in black and white.  This was taken on the day that we were leaving New Orleans.  I liked the picture so much that it has been my background on my computer a few times.

This is a dark edit of a picture, but I did the same thing as I did in the first picture.  I took this picture because of the Tennessee Williams book "A Streetcar Named Desire."

 And finally, it is me and Sachmo.  What can I say, it was an awesome trip and weird enough...I wore that same shirt tonight when I went dancing.  Ha ha....  Did I say that I loved all of the shrimp dishes, fell in love with brass bands (Soul Rebels), and had a great time with my co-workers and friends?  Yeah, N'awlins was AWESOME.  I would love to go back again.

Still Moments

Today's theme for the blog is statues.  I love take pictures of statues because you can get different feelings from the angles that you take the picture.  The first picture was taken here in London, KY behind a building off of Meyers-Baker Road.  I took this picture one day as I was trying to take a mental break from work. I passed the building many of times as the gym that I go to is on Meyers-Baker Road.  I liked this picture because of the overall feeling.  You feel that the woman in the picture truly loves the comfort of being with what is assumed to be her husband.  Both have lived full lives, but yet have gone through a lot together (the initial meeting, date, first kiss, marriage, kids, wars, work, grandkids, etc.).  You can imagine that they are sitting on a bench somewhere recollecting all of the events of their lives and happy to have had each as they went through their life's journey.

The next picture is of Stephen Foster and was taken at the My Old Kentucky Home site in Bardstown, KY.  The first picture makes you want to know what it is that he is looking at because he of his focus in contrast with his body position.  The object of his passion was so important to him that he made it a point to turn around to take a look at it.  In the next picture, you see what it was that captured his attention (My Old Kentucky Home).



The last picture was taken of a statue that was created to honor soldiers who dedicated their lives in service.  It was taken in Whitesburg, KY (Letcher County).  When I look at this picture, I get the feeling that the soldier wants to identify himself to the onlooker because he is holding up his name tag.  He wants the viewer to not forget who he is and what he did for them to be able to live their lives freely.

These are just my thoughts and feelings when I look at these pictures.  Let me hear your thoughts...

Stores Along the Way

When I am on journeys taking pictures of surrounding areas, I love taking pictures of store fronts or signs.  For one, you never know from one day to the next if that store will be there when you return.  Also, the pictures bring back wonderful memories, especially if you have eaten there.  The first picture below was taken in Cumberland Gap, TN.  When I took the picture, I was trying to capture the Old Drugs Store sign... however when I was framing the picture on my camera I noticed the sign behind it.  To me it had a deeper meaning the way that the picture was taken.  We are all not perfect and have slipped up in some form in our lives, but we all still have the opportunity to continue on in our lives (just like The Old Drugs Store).  Now, you can see some humor in this picture as well...just depends on how you see it.  That is why I like pictures...that is especially why I like sharing them.  For those that do not know where Cumberland Gap, TN is located, it is on the other side of The Pinnacle.  You can take Highway 25E (exit 29 off I-75) and go past Corbin, Barbourville, Pineville, and Middlesboro.  You will go through the tunnel underneath the mountain and Cumberland Gap is the first exit after the tunnel.  When you walk through downtown Cumberland Gap, it will take you back to the early to mid 20th century.  You can eat at a local diner located on the main strip.  There are no fast food places in this town, which makes it an awesome experience.  You can also take a look up and see the mountains above you.  Good ole' Appalachia.

 The second picture was taken in Beattyville, Kentucky (Lee County).  We parked and walked through the downtown area.  While we were there, you can tell that it is going through an extensive renovation to increase the beauty of the downtown area.  The town recently had their Annual Festival (Woolly Worm Festival).  We passed the Purple Cow (pictured below).  I took this picture through a nearby flower pot.  At the time, I did not think about the pink and purple contrast, but after taking the picture...I soon began to love it.

The Dehart's Bible and Tire Store has been serving the Rowan County community for years.  When I first moved to Morehead, my supervisor told me of this place outside of town.  According to his story, he was with a reviewer from Massachusetts who made him stop so that she can take a picture because she felt that people would not believe her that there is a Bible and Tire store in Kentucky.  Talk about Bible Belt, huh?  This store is located near the Carter County line on Highway 60.  I will have to be honest...I do miss the time that I spent in Morehead / Rowan County.  Once I got out to explore the area, I really became fascinated with life in Northeastern Kentucky.  For my Western Kentucky folks, don't worry...I still have love for you and still would like to go back at some point.  I am just glad that I have had the opportunity to become immersed in an area, culture, history, and people that I would otherwise never would have encountered.  Okay, sorry for the tangent, but I had to capture the Bible and Tire store before leaving Morehead.  On this day (Aug. 2009), we went up to Poppy Mountain to check out the area.  It really creeped out my then girlfriend because it seemed to be a scene from a bad scary movie.  One the way back, we stopped to take this picture.

This last picture was taken in Elkhorn City, Kentucky.  We had the joy of eating at the Rusty Fork Cafe.  I will say that the food was awesome ( I guess I am like my father...always thinking and talking about food).  For $6.00, I got four vegetables and a meat.  Elkhorn City is located in Pike County near the Virgina border.  It is a tiny town with his roots based upon being a junction along the railroad (as seen in the background of the picture).  We ate at the Rusty Fork after leaving Breaks, Va.  You know, I would have thought that we would not have received the best service in a place like this in Eastern Kentucky.  I know that it is shallow, but it is true.  A black man with a white woman stopping in a pretty much hole in the wall place (but the food was good)...I would have expected to definitely encounter some racism, but no...the people were very friendly and very nice.  This has been my experience in Eastern Kentucky thus far.  It has opened my eyes to the shallowness that I had in the contents of my heart.  Now...don't get me wrong, I am not stupid.  I know not to venture into some areas alone or even at all.  If you are going to the Breaks Interstate National Park, stop at the Rusty Fork...you will not go wrong with what you order.

Special Treat

Good Afternoon to all...today I am uploading some pictures that I took last night and today as I went around the Laurel / Whitley County areas taking pictures of the snow.  Today's pictures were taken on my new camera...Nikon D5000.  I am still getting used to the settings and taking pictures with it, so it will take me some time to get used to it.  Hopefully, I will be able to upload more pictures that I have taken with this camera.  I will still upload pictures from the past using my Kodak Easy Share.  Tell me if you all can see any differences with these pictures.  The first picture was taken in Corbin by the railroad tracks on Lynn Street.  I took the picture as the snow began falling.  I don't know to me, I liked the picture because I have had a hard time taking pictures using night landscapes in the past.

 The next three pictures were taken today while out on Highway 1193 at Laurel River Lake.  I wanted to take the camera out for a test shooting today.  I chose these three pictures because I liked the contrast with the colors.

This last picture was taken on Maple Grove Road in Laurel County.  I took this picture because I thought the picture was pretty of the tree along the hillside.  This picture was originally color, but I felt that it would have more meaning with it being in Black and White.

I hope that you enjoy and as I said...I will continue sharing pictures that I have taken in the past as well as uploading new pictures too.  Thanks again for the support.  I really enjoy knowing that I can share these pictures, but more my thoughts behind taking the pictures.