Falls Colors and Pumpkins

Wow the colors in the leaves are starting to pop. It’s been noticeable through Kentucky and even more so as we enter West Virginia.

When we crossed into West Virginia this morning, we stopped at a visitor center and once again we stumbled into something fun. In Milton, WVA there is a huge pumpkin festival starting…today! This is a huge festival with lots of crafts, food, pumpkin this and pumpkin that, a lots of homemade apple butter and pumpkin butter being made right before our eyes in big copper kettles. Oh I am in heaven! It smells so good cooking. Another thing that was cooking was Sorghum cane (sore-gum). I haven’t heard of it either. We saw fields of this growing and didn’t know what it was. It looked like corn with a different kind of tassels on top. But we knew it wasn’t corn and now we know it’s Sorghum. So, they take this cane and put it through a press to squeeze the juice out of it.    Then they take the juice and put it in a long rectangle vat. In this vat is a maze like structure that is required in the cooking process. They start the cooking process on low heat at one end of the vat. The heat is progressively increased as the juice makes it way through the maze. The juice is stirred slowly and pushed through the maze as it thickens. Any foam or residue is skimmed off the the top. When the cooking process of the cane juice is finished, taking about 2 1/2 hours, you have a type of molasses called Sorghum molasses. It’s so good and it’s used like any other molasses or honey. Yes another new thing learned. Speaking of learning. I was taught how to use a draw knife to plane down wood, angle the wood, and fit the pieces of wood together to make a bucket. Back in the early days if you made items like this you would be a Cooper. I have never heard that term. So much time and hard work goes into making something like this. It would take about a full day to make one bucket. Fun to learn how to use these old tools. It makes you appreciate the craftsmanship and the hard work that went into making anything back then. A blacksmith was also there. I turned down the chance to try my hand at this and opted to watch this craftsman. Wow they can make it look easy. Soap making was also there. How did our forefathers even figure out that lard, lye, and water, if cooked long enough, would make soap? Ok we are at the Pumpkin Festival  and there were plenty of pumpkins including these giant ones. This Big Boy is over 900 pounds! The farmer was disappointed in the pumpkin sizes this year. Last year, the largest was just under 1200 lbs!         I say – that will make one heck of a big pie for Thanksgiving.

Fun day and pretty day in Milton, West Virginia.

We Will Soon Have A Half Dozen

Ok, we will have an even half dozen soon. We already have five. What will we have six of? Another grandbaby is on the way. Due in April. Kevin, Tommy’s 33 year old son who is a career marine and stationed in North Carolina, and his girlfriend Melinda will be parents in the Spring on 2011. Congratulations!!!!

All For The Hall Event

The Grand Ole Opry was our first stop of the day. The Opry just reopened just reopened this past week after the clean up and renovations from the floods that devastated Nashville back in May. I will have to say that it is remarkable that in only five short months, Nashville has recovered from this. It goes to show that if you band together you can accomplish so much.  Nashville did not wait for the government to come in an rescue them, they pulled together as a community and got it done. There is little left unfinished, at least to an outsiders eye. Well done Nashville!

The Ryman was next up. Did you know the Ryman Auditorium has the second best acoustics in the country? They are second to the Mormon Tabernacle. The Ryman was originally a church in the 1800’s. The preacher had a congregation of over 6000 and the only way to get his message out was to build a church with great acoustics since there was no method of amplification back then. The Ryman was also the first home of the Grand Ole Opry and, still today, performers love to play in that venue because of the acoustics. Nashville loves Minnie Pearl and this bronze statue sits center of the hallway coming in.  We then walked over to the Country Music Hall of Fame. You need several hours to tour this and we really needed more time. This museum is interactive with audio snippets and video clips that brought you through the beginnings of country music to present day. The new display is a tribute to Tammy Wynette.       I thought this was interesting. Tammy Wynette picked this cotton from her grandfathers field and kept it as a reminder of her roots.        

Gold and platinum albums lined many walls.       Hank Williams Jr Monday Night Football coat. Now these are some well worn boots! They are Hank Williams Jr son’s, Hank III, and he worn them for every stage performance until he couldn’t any longer. Keith Urban’s guitar, Carrie Underwood’s black dress and Taylor Swifts cream and gold gown. The actual Hall of Fame was built in a circular design so that when the Hall of Fame members plaques are displayed, all have equal importance. The plaques are also hung randomly to appear like musical notes on paper. Excellent idea.

Ok now for the cherry on top. This trip has been a delicious ice cream sundae, with all of our most favorite toppings, piled high with the sweetest whipped cream you can imagine, and tonight we did have a cherry on top experience. Yesterday we were talking to some people from New Jersey that we met and they told us about tonights event. We were so fortunate to be able to get tickets to the “All For The Hall” charity concert at the Bridgestone Arena to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame. What a line up! Keith Urban,   Vince Gill, Billy Covington, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Charlie Pride, Allen Jackson, Dolly Parton, John Mayer,     and Allison Krause. Now that was an All Star Event! Oh yeah we had two cherries on this ice cream sundae. The first was just being able to get tickets. The second cherry was a really really sweet one. We were center stage, 6th row back from the stage. Could these $35 tickets get any better? I think not. And did they ever bring the house down! Phenomenal show. Absolutely phenomenal! 

All For The Hall Event

The Grand Ole Opry was our first stop of the day. The Opry just reopened just reopened this past week after the clean up and renovations from the floods that devastated Nashville back in May. I will have to say that it is remarkable that in only five short months, Nashville has recovered from this. It goes to show that if you band together you can accomplish so much.  Nashville did not wait for the government to come in an rescue them, they pulled together as a community and got it done. There is little left unfinished, at least to an outsiders eye. Well done Nashville!

The Ryman was next up. Did you know the Ryman Auditorium has the second best acoustics in the country? They are second to the Mormon Tabernacle. The Ryman was originally a church in the 1800’s. The preacher had a congregation of over 6000 and the only way to get his message out was to build a church with great acoustics since there was no method of amplification back then. The Ryman was also the first home of the Grand Ole Opry and, still today, performers love to play in that venue because of the acoustics. Nashville loves Minnie Pearl and this bronze statue sits center of the hallway coming in.  We then walked over to the Country Music Hall of Fame. You need several hours to tour this and we really needed more time. This museum is interactive with audio snippets and video clips that brought you through the beginnings of country music to present day. The new display is a tribute to Tammy Wynette.       I thought this was interesting. Tammy Wynette picked this cotton from her grandfathers field and kept it as a reminder of her roots.        

Gold and platinum albums lined many walls.       Hank Williams Jr Monday Night Football coat. Now these are some well worn boots! They are Hank Williams Jr son’s, Hank III, and he worn them for every stage performance until he couldn’t any longer. Keith Urban’s guitar, Carrie Underwood’s black dress and Taylor Swifts cream and gold gown. The actual Hall of Fame was built in a circular design so that when the Hall of Fame members plaques are displayed, all have equal importance. The plaques are also hung randomly to appear like musical notes on paper. Excellent idea.

Ok now for the cherry on top. This trip has been a delicious ice cream sundae, with all of our most favorite toppings, piled high with the sweetest whipped cream you can imagine, and tonight we did have a cherry on top experience. Yesterday we were talking to some people from New Jersey that we met and they told us about tonights event. We were so fortunate to be able to get tickets to the “All For The Hall” charity concert at the Bridgestone Arena to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame. What a line up! Keith Urban,   Vince Gill, Billy Covington, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Charlie Pride, Allen Jackson, Dolly Parton, John Mayer,     and Allison Krause. Now that was an All Star Event! Oh yeah we had two cherries on this ice cream sundae. The first was just being able to get tickets. The second cherry was a really really sweet one. We were center stage, 6th row back from the stage. Could these $35 tickets get any better? I think not. And did they ever bring the house down! Phenomenal show. Absolutely phenomenal!