They call it a microwave tower. What it does, I have no idea. It was standing here when I was a small child. I remember my father and I driving past this tower as a child and me thinking "that must be the tallest thing it the world". "What is that dad?" "A microwave tower". What is a microwave tower?" Serious thought by dad….."I don't know"! Nearly 60 years later I still don't know what it does, but what I do know is that it won't be there much longer. It has to come down because of the new airport. At the top of the tower there is a flashing red light, blink, blink, blink. On and off, on and off. In the course of my life it has blinked millions and millions of times. During the blizzards in the 70's when school was out for something like six weeks, and hardly anyone could get anywhere, factories closed, the whole county was paralyzed ,it never missed a blink. During winds and floods, blizzards and heat waves, you guessed it, blink, blink, blink. It just stands there year after year and does whatever it does and blinks. As I understand nobody seems to know where it will go. It is kind of similar to many other things in life. No one seems to know why they do what they do or why they are necessary, but they just keep on keeping on! When I come home from work I see this tower every evening, blink, blink, blink. I step out on my deck at night in the cold dark winter and look west through the trees,..blink, blink, blink. I stand outside my office and look west, and you guessed it, miles away towering above the landscape I see it... blink, blink, blink. It always there. It remind of some very popular words about "I am here and ……I am the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow"!
Cooking Corn...
Every year the Salem Rotary Club parches corn and sell it at local events to raise money for our club. It is a tradition started many years ago by the late John Elliott and Past District Governor John Mead. Many people come to Old Settlers Days to stop by our booth and purchase this old pioneer snack and enjoy a glass of cold apple cider. To all of you we are greatful for supporting us as we carry on the legacy. Each year we get together a few nights before Old Settlers Days to prepare the corn and have some club fun.
This is the end result of our efforts but there are a few prior steps we take to get to this point.
First we must clean the chaff from the corn to prepare it for cooking. That's me.
Then we cook it! Here John Mead, the master of "Corn Cookery" stirs his creation in hot oil to get it the appropriate color.
It then comes out of the oil and goes into a paper sack to help drain the oil. Of course salt is added and Dick Gwaltney blends it together.
Dick is "Shakin"!
We then drain the oil, stir and cool it as you see here where Marvin Hattabaugh and Jana Ewen package it in containers It takes several people for this process because many taste testers are needed to make sure the quality is up to standards.
Marvin transfer the corn to the container!
Rotarians Frank Newkirk and Cindy Winkler join the fun!
These three guys, Dick Gwaltney, Phil Marshall and John Mead have cooked enough corn over the last 25 years to probably fill a grain bin.
The Head Corn Cook!
Madison, In...
Vicki & I took the day off and were going to go camping but it just did not work out so…..we decided to spend the day in Madison. We visit Madison several time a year, it is an interesting town, nice shops great restaurants and the Ohio River is cool too. We stopped at the visitors center and just down the street was this old railroad caboose. I like it. Imagine working on the railroad and living in this!
Vicki likes to go shopping for antiques and such as that. Personally I can take it or leave it. This place is one of her favorite antique malls in Madison. We make a stop there every time we go to Madison.
While Vicki was shopping the antique mall it gave me time to shoot some interesting photos. At least I found them kind of interesting. There is always a picture to take if you just pay attention!
Beautiful Flowers.
I got a kick out of this and decided that the next time I need shock treatment and hydrotherapy, this is where I am coming!
Gutsy guy!
Even got to do a little "picking", just like on American Pickers!
I love my coffee and this place is really cool! How about a large gourmet coffee for only 2 bucks! Unheard of!
More Pretty flowers and yes, you guessed it. They are still working on the bridge!
Elizabeth Catlin_Miss Washington County 2014
Claire
I was bored yesterday and talked Mike & Cindy Richards into taking a country drive with Vicki and I. We ended up at the old Cave River Valley spot that the State of Indiana has taken over. We drove back as far as we could go and ended up having to take a hike in order to see anything interesting. We ventured down a long steep gravel/dirt hill on a muggy Sunday evening where we found a unique log cabin that I could not keep from photographing in the late day light. I thought it looked pretty cool!
