Before There Were Hunger Games There Were Coal Camp Kids

   Today I was blessed to meet with 3 very talented ladies from right here in Kentucky.  They are the creators of some very unique collector's item dolls called the Coal Camp Kids.
   For all you Hunger Games fans out there you might be surprised to know that coal mining camps are real. Many of our elders here in KY such as these 3 sisters, Helen, Glenna and Peggy grew up in these mining camps.
   Several years ago Helen had an idea to make some dolls that represented the children from the mining camp they grew up in.  She told her sisters about her idea and they all worked together to start their own doll making company. It was then that the Coal Camp Kids were born.
   These sisters were very nice to show me around their workshop and talk to me about their dolls. Each doll is handmade and unique. I was honestly blown away at the detail and work that went into each one of them. Coal camp kids are definitely rich with Kentucky history.

                                          Peggy, Helen and Glenna

   So be sure to check back later this week when I feature all of the Coal Camp Kids as well as an informative interview with all 3 sisters.

Watermelon Slurpies

I like to make sure there are several water sources scattered around the yard for my ducks because they get hot very easily.  Sure using regular bowls is great but they have so much more fun when I give them water in a fruit bowl. 
When they are finished with it then here comes the bees etc.  The bees really can't get enough of this and during the night a hungry little rabbit or deer might have a nibble or two.You can use any kind of melon.  Just make sure it has been cut in 1/2 to make a bowl shape.  Scoop out the fruit you want for yourself and sit the fruit bowl outside.  I like to sit it out when I know it is going to rain that way they get fresh rain water to drink.

             They slurped in this for a long time and then when they were done
                                                the bees took over.

Snack Time

                                             Is this what we think it is?

No thanks you guys go ahead I am watching my figure.

Yummy

A romantic snack for two

My ducks are enjoying their day today

Book Review-I Listened, Momma

    I just finished reading I Listened, Momma written by Darlene Franklin Campbell.
    Firstly, the book is written in a language that anyone who has grown up in Kentucky will feel at home with.  I smiled as I read words that I had not heard pronounced in such a way since some of my elders have passed on.  Also, for those that might not be acquainted with some of the slang words used the author weaves in the explanation craftily.
   I found myself rooting for Nochipa but what is so great is that I definitely found a little bit of myself in all of the characters.  I would go into detail about the ways I identified with each character but then I might give away parts of the story.
   I Listened, Momma is a book I would recommend to anyone.  The story is believable yet still works your imagination just enough to transport you into Nochipa's world.

Downstairs ceiling begins

Today we started on the ceiling.  I for some reason just did not want a traditional sheet rock ceiling.  I had an idea to just put up paneling for