September 2008

An old tobacco warehouse in Owensboro, Kentucky is being given a second chance at life. It’s being transformed into high tech laboratories and other offices. In the 1930’s, the brick warehouse was part of the hustle and bustle of “Tobacco Row.”

Local leaders have been wanting to give downtown Owensboro a shot in the proverbial arm for a while, and many believe that converting this warehouse will do just that. Developers want to make the building an important part of Owensboro’s downtown redevelopment, by turning the building into a laboratory and a small business center.

Developer Malcolm Bryant told 14 WFIE News that he thinks the warehouse is ideal: “It’s already here and it’s strong and it’s already structurally sound.”

With the growth of Owensboro’s bio-tech industry, the community is looking for places to expand, adding laboratories and other business offices.

WFIE Reports:
As Owensboro’s bio-tech industry continues to grow, the community is looking for places to expand, adding laboratories and other business offices.

“We need a place for those people to do business,” Hugh Haydon, Kentucky Bio-Processing, said. “This is it.”

Haydon said Owensboro is working hard to become a leader in the bio-processing industry.

“Having this kind of space available, having a demonstrated local commitment to that industry sector is hugely important,” Haydon said. “Something you haven’t seen in other communities to my knowledge across the world.”

Nick Brake, Economic Development Corporation, said the operations in Owensboro has helped.

“We have a competitive advantage in that facility, in the intellectual property that they control and the research that is going on here,” Brake said.

Local leaders say they hope building on to the bio-tech industry will attract students to town.

But, will this draw young people? Will this draw students into the community to work at this facility?

Brake is hopeful.

“Well we certainly hope it will,” Brake said. “Part of what we’re trying to create here is an environment. It’s all tied into the place making and it will be a unique space.”

The City said Tuesday it will contribute $2 million to the project. Daviess County said it will pay for $500,000 of the project.

Work is already underway, and Brake said in six to nine months the outside of the building could be done and space become available inside.

Story from 14 WFIE News.com

{ 0 comments }

While watching Survivor Thursday night, we saw a trailer for a new movie, Quarantine. The lead actress (Jennifer Carpenter) looked amazingly familiar to me, so I Googled her. To be honest, I still have no idea where I’ve seen her before, because I haven’t seen anything she’s been in (see her filmography below).

But I did learn something interesting - she’s a Kentuckian! Jennifer Carpenter was born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 7, 1979. She grew up in Louisville and went to Sacred Heart Academy.

Filmography:
Quarantine (2008)
“Dexter” …. Debra Morgan (2006-2008) - She’s been on 25 episodes of Dexter.
Battle in Seattle (2007)
The Dog Problem (2006)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Lethal Eviction (2005)
Queen B (2005)
Last Days of America (2005)
White Chicks (2004) - Her character was “Lisa.”
D.E.B.S. (2004)
Ash Tuesday (2003)
People Are Dead (2002)

I guess I recognize her from a Dexter commercial or something. Now that I know she’s one of our own, I’m going to make a point of renting and seeing her movies. I’ll definitely see Quarantine next month - the release date is October 31.

For a synopsis of the movie as well as the trailer, click the link below!

Quarantine Trailer

Edit: It just hit me - she reminds me of the girl who was in a killer Ford Edge commercial about a year ago. Click HERE for the video of the commercial. It looks a lot like her. Hmmm….

{ 0 comments }

Below is a link to a website dedicated entirely to keeping track of pumpkin patches (as well as corn mazes, hayrides, etc.) Instead of re-doing what’s already been done, I thought I’d just link to them. I’m linking to the Kentucky section, but if you click on HOME in the navigation, you’ll be taken to a page where you can choose any state you’re looking for.

Pumpkin Patches in Kentucky

{ 0 comments }

On October 4-5, 9-12, 16-19 and 23-26, 2008, Meijer presents “The World’s Largest Halloween Party!” at the Louisville Zoo. You can dress up in your wildest, funnest costume and flaunt it throughout one of the most amazing zoos in the country.

From The Louisville Zoo:

This special 27th annual community tradition provides not-so-scary fun for families with costumed characters and fanciful storybook scenes throughout the Zoo. Plus there’s trick-or-treating for kids 11 and under, the Headless Horseman, Halloween Express Train ride and more!

This year in an effort to be “green,” we are encouraging children to bring their own trick-or-treat bag to the event.

“The World’s Largest Halloween Party!” at the Zoo is a treasured Kentucky tradition, and Kentucky Tourism Council recently named the 14-night event one of the “Top 10” Kentucky events for Fall 2008. The event draws more than 85,000 visitors each year.

