The Play That Goes Wrong opens at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre this weekend

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Yes, Friday July 17th is opening night for the B&B premier of The Play That Goes Wrong. This award winning comedy has been cracking up theater patrons all over the globe. Like comedy? This play has you covered. Plan to get your tickets soon. Once word gets out about how funny this play is tickets will be flying out of the box office!

Photo courtesy B&B media

Get ready for a raucous non-stop comedy. Problems with sets, lighting, crazy ad libs and a loving semi continuous dose of Three Stooges style slapstick will have you literally in stiches. If you can think of an on stage issue plaguing the production, well, get ready. It will show up during this murder mystery!

The Play That Goes Wrong will be on stage through  August 23 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets include Chef Larry Stoops’ dinner buffet and select beverages. Tickets to Beef & Boards productions are available exclusively through Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre either online at beefandboards.com, or by contacting the box office at 317.872.9664. And remember, parking is always free!

 

The peaceful Mt. Zion Cemetery in Brown County Indiana

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Highway 135 in Brown County, Indiana is know for its beautiful scenery, as a winding road in the hills, and the location for many historic sites. The Mt. Zion Cemetery is one of those sites.

At the entrance to the grounds

Arched sign over road: MT ZION CEM I834

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Located half way between Stone Head and Story on 135, the cemetery is on high ground overlooking the road bed. The entrance stone monument  name also displays the inscription “Since 1834” under the Mt Zion Cemetery name.

The shelter where the church stood

The Mt. Zion Church edifice stood on the highest point of the property since 1878 but eventually did not survive a massive windstorm in 1986. After the church debris was buried a concrete slab was poured covering the remains of the church. A shelter-type structure was constructed and it survives to this day..

Cremation Garden, Plots in Background

Close up of the Bronze Plaque

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as you  pull into the site from 135 you are greeted with a beautiful flower garden with a bronze sign on a massive boulder. The signage identifies the Mt Zion Cremation Garden and includes an appropriate Scripture.

Well maintained cemetery grounds

The burial spots are identified with a variety of gravestones. A search for the oldest graves take you from the top of the hill following down the slope to the end of the grounds at a tree line. There are many Federal provided military gravestones for Civil War Veterans providing information of their units in which they served.

Indiana fireworks laws and retail sales regulations

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The State of Indiana is known for rather liberal fireworks laws when it comes to the everyday consumer. That is, of course, if you are talking about fireworks designated 1.4G class. These include wire/bamboo sparklers, bottle rockets, aerial spinners, firecrackers, Roman candles, fountains, and multi-shot aerial cakes. You must be at least 18 years old to legally purchase consumer fireworks.

A typical fireworks sales tent in a parking lot

Retail sales locations require Licensing from the Indiana DHS State Fire Marshall’s office. License fees aren’t cheap. The first location fee is $1,000 for the first permanent building location or the first tent location. Additional locations are $200 for additional permanent structure and $500 for each additional tent.

Setting up the fireworks retail sales tables

Back in Pre-COVID Indiana starting in May fireworks retail outlets sprung up nearly everywhere that had a vacant space in strip-malls, empty buildings or Walmart parking lots. After COVID and due to current strains on the economy the rush to open retail fireworks outlets has cut back to the weekend before July 4th.  My son and I were out shopping today and noticed somewhat of a rush of three or four retail fireworks “stores” setting up. Oh, and if you set off fireworks at your house, please be careful!

Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary from the Indiana Audubon Society

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The Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary is located south of Connersville in Fayette County, Indiana.  Alice Green Gray gave the initial 264 acre property to the Indiana Audubon Society in 1943 as a living memorial to her daughter Mary, who preceded her in death. Another Gray relative and Society members have made possible the acquisition of more property so that the Sanctuary now has 723 acres.

Clearly marked entrance

Storage building appropriately decorated

Page from MGBS brochure

 

 

 

 

 

The entrance to the sanctuary is well marked with a dramatic and large stone sign. Once you are in the initial parking area, you realize that you are in a delightful part of Nature’s birding paradise. This is an off the beaten path sanctuary worthy of your exploration. Take you camera and binoculars.

There are many features within this sanctuary. There is a bird watching blind where you can observe the many stocked feeders and not be seen. Ponds and native trees provide a perfect chance to immerse yourself in communing with Earth and the natural history of Indiana. Interesting programs and meetings take place at the amphitheater. Self-guided hiking tours covering many topics are an extra bonus to visitors of the MGBS. Click here for the MGBS website.

 

Huge old driftwood logs in Olympic National Park

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Washington State Olympic National Park is on the Pacific coast in the north part of the state.  This national park has stunning scenery and beautiful coastlines. Dramatic “sea stacks”, rocks remaining after ocean weathering, are visible from the shore. Highway 101 follows this coast and near the north end of the park it runs next to Ruby Beach.

