We couldn’t visit Seattle without going to our favorite haunted saloon in downtown Snohomish.
The haunted doll is still sitting high on a shelf.
Dinner at haunted saloon
retirement activity
Legally Blonde The Musical now playing at Beef & Boards
Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre brings “blonde” to the stage this summer with Legally Blonde The Musical. Based on the hit MGM movie, Legally Blonde was nominated for seven Tony Awards and 10 Drama Desk awards, and gives fans all the fun from the film in this energetic musical.
Elle Woods (Olivia Broadwater), left, is not prepared to answer the question from Professor Callahan (Jeff Stockberger), far right, in his class at Harvard Law
Sorority president Elle Woods is shocked when instead of proposing, her boyfriend dumps her and states he is off the Harvard Law School. Elle won’t give up, and she soon finds herself enrolled in Harvard Law as well. Then the fun begins.
Emmett Forrest (Jacob Butler), right, encourages Elle Woods (Olivia Broadwater), left, to really work toward a law career instead of chasing her ex-boyfriend
This dynamic and vibrant production is filled with exciting characters. Local talent Olivia Broadwater, a graduate of Ball State University and Zionsville Community High School, makes her Beef & Boards debut as Elle Woods, who snaps stereotypes as she sets out to prove herself to the world. Griffin Cole also makes his Beef & Boards debut as Warner Huntington III, who she follows to Harvard after being dumped by him.
Hair stylist Paulette Bonafonte (Meagan Lewis-Michelson), left, sings about her love for “Ireland” to Elle Woods (Olivia Broadwater)
Starring as the friends she meets along the way are Jacob Butler as Emmett Forrest, Logan Moore as Kyle the UPS guy, Jaddy Ciucci as Enid Hoopes, Logan Hill as Serena, Maya Mays as Margo, and Holly Wilder as Kate.
Paulette Bonafonte (Meagan Lewis-Michelson), center, is stunned by UPS delivery man Kyle (Logan Moore), right, as Elle Woods (Olivia Broadwater), left, watches
B&B favorites Deb Wims plays Fitness Queen Brook Wyndham, and Jeff Stockberger stars as the successful, but pompus and manipulative, Professor Callahan. And also featured are two wonderful canines, Daisy the toy poodle and Pugsley, a 10 year old English bulldog.
Fitness queen Brooke Wyndham (Deb Wims), top center, leads a workout at the Boston Women’s Correctional Facility
The action of music, song and dance is nearly non stop during both Act I and Act II. The story line of the girl who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School develops both in plot and character development. The choreography is exciting and very well executed.
Elle’s sorority sisters appear as a Greek Chorus after a “tragedy” befalls her at Harvard
The production we attended was a complete sell out. A staff member told us that tickets are selling fast for all shows. Avoid disappointment, don’t wait to order your tickets. Legally Blonde The Musical is on stage through Aug. 25. The complete performance schedule is on Beef & Boards Website. Tickets are also available by calling the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Box Office at 317.872.9664.
Mother’s Day at the historic Willard
Today we (Maj and our son) took Sher out for a Mother’s Day luncheon. We had finished up a couple of quick shopping stops and Sher told me she wanted to go to the Willard for our celebratory meal.
Street view, note patio seating on left
Wonderful original curved stairway
Antique marble and cast iron fireplace
The Willard is an historic building in Franklin, Indiana. The original brick house was built in 1860. Over the years different owners built more around the house, turning it into a hotel. Now it is a very popular local restaurant “where friends meet”.
Sher’s veggie pizza
That’s a basket of fries
There is a bun hiding under that
Thick delicious tenderloin!
The Willard has a surprisingly complete menu for what used to be a pizza restaurant. The nice thing about the fare is that it offers favorites that we all enjoy. Sher ordered one of her favorite things: vegetarian topping pizza. Our son likes fries, so here came his basket of fries. I thoroughly enjoyed the breaded tenderloin. This culinary delight was twice as thick as most typical breaded tenderloins.
