These are our grand dogs living with our Columbus Ohio family.
Zorro looks dapper with his bowtie
Chewy loves laying on your feet
Chewy really looks like Chewbacca of Star Wars fame when his hair is grown out each winter. Zorro is a real sweetie and is convinced he’s a lapdog. “Hey, if Chewy can sit on your lap why can’t I?”
We had a really fun time this past weekend when we visited our son’s family to celebrate our granddaughter’s High School graduation. Friday night we found our way to a large establishment called Brewdog. This place was a full sized brewery, restaurant-bar, games, merchandise and the Doghouse Columbus Hotel, rooms of which have beer taps in each room. The original home is in Aberdeen, Scotland. Now there are several in Ohio.
Sher heading into the Brewery
Looking towards the outdoor seating area
The beer barrel wall, restaurant beyond
Bar and indoor seating, outdoor seating patio beyond
This is a trailer, note the girl just released her axe…
The facility has a huge building that houses not only the restaurant/bar/game rooms but the actual brewery with its large vats. Once you pass the merchandise area and go through the beer barrel wall, you’re in the restaurant bar seating area. The menu was filled with great bar food.
Smothered wings & fries, nachos and corn dip
Custom made pizza
You have to try a flight!
With our son and daughter-in-law
The firepits were nice, heck, the whole place was nice. We’ll go back on another trip to visit our Columbus Ohio family.
Main entrance, lots waiting for a table
No, we’re not talking about the Ohio National Poultry Show. We’re talking about one of a delightful chain of chain of restaurants that carry the self given label of “A Fun, Casual Joint”. On our way to family in Columbus, Ohio, we found a Rooster’s just off of I-71 south of the beltway. We were seated immediately, even though the place was very full. This place was full of life, covered with TV screens and interesting wall décor.
Yet another clever way to ID restroom occupants
A rather punny saying
A bit of editorial content here
The menu was very impressive and had appetizers for everyone’s tastes, plenty of wings and a full list of burgers and sandwiches. We decided on three items and they were very delicious and filling.
Dumpster Fries “It’s a hot mess!” Curly fries, topped with melted cheeses, bacon bits, tomatoes, green onions and jalapeños with Dumpster Dressing.
Quesadilla: Mozzarella, Provolone and cheddar. garnished with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and jalapeños.
Big Bob’s Burger: You had to grab this half-pounder with both hands!
This turned into a most enjoyable break on the way to our son’s family. The food was very good, reasonably priced and served in a comfortable establishment. There are several of these Rooster’s places all over Ohio and Kentucky. They get very busy, get there mid afternoon for immediate seating.
We’ve been blessed with lovely Asiatic lilies blooming recently. Today a white bloom showed up. We’ve never seen one before on our plants, and can’t figure where it came from. A quick search found a reference to heat affecting coloration, however all of the blooms have been exposed to the same environment.
Any botanists or horticulturists out there have an idea why we have this pure white bloom? This is the third year of blooms for these Asiatic lilies.
Sitting on the north side of the Johnson County Courthouse in Franklin, Indiana is a striking memorial/fountain commemorating the valor of Union Soldiers from Johnson County during the Civil War. John Vawter was a businessman and banker from Franklin. He donated the memorial in 1905. It includes a bronze statue by artist Rudolph Schwarz.
This is a wonderful memorial to the men who served in the Civil War. The anachronism? As a history nerd who has been interested in, and studied military history, I need to point out that the arms and accoutrements on the cavalry trooper looking out over the battlefield are of a kind that did not even exist in 1861 to 1865.
Detail of the Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield
The carbine is a Springfield “Trapdoor” that fired a 45/50 cartridge. This firearm was not invented until 1873, and was issued in both rifle and carbine lengths. The cartridge box on the trooper’s belt appears to also be from the 1870’s and designed for brass cartridges. The statue is a very good portrayal of a trooper from the mid 1870’s on.
This is an impressive memorial, complete with all branches of the services represented under the lion heads fountains. It is interesting that the statue artist picked the wrong model for his rendition of the trooper. It doesn’t take away from the honor given to the Civil War soldiers from Johnson County.
It’s been really hot and dry for the past week, high’s in the upper 80’s and low 90’s with pollen alerts and air quality warnings. Welcome to Indiana in June. Sher and I decided that a nice leisurely Sunday lunch date was in order for today. We enjoyed our last trip to the Blue Agave so off we went for a second visit.
We started with margaritas, chips and salsa!
The Burrito Boom is huge
Beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, onions, beans and rice! Whew!
Veggie Chimichanga filled with grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and served soft or deep-fried. Topped with cheese sauce and red sauce. Includes rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole
Blue Agave Mexican Grill and Bar is on the north side of Shelbyville, Indiana. Good food, great drinks, lots of TV screens and great service make this a good place to grab a meal.
The US Highway 40 cross country yard sale concluded today after 5 days of very hot, sunny weather. Overall it was a successful sale, though crowds were slightly smaller than in past years.
Wide angle view of the interior of our booth.
The pictures show our booth and some of the other vendors who took advantage of this great site which used to house a church. There were close to 30 different vendors, restrooms and plenty of parking. The first time we set up here several years ago there were at most 7 or 8 vendors.
Asiatic lilies (Lilium asiatica) are considered to be one of the easiest to grow and hardy blooming plants you can enjoy in your garden. They come back each year and sometimes will actually multiply! We always enjoy our colorful lilies.
Riley statue at the courthouse
You have no doubt heard the saying “When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.” That quote is from James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier Poet. He is from Greenfield, Indiana, a small town east of Indianapolis.
Riley was noted for his down home use of dialect that epitomized rural Indiana. He is famous for his remarkable volume of poems. He wrote and published over 1000 verses. His most popular are “Little Orphant Annie”, “The Raggedy Man,” “Our Hired Girl,” “A Barefoot Boy,” “The Bumblebee,” “Granny,” and “When the Frost Is on the Punkin.”
Mural with verses from his “Wet Weather Talk” poem
Ford’s Garage in Noblesville, Indiana is one of a chain of 24 restaurants. The lion’s share, 18, are located in Florida with others in Texas, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. The first one opened in 2012 in Ft. Meyers, Florida. It was a mere mile away from the winter residence of Henry Ford himself.
The outside, patio seating is behind the 4 openings
The overall ambiance and décor of the Noblesville establishment, like all of the locations, is based around a 1920’s service station. You have to have cars at a service station, thus you are immediately seeing vintage Ford Model A cars on the outside of the facility.
The entrance
Front door handles
Shop rag and hose clamp for tableware!
Ford Garage branded on the bun!
Once you’re seated, and even on the way to your table, your eyes are filled with all kinds of Ford and automotive items. The more you look, the more you’ll see! Ford memorabilia and 1920’s pictures and car items are everywhere.
The way to the restrooms
Unique RR sink
The quote on the back wall is Ford’s “any color as long as it’s black”
Nice old race car
This is a wonderful and fun place. The food and drinks are great. The whole Ford theme is most interesting. If you want a unique dining experience Ford’s Garage is the place for you.
