The barndo is not that far from downtown, but I rarely even pass through. Most of the time, we go north instead of south for groceries, doctor appointments and more. We did pass through the other night though, just before dark. The moon was already set in the sky, and the street with lit with a golden glow.
The historic building has yet to be rehabbed.
The dilapidated building on the corner in the center of town is an Indiana landmark. Built in 1891, it was originally an apothecary and pharmacy with the Odd Fellows Lodge on the upper floor. I remember when the library was housed there before construction on their new building was completed and dedicated in 1992.
In 2015, Indiana Landmarks took on the building. They used the funds set aside by the Town for demolition to fix the roof, rebuild the windows and make other repairs. In 2022, it was then sold to a Scott County couple who said they planned to rehab the upstairs as apartments and lease the first floor as a restaurant.
3 years later and there’s certainly no restaurant.
I can’t claim there aren’t apartments upstairs because I don’t know. I can promise you there isn’t a restaurant downstairs. I assume the proceeds from the sale bypassed local government, leaving the old building still standing… still dilapidated… and was invested by Indiana Landmarks to further their mission somewhere outside of good ole’ C’ville. 😏
No matter the conditions of the buildings, my hometown community is so much better than what’s outlined in Wikipedia.
Now you know: The Crothersville Library had a book brigade in 1992 to move materials from one end of the block to the new building on the other end of the block. “We couldn’t have done it without our community volunteers!”
I mowed yesterday for the first time with the new 0-turn mower. I came away from the experience with no injuries or property damage. Not gonna’ lie, I watched a youtube video first because I couldn’t remember if pulling the handles in or out was neutral. Don’t judge me. I also stayed a strip away from the ditch and totally away from the mailbox — Perry finished those areas for me.
I don’t know how many times I wished for my familiar Cub tractor, but near the end I was doing better than when I started. I push mowed inside the dog fence because I simply didn’t trust myself enough to venture in there with the big mower I was struggling to control. But I got ‘er done!
The hounds were there for moral support.
All 3 of my hounds love being outside as much as I do, but they have to go in shifts. The two in the photo above are too rough and tumble for the old Dharma girl. She wants no part of their shenanigans.
I’m hoping today is as nice as yesterday.
The pool needs swept today, and this sweeping job requires more than just putting in Robbie the Robot. It requires a body in there to clean the leaves that the last wind deposited — the ones the skimmer didn’t grab in time. The good news is, I don’t have to wait for the dew to dry up for that job. Our grass stays wet until almost noon right now, but 80° and sunny is simply perfect in my book.
Gimme another one just like the other one!
So many in Indiana like the fall season best of all, but I’m team summer. Warm weather and homegrown food for the win! I love fresh vegetables and we’ve had sweet corn, radishes, and green onions so far. We’re still waiting on tomatoes, but they should be ripe soon and I CAN’T WAIT! Mr. Pesky planted 105 tomato plants so there should be plenty to go around.
Now you know: The oldest bones found in Antarctica belonged to an indigenous woman from Chile who died in her early 20s. Found on a beach, it’s estimated she came to Antarctica between 1819 and 1825. There are no surviving documents explaining how or why a young woman came to be in Antarctica during this era.
Today is my Momma’s birthday, but you won’t see photos of the birthday girl until tomorrow. As I’m writing this it’s EARLY, but we finally have power.
What a day we had yesterday!
A thunderstorm rolled through locally around 6:00 PM or so. Marc Weinberg, of WDRB in Louisville, let us know that their gear in Seymour, IN, measured 81mph winds. I didn’t notice any trees down here at the barndo… just lots of limbs everywhere I need to clean up. While it was windy enough to move my furniture from one end of the deck to the other, I have no clue how strong the winds were.
Then my favorite brother sent a text to let me know he heard what he thought was 3 loud gunshots near his home in Fort Wayne. He called 911, but the outcome of the police dispatched to the neighborhood is unknown to him. Funny, when I hear gunshots I think someone’s nailed a coyote. That’s certainly not what he was thinking.
Poor NaLona, who lives just inside the town limits of the Ville, hadn’t gotten all the repairs completed from the last storm and she got hit again. Tree down. I feel so awful for her, even though I know others have it worse. Poor girl can’t catch a break.
No electricity for HOURS!
We were without power for hours. No electricity means the garage doors won’t open. And because someone’s special day is today, I needed a cake so it was pretty darned important to get a car out as soon as the storm subsided. Ben unhooked the garage door from the electric opener and it flew up. Now, we can’t get it down.
J&G Garage Doors will be here today, but that meant last night I slept with my pistol and one eye open.
Things be looking up because someone has cake to eat. 🎂
Stay tuned for Ms. Pesky’s party photos coming here tomorrow.
Now you know: Research has shown that some forms of cognitive stimulation like video games being played by seniors may delay or slow the onset of degenerative neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Now you know #2: As a senior gamer, I’m feeling confident dementia won’t hit me until I’m at least 105.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night — nor the actions of a dermatologist — stays this dog servant from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
When Queen Dharma wants her deck escort, I’m there for it. Couldn’t this be a side hustle?
Happy Flag Day!
Today is the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official US flag in 1777. It’s also the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, and I’ll be watching live coverage of the celebration and parade in Washington, D.C. I saw Delaware Valley Intelligence Center’s threat assessment and according to it, the risk priority in most categories is HIGH. Even if I lived close, I would likely still not attend in person.
I’ll also be tuning in off and on to watch the protestors who are missing the parade to take part in “No Kings.” The ‘No Kings” events are to “show the world what democracy really looks like.” If that’s truly the goal, we should expect to only see our grand stars and stripes proudly flying on Flag Day here in the U.S.A.
Wouldn’t it be great if both the protests and the celebration are peaceful?
Rain yesterday; rain today; and rain for the next who knows how long.
I was happy to finish up the yard mowing job before the rain started yesterday. Who knows how long it will be before I can face death and property destruction again while driving a zero turn mower I didn’t want in the first place.
When the weather is yucky outside, at least I can clean house inside. My granddaughter will be here this upcoming week and I’m willing to bet she’ll be the first to hit the pool this season. Although it’s still too cold for me, she’s a kid that doesn’t notice she’s half frozen until she turns blue.
Now you know: Clarence King, discoverer of Mount Whitney and one of the USA’s best-known scientists, revealed on his deathbed in 1901 that he had a second life, wife & five kids, living as a Black man named James Todd.
At least I hope there’s a baby in our future. A small momma titmouse built her nest in my flower basket on the deck. It’s within reach of 3 dogs and she’s only got one egg in there. See it?
So she’s not the smartest bird in woods… but it might still happen. I’m being guarded but optimistic that this new life will begin without any horrible scenario.
No matter what happens though, it couldn’t be much more traumatic than the pool cleaning.
Let’s have some warm sunshine instead of rain!
After shocking the pool, I dumped a couple bloated frogs out of the skimmer basket. The chlorine caused their demise. Others sank to the bottom and were skimmed out in pieces. It was so gross, I gagged. ARG!
The pool now is ready for humans to enjoy — except for the cold temperature and frog spirits roaming around wanting revenge for their untimely deaths. I don’t have the steps or thermometer in there yet, but I’m guessing the current temp is below 70°.
Ben has Colette every other week during the summer. If she’s tough enough — and she claims she is — she can get in during her next visit on the 2nd week of June. I personally prefer the water MUCH warmer than she can tolerate. I don’t do cold plunges… or even cool ones.
Now you know: Tony Todd, the mortician in the Final Destination: Bloodline movie, knew when he took the role that he only had a few months to live due to cancer. The directors let him improvise his last lines where he said, “Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when… Good luck…“