On the shore line

Islands in the background

 

 

 

 

 

Ruby Beach is one of a few Olympic National Park beaches that have massive amounts of driftwood stacked randomly by the tides on the shore. Tidal currents have for centuries been responsible for the migration up and down the coastline  of these driftwood logs. Many of these weather worn logs have no doubt been on different parts of the beach over the decades.

Huge driftwood log, Sea Stacks in background

Old driftwood logs, shore in background

 

 

 

 

 

The Olympic National Park covers nearly a million acres. It protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems. Ruby Beach and other ocean views from Highway 101 show just a fraction of the park’s acreage. The Olympic Peninsula is a remarkable part of our United States. Visit there someday, you will not  be disappointed.

 

Quinault National Recreation Trail System

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Traveling in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State provides an awesome chance to view up close and personal the famed scenery of the Pacific Northwest. The huge Olympic National Forest is home to millions of acres of Natures’ wonders.

Trail map

Typical vegetation of the rain forest

The Quinault National Recreation Trail System on the shore of Lake Quinault is an opportunity to easily explore the magnificent rain forests. We stopped at one of the parking lots for the trail, and were easily able to walk several hundred yards into the forest on a well defined and clear trail.

Nature’s delicate beauty

Easy walking trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massive tree base

Being in the actual rain forest was an eye opening adventure that brought us close to, and for a short time, part of this slice of the Pacific Northwest. The plants covering the forest floor were a deep green and covered in delicate leaves. Moss covered previously fallen branches added to the degree of total vegetation that filled the scene. This was a chance to really engage with the rain forest.

Harry Evans Covered Bridge, one of 31 in Parke County Indiana

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Parke County, Indiana is known as the covered bridge capitol of the world. It is home to 31 covered bridges which is more than any other county in the nation. Every October over two million visitors converge on Parke County for the world famous 10 day Covered Bridge Festival. People come to see the bridges and shop any of the thousands of vendors who occupy building’s or temporary tents that sprout up allover the county.

Harry Evans Bridge, 65 ‘ long, built by JA Britton in 1908

Showing the Burr-Arch support design of the Evans bridge. This design is found in 30 of the Park County bridges including one double Burr-Arch.

We enjoy road trips to Parke County several times each year. The crowds are huge with heavy traffic during the festival, so we avoid Parke County then. There are five different well marked self driving routes that will take you directly to nearly all of the 31 bridges. The county is also home to two Indiana State Parks and the 2,110 acre Raccoon Lake State Recreation Area. Go enjoy Indiana outdoors in Parke County!

 

Renaissance Faire in Central Indiana

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This weekend was the first of two weekends when several acres of the Johnson County Park, Nineveh, Indiana transformed into a setting right out of Renaissance Europe. Scores of tents, wagons and other structures have sprung up on the grassy fields.

Some of the vendor tents

The Indiana Renaissance Faire is one of several similar events during the year. With the same basic theme, vendors and entertainers from all over come to peddle their wares and entertain the crowds of all ages that enjoy these Faires.

Vendor “wagon” plus tent

Watch out for the pirates (but buy their mead)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything and everything you would need to dress in period costume is available at the vendor displays in the tents. Musical instruments, belts, bags, tunics, even correct footware.

Every faire needs a dragon

Yes that is a real sword shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And speaking of costumes, it seemed like more than half of the people in attendance were is some kind of costuming. We saw elves, wizards, fairies, warlocks, pirates, knights, tradesmen and many others.

Knight at the ready

Lance ready for the joust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entertainment was everywhere. We got there in time to catch the 12 noon Jousting demonstration. Two knights in armor on horse back showed their skill in the use of the long joust. Foot soldiers in support of the knights demonstrated small arm weaponry.

Holding RedTail Hawk

Two birds waiting their turn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another unique and fascinating offering presentation was by a chap who brought hawks and falcons to show and explain. A most fascinating  demonstration.

The Renaissance Faire will be open next weekend, June 20 – 21st for two more days of revelry, music, food and fun. Huzzah!

 

Chief Tecumseh “Trail of Whispering Giants” statue at Vincennes Indiana`

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Sher and I always enjoyed discovering interesting attractions when we were travelling. We found this striking likeness of the famous Chief Tecumseh near the Wabash River levee in Vincennes, Indiana. The statue is the creation of Peter “Wolf” Toth, a Hungarian artist, and is his most recent addition (the 74th) to his “The Trail of Whispering Giants” series of statues scattered across the country.

Chief Tecumseh, Wabash River levee in background

The history of the Chief

Signage and Tecumseh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toth’s first monumental “Whispering Giant” was completed in 1972. He now has statues in all 50  states. His only tools were a hammer and chisel, with rare use of an ax and a mallet. Each statue is made using a native log from each state. Toth always meets with local Native American tribes and local lawmakers prior to beginning his work. While on your road trips keep an eye out for the magnificent “Trail of the Whispering Giants”.