“The World’s Largest Halloween Party!” presented by Meijer is a special ticketed event, and free for Zoo members in 2008. Tickets are required for all visitors age 3 and up. To avoid lines and save, purchase advance discounted tickets online now at louisvillezoo.org or at participating Meijer stores.

{ 0 comments }

I’m gathering up information to compile a couple of Autumn-licious articles. If you have (or know of) a pumpkin patch or haunted house in Kentucky, or within driving distance in a neighboring state
- please e-mail me the details and I’ll add it to the appropriate list.

If you can include the name and address, you’ll be helping a great deal. If you can include the name, address, contact information, price, and any extra information, you will have achieved hero status. You and the inventor of coffee, side by side.

{ 1 comment }

I just finished wrapping up the Genuine Kentucky Amazon Store.  I’m in the process of adding more pages, more products, more books, etc - but I was anxious to get it added to the site.  So far, you’ll find the following categories/pages:

Kentucky Books

University of Kentucky

University of Louisville

Owensboro, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake

Mammoth Cave

Kentucky Cookbooks

Before the day’s out, I’ll also have pages added for the Kentucky Derby, Western Kentucky, Lexington Kentucky, and maybe a few more surprises.  You’ll always be able to get to the store easily by using the links on the far right under the heading, “Genuine Kentucky’s Amazon Shop.” (You can also click HERE!)

The adorable garden gnomes in this post are in the store. There are also UK and U of L Cheerleader garden gnomes I added. I pretty much want them all, so I’d better start saving my money. That or use my credit card… Solution found!

{ 0 comments }

This was the best Ryder Cup ever. Not just because the USA finally remembered how to win (!), not just because it was on Kentucky soil, and not just because we had two Kentuckians (Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes) and Boo Weekley on our side. There was just so much excitement and an abundance of American pride.

As a state and a country we all fell under Boo’s spell. He’s SO one of us, how in the world did the stork miss the drop. The bird must’ve had my sense of directions because Boo was born in the Florida panhandle instead. Maybe Stork, United thought, “They’ve got the Waltrips, let’s give this character to Florida.”

Oh, well, it doesn’t really matter. We’ve adopted him now.

What makes Kenny Perry’s performance all the more impressive is the fact that he was in a great deal of pain. He was, in his words, “..eating Advil like candy.” Fellow Kentuckian J.B. Holmes has also made a name for himself. You know, if Boo weren’t scaring up so much attention, I think our own J.B. would be in the center of the limelight. He’s a character, himself!

Below are some of my favorite write-ups about the whole shebang:

Kentucky Comes Up Big in Ryder Cup
Kentucky Boys Give US Boost
Kenny Perry Savors Home Cooking in His Kentucky Reign at Ryder’s Cup

Louisville, Kenny, and J.B., you made your fellow Kentuckians proud. And along with Paul Azinger, Boo Weekley, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, and the rest of the team - you made the whole country proud!

{ 0 comments }

Saturday was what I’d call a perfect day. I spent the first half of the day at home (in Owensboro) with my husband, 4 cats, 3 daughters and 2 of their boyfriends who were over. They’re like sons I never had, so I always love to see them coming up our drive!

After lunch, my husband and I headed to the place we go just about every weekend - Land Between the Lakes. Our first stop was the Hitching Post Country Store in Aurora. (Watch for an upcoming article about excitment buzzing around this one of a kind store. The new owner’s cooking up something very special and I’m getting giddy.)

After grabbing a few jars of jam, a bag of grits (more about them in the upcoming article!), and an AMAZING Cinnamon Roll candle that almost smells better than the real thing.  I actually haven’t even lit it yet - I have it sitting on my desk here in our home office.  It’s making my entire work area smell like Cinnamon Heaven.  One of my cats is infatuated with it.

The next stop on the perfect day was Aurora’s Willow Pond restaurant (the best Willow Pond, if you ask my taste buds). The food was perfect, as always, and the server was as sweet and southern as the tea I drank.

After shopping in one of my favorite gift shops and eating in one of my favorite restaurants, we went to a place I could (literally) spend hours upon hours in: The Elk & Bison Prairie at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. This Prairie is truly a remarkable place, and if you love animals as much as I do, they’ll have to drag you away. These animals are so majestic and beautiful and the landscape is like something out of a National Geographic issue.  It’s all breathtaking and I’m blown away on each visit.

In addition to elk and bison, the prairie is also home to wild turkeys, rabbits, raccoons, bobcats, bats, coyote, skunks, box turtles, redtail hawks, quail, snakes, and owls. (Sounds like our backyard, except we have possums instead of turkeys!  I love possums, so it’s all good.)