Yes, there is a full service bar…
Today the Willard was pretty busy when we arrived at 11:30. The place was packed by 12:15. Lots of folks were celebrating Mother’s Day same as we were. This historic establishment is worth a visit when you are in Franklin, Indiana. Check the website here.
Some views captured in the yard today
The chives have bloomed!
Thought the peony was gone, but no!
Hummingbird silhouette looks on
Another rose on the way
Rose has an unknown loiterer, it seems
A stroll around your piece of nature always reveals the wonders of Earth.
Turkey vultures get a bad rap
Some people are afraid of them, most state how ugly they are, many shudder when they think of what turkey vultures eat. Turkey vultures are, regardless of their reputation, wonderful birds that play a very important role in the ecosystem. They consume any dead animal carcasses they find, thus removing any rotting carcasses.
Warming up or drying out
What some think about the Turkey Vulture
Turkey vultures tend to roost at night in large groups. Their body temperatures lower overnight, and the next morning these large birds often spread their wings wide and hold them spread out. This behavior allows them to raise their temperatures. This behavior also is thought to dry wings.
Some more fun facts about Turkey Vultures
- They can soar for hours at a time, rarely flapping wings
- They clean up the carcasses of dead animals, keeping diseases down
- Wing spans reach up to six feet
- They stick their heads in carcasses, so no head feathers
- Buzzard is not the correct name for turkey vultures
- They DO NOT kill dogs, cats, or children
And finally, a group of Turkey Vultures roosting is called a “committee”. When they are soaring in the air on thermals they are a “kettle” and when eating they are a “wake”.
Large, wonderous and impressive Pileated Woodpeckers
Here are a couple of videos we took and some facts about these eye catching forest birds. Pileated Woodpeckers are crow-sized birds (16 – 19 inches long) with a flame-red crest on top of their head. Their wingspan can be up to 30 inches.
The Pileated Woodpecker’s primary food is carpenter ants, along with other ants, woodboring beetle larvae, termites, and other insects such as flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, cockroaches, and grasshoppers.
Pileated Woodpeckers stay with the same mate for life. Pairs claim forest territories up to 150 acres or larger. They loudly drum on trees with their beaks all year long to announce the boundaries of their territories.
Brownstown Indiana Ewing Depot Restoration
In 2013 Brownstown Township in Jackson County Indiana funded a wonderful project to relocate and restore a portion of the original Ewing Depot. The structure was moved by truck and trailer to a newly prepared site on Front Street near the high school.
Moving the building, photo courtesy Brownstown Township website
The finished project
The building was not open the day we drove by. The depot is in great condition. There is a RR traffic signal installed as part of the display. More information and photos are available at the Brownstown Township website.
Driving on a curvy road in southern Indiana
The on board map tipped us off to a series of curves coming our way north of Freetown, Jackson County.
Seymour Indiana welcome sign and CSX caboose
Intricate sign public art
This dramatic Seymour Welcome sign is located on US 50 just west of I-65. Made of metal on a concrete base, it includes symbols of Seymour’s history. A locomotive, plane propeller, corn, guitar, crown, bell tower and grain bins are just a few of the items on the welcome sign that was completed in 2014.
A bit west of the sign on US 50 is a somewhat faded yellow caboose. Marked with the Chessie System logo and name, it is parked next to an abandoned grain elevator. Seymour has a long and colorful history with railroads, so this caboose is a fitting display for the town.
Another Bison-tennial bison spotted in Freetown, Indiana
We were enjoying a day trip to southern Indiana on a very warm May day. We’d been to a covered bridge, done some shopping, bird watching and just taking in the sights. The next sight we observed was another one of those Bison-tennial statues from Indiana’s 2016 celebration. celebration.
Freetown’s bison statue
One of the panels on bison’s flank
Another panel showing history of Freetown
We did find ourselves on a detour of our main route and noted the sign announcing that we had arrived in the unincorporated community of Freetown in Jackson County Indiana. We have seen several of these statues as we have traveled all over the state. Each one is different, due to the paint and design of same.
Roadtirement 