rajafacesbothways

On Their Way

The morning glories are now on a race to the top. At the beginning of last week, each branch was extending some tentative tendrils. Now they are developing a thick screen at the base and every day grow noticeably upward.
In fact, one actually grew before our eyes last night! (And I only had one beer)
The tablets of slate against the wall are over 100 years old, saved from my Grandfather's barn roof when it was replaced a few years ago.

Bookstore With A Past

Books With A Past bookstore is rapidly becoming Bookstore With A Past; an overwhelming procedure of boxing up, dispersing books, tearing down bookshelves, etc. to achieve its end by tomorrow. I've been helping boxing books and realize how few books actually live on, despite the hard efforts of the writers. Some have a brief flash of attention but fade into the past. However, really, really good writers and books survive all eras and really enrich lives and cultures.

BWAP enriched this little town in many ways. I hate to see it go but that's the nature of things.

Kay, one of the owners, putting to rest the children's section.

This photo sums up the demise of the store.

Deep Throat

My 12-year-old answering machine refused to take messages, so I had to purchase a new one--along with a phone since they now come in a co-dependent unit.  I got it connected but since I suffer from "TFDS"
 ( technical function disinterest syndrome) I haven't bothered with direct dialing, setting the time and date, or putting my own voice message on the machine.
 A deep voiced sexy sounding male asks you to leave a message, enhancing my actual life style for those who don't know better. He can be anyone I want so imagine George Clooney here on a stopover to see his Kentucky kin.
So if a man answers, don't hang up --just leave a message. One of us will get back to you later.

May I Recommend?

For anyone looking for good summer viewing, I recommend Honeydripper (2007) directed by John Sayles and starring Danny Glover, set in a juke joint in Alabama in the early fifties. And Kinky Boots (2005) directed by Julian Jarrold; a British film where a transvestite comes to the rescue of the owner of a failing shoe factory. Both films have excellent sound tracks along with the fine story telling.

And two books--Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod and Simplexity--Why Simple Things become Complex (and How Complex Things Can Be Made Simple) by Jeffrey Kluger. Both books put a different spin on ways to look at many subjects. They are scheduled to be released this June.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

There is now planted  a variety of herbs, lettuce, chili peppers, zucchini, Big Boy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green and yellow beans, potatoes and many flowering plants plus morning glories--climbing inches daily-- on the rooftop.

And it is frustrating the hell out of all the critters, because anything edible is enclosed in sturdy cages.
(for which I take no credit).  And, like me, everything is growing where it is planted.

A Place in the Country

Spent a morning at the solar heated home of a dance classmate who, with the guidance of The Nature Conservancy and the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, has turned 10 acres into natural habitat. I arrived to a wonderland of flowers, shrubs, trees--and birdsong everywhere, a virtual paradise. 
Kentucky is unique with some of the oldest plants in the country, due to climate that provides growth to both northern and southern plants and trees and that glaciers didn't go beyond the Ohio River.

About 25 purple martins darted in and out of the bird houses--they especially liked the gourds, which were used by Native Americans. Behind are about 6 acres of natural meadowlands.

The south side of the house designed for heating the interior.

The driveway along side of the house. The birdhouse has 3 baby bluebirds living inside.

Among the native plants is Indigo.

"Honey", the resident rescue shelter dog. She was deemed to difficult to handle. Now at 8 months,  with patient training and an hour spent each morning on a treadmill,  she is becoming well trained. All she needed was lots of exercise--and 10 acres of romp room.

Catman and the Kitten

Had a fun visit with Ron (a.k.a.Catman) and Renee--accomplishing huge breakfasts at Keenland and Favas, Weisenburger Mill for 20 packs of pizza dough mix, getting excess furniture for them from my storage locker with the help of a neighbor and his dolly (equipment dolly not a hottie "Dolly"), drinking beer at Galvins and on the deck. They were impressed with my awning but blown away by the tomato protection cage that will appear here at a later date.

About to leave, Ron found a note on his car door, "Please look under the hood before you start your car. I heard a kitten and it wouldn't come out." (note was attibuted to my landlord) Sure enough there was a very frightened, adorable black kitten crouched on his battery. It immediately drew people out of the bookstore--who still refer to my son as "Bird-man" after he captured a bird flying around the store--, everyone from the C oc C, and passersby, developing a group of milling story tellers around us.

Hopefully someone found a home for the wee one, providing Main Street with fresh conversational material for months to come.

Company Coming

Since I left the farm, there has been a huge drop-off in out-of-town guests. Curiosity driven doubters who came to find why I moved here became enthralled with staying on a thoroughbred horse farm that had plenty of room for guests. A one bedroom loft has its limitations--and no horses.

My brother Ron (a.k.a. Catman) and wife Renee arrive from Ohio tomorrow for a couple of days. They are getting some furniture I have in storage and, other than hanging out with me, the real draw is the fabulous breakfast at Keenland's track kitchen, Fava's frickles, and buying packages of pizza dough mix at
Weisenburger Mill.

With my family, life is a banquet, and travel is focused on finding tasty treasures--then coming back for more.

The Reign of Rain

A weather pattern of alternating rain and sunshine is doing wonders for the morning glories; the tendrils have begun their tentative climb up the branches. (see earlier photo)
Too wet to walk but perused through hundreds of "advanced uncorrected proofs" in BWAP basement for reading treasures. They cannot be sold and will ultimately have to be destroyed. Trying to be discriminate, I rescued a couple of dozen to gather dust in my loft for future enjoyment.

(photo:  storm approaching over the court house)
 

Bookstore's Last Days

Books With A Past (BWAP) is closing this week---to the dismay of the readers in town and to the relief of the owners, Barbara and Kay, who are anticipating a well-deserved rest. They earned it.