We had to turn around and get a picture of this.
This pachyderm lives, appropriately, in the corner of a liquor store parking lot in Fortville, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. Search “pink elephant Fortville” on Google maps, you’ll find him.
LOVE statue is now 53 years old
LOVE outside at the IMA in the early years
Robert Indiana was born in 1928 as Robert Clark. He changed his name to Indiana in 1958 to show his roots in the Midwest. His first widespread use of the stacked four letters of “LOVE” was a Christmas card in 1964 for the New York Museum of Modern Art. This design creation led to the LOVE sculpture constructed of Cor-ten steel in 1970. LOVE in steel was first put on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It made the rounds of several American cities for five years until it returned to the IMA. After needed restoration was performed due to weathering of the steel, it is now displayed inside the museum building to protect it from the elements.
Permanent display inside the IMA
Remember 8 cent stamps?
The design was also the inspiration of a USPS 8 cent stamp in 1973. Countless copies of the statue were made and sold over the years, however Robert Indiana had failed to copyright his design, thus he did not reap the benefits. He died at the age of 89.
Unique RV paint job
Back in the fall of 2015 we were busy setting up at festivals and flea markets. At a tractor show and swap meet in western Ohio we were surprised to see a wildly painted RV pull up and set up across from us. We met the owner, who was from Canada and said he travels all over. Yes, he was the artist, he said.
The whole rig is covered in paintings. The more you look, the more you see!
We saw him at several shows during the rest of the fall festival season, and occasionally over the next few years as well. We saw his RV as late as January 2019 at a flea market in McAllen, Texas. The fellow from Canada was nowhere to be seen.
A trio of cranes in flight
Spotting a flight of Sandhill cranes was quite thrilling!
I did hear them coming, and the last shot shows how low they were flying.
Hard Truth Distilling Co. cinnamon vodka
Here I am tasting the Cinnamon Vodka
Nashville is in Brown County, one of Indiana’s most popular tourist destinations. Last year we found the Hard Truth Distilling Co. on the outskirts of this quaint little town.
Hard Truth began in Nashville above a pizza parlor, and has developed into a full tasting facility and a separate restaurant, all set on beautifully landscaped grounds just outside of town. We went to the tasting room, where we each had samples of many of the distillery’s products.
We liked many of the offerings, however our absolute favorite was the Cinnamon Vodka. This spirit is made with their original, wheat-based vodka and premium, natural ingredients to produce an awesome true cinnamon flavor drinking experience. This has 30% alcohol by volume, in other words 60 Proof.
Photo courtesy Hard Truth Distillery
We enjoy it mixed with lime soda, as a chilled straight shot and even in coffee and tea. There are several recipes utilizing this great spirit on the Hard Truth website. Well worth your time to visit the site.
The Indianapolis AES 500 Festival Parade
The month of May in the Indianapolis area is one reminder after another that the famed Indy 500 Mile Race is coming. Local companies use checkered flags, references to racing, and any other connection to the race that they can think of. Media covers the events of the month including not only activities at the track, but also beauty pageants, balls, concerts, half marathons and of course the parade. All celebrates the 2023 version of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.
The 500 Festival Parade again is sponsored by Indy’s electric service company, AES. This parade is one of the original festival events and is one of the highlights of the month of May in Indianapolis. The parade courses through downtown Indianapolis with over 200,000 spectators lining the streets. The parade is filled with floats, giant helium balloons, award-winning bands, celebrities and dignitaries, and all 33 of the drivers in this year’s Indy 500. One of the premier parades in the country, it stands with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The 2023 AES 500 Festival Parade will take place on Saturday, May 27, in downtown Indianapolis. The Parade will be broadcast locally on WTHR(NBC), and nationally on Peacock.
Wright Brothers first flight in North Carolina
The National Park Service operates the National Memorial to the Wright Brothers located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, specifically the Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills area.
Hands-on life size sculpture of the plane
Almost everyone has heard of the first manned flight in a powered airplane. Any trip to the area of the Outer Banks should include a visit to this dramatic Memorial. We arrived late in the day, and thus did not have time to visit the Visitors Center. We did, however, enjoy the massive monument and the life sized reproduction of the original Wright flier and associated sculpture field.
Monument on the hill where the first flight occurred
The massive monument is on top of the large sand dune hill where the flights occurred. In the 1920’s the dune was seeded with grass to stabilize the hill in preparation for the construction of the monument.
Wilbur to the right: original photo
Statue of Wilbur running alongside the plane piloted by Orville
Originally from Ohio, the Wright brothers found that the sand dunes of the outer banks would be a perfect place for them to design the gliders and finally the engine powered airplane. Sand dunes provided a relatively safe place to test fly: sand is soft, protects the pilots and lessens potential damage to the aircraft.
The monument
Personnel from the local US Lifesaving Service offered help and on December 17, 1903 several were at the site of the flight. At the memorial there is a marvelous sculpture field including a life sized reproduction of the plane as well as bronze sculptures of the men who were there at the time. This is a most impressive view that immediately takes you back to that famous December day in 1903.
Plan on visiting this marvelous piece of U.S. history. Here is the NPS website with details and some great information. Note: our National Parks Service Senior Pass saved us the entrance fees to the site. (Seniors 62 and older can get this pass here: NPS lifetime Senior Pass website)
Mt Baker Theatre both historic and haunted
Ghost light on center stage at Mt.Baker Theatre
The historic Mt. Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Washington is reported to be haunted, similar to most old theater’s claims. We took a theater tour and saw the ghost light which burns on center stage at all times there is no production going on. Ghost lights are a tradition among theaters and actors. The lights provide a means to placate ghosts who either want to perform or who want to watch.
The best well known spirit at Mt Baker Theatre is Judy, an amorous young lady. It seems Judy lost her house (or boarding house room, as some say) when the theater was built in 1926-1927. She is reported to be interested in young male projectionists, actors, or ushers. One theater staff member told me Judy is a flirt! Others ghosts who haunt the theater include a well dressed fellow named Geoffrey who appears in either a fancy pin-striped suit or a tuxedo. Another theater staffer said there is a ghost feral cat that haunts and hunts the basement.
1927 photo shared by the Theatre archives
This really is a magnificent old structure, built in 1926 by the 20th Century Fox group. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The interior was restored in the 1980’s back to its original ornate beauty. Here is a link to the history of the theater. The theater is still very active, hosting shows on stage, live music concerts and other events supporting the arts in the Pacific Northwest.
Inch Worm wants off the metal feeder
This little fellow somehow ended up on our hummingbird feeder and kept “inching” around the edge. He wanted off, and we assisted him in a trip to some foliage.
Unique White Bronze cemetery monuments
White Bronze metal monument
When you come across a blueish colored grave monument you can’t help but wonder how it has maintained its lettering and clarity of the dates. No, it is not a later replacement, it is the original zinc metal grave marker. Manufactured by the Bridgeport, CT. Bronze Company, these long lasting but somewhat fragile monuments were custom made from 1876 until 1914.
When you tap on the surface of these monuments you can immediately tell it is metal. The seams where the individual pieces are joined are also obvious. Each piece was cast in Bridgeport and then shipped to the cemetery for installation. Customers dealt with sales reps armed with multiple catalogues with unlimited possibilities for choice of monuments.
Name/dates of deceased and panel with “Shaking Hands”
“HOW DESOLATE OUR HOME BEREFT OF THEE”
The zinc-tin alloy used in the castings did not rust and resisted the growth of mold or algae. Each monument was custom ordered, so all are one of a kind. The designs included panels that were screwed in and could even be changed at a later date, if desired. These were perfect for symbols like the shaking hands, sheaves of wheat or personal messages in addition to the name and dates of the deceased.
A smaller monument
Name/date still legible after nearly 140 years
The material of these was advertised as White Bronze. White Bronze doesn’t exist. These are made with a zinc-tin alloy. The company, however, felt that White Bronze is a much classier and sophisticated name than zinc. They also claimed (of course!) that their monuments would outlast any stone monument. In a way that was true, however these zinc beauties were susceptible to breakage from, for example, falling trees. In addition, very tall monuments could suffer over time from settlement of part of the bases.
This panel would have been custom ordered for the monument
The next time you are enjoying a relaxing walk through a cemetery or graveyard keep an eye out for different looking monuments. Go have a look, it just might be a one of a kind White Bronze monument that was cast in Bridgeport, Connecticut between 1876 and 1914. The photos in this post were taken in the Arlington East Cemetery in Rush County, Indiana.