Did You Know?

• The Shawnee Indian word for elk is wapiti, meaning “white rump.”
• Elk antlers can grow up to one inch a day in the summer.
• Bison once ranged from Florida to the Hudson Bay and from Appalachia to the Rockies.
• Elk spend most of the day in cover but may come out in late afternoon or evening to graze.

No Season is the Wrong Season to Enjoy the Elk & Bison Prairie

We made a special point of going to the Prairie this weekend because the elk begin their bugling in September and October.  This is, of course, their mating call and once you’ve heard them bugling - you’ll never forget it.  It was pouring down rain when we went through, so we were afraid we wouldn’t see any animals, let alone be treated to a bugling concert.  Wrong!  We saw 4 beautiful male elk and countless females.  A very large elk was holding court with about 10 females when another, smaller, male approached.  The larger (selfish!) elk gave chase and the smaller guy reconsidered. 

Two years ago, we watched as two huge male elks went head to head - or antler to antler.  They fought for about 15 minutes before one retreated.  They put on a spectacular show that we felt privileged to watch.

Although the bugling makes autumn an unbelievable time to visit the prairie, the other seasons hold their own magic.

Spring - Spring means one thing:  Babies!  During May the first Bison calves begin to appear.  They never get too far from “mom” and they are ridiculously cute.   Elk calves are born in late May or June.

Summer - The prairie grasses, flowers, and trees put on a wonderful show throughout the summer. During the hot days of summer, the elk and bison can be found seeking shade beneath the many, many trees and taking dips in one of the ponds.

The animals are pretty busy in the summer months, but you have to catch them in the late afternoon.  Last summer, we drove through one evening with our youngest daughter.  Countless bison were crossing the road just as we were inching along, so we sat watching as these beautiful animals walked, literally, right in front of us.  They’re one of my favorite animals in the world, so I was transfixed - too overwhelmed with happy to even take pictures!  Fortunately, Michael and Stephany snapped away as I sat there, teary-eyed and smiling.

Winter - This is a season you shouldn’t overlook!  The bare landscape of winter increases your odds of seeing the animals, and when you do see them, they’ll be wearing their beautiful new winter coats.   During the other seasons, the elk and bison can be seen most frequently in the very early morning hours and in the late afternoon hours.  However, during winter, they can be seen just about any time as they feed throughout the day.

The Elk & Bison Prairie is open to the public 365 days a year, dawn to dusk.  The cost is only $5 per car.  Not much to pay for memories that’ll last forever.  You can begin your journey by touring the Elk & Bison Prairie Exhibit at the Golden Pond Visitor Center.  It’s amazingly well done and very, very informative. The history of the region will fascinate even the wiggliest kids.

When you go, please keep in mind that these animals are beautiful but they are wild.  This isn’t, of course, a petting zoo.  We are merely guests, it’s the animals’ home.  Never allow anyone you’re with to taunt, tease, or try to coax the animals toward you.  Also, if you see a snake on the road (during cold months, they like to warm themselves on the blacktop), please don’t run him over!  Simply admire his presence, then leave him where you found him.

Respecting the animals and their surroundings makes you a much cooler person.

Helpful Links:

Elk & Bison Prairie Overview

Elk & Bison Prairie:  The Story

All About Elk (You can even hear an audio of bugling.)

All About Bison (You can hear him as well!)

{ 0 comments }

We’ve come across the “Kentucky friendly” people who run Briarwood Gardens several times.  We always hunt their stand out when the 1850’s Homeplace in LBL has special events.  I usually buy Stevia, tea leaves, and a few other assorted herbal blends.  Their Stevia is really delicous in hot tea. Sweet without being too sweet.

Most recently, I tried an herb blend for Salsa, some Berry Berry Tea, and Granny’s Green Tea.   As a matter of fact, I’ve got my face wrapped around a hot mug of Granny’s Green Tea right now.  I put the leaves in a paper liner in my coffee pot and brew it up by the pot.  My oldest daughter and I usually drink it all hot, but when there’s any left over, it’s DELICIOUS on ice.  Personally, I don’t add any sugar or even honey - they’ve added enough personality to the tea leaves as is, thanks to a great mixture of flavors.

They’ll actually be back at the Homeplace on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008. On October 11, 2008, they’ll be at the Renaissance Faire at Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah KY. You’ll absolutely love their herbal blends and teas. The Berry Berry and Granny’s Green Teas are out of this very world.

Check them out at Briarwood Gardens.biz.

{ 0 comments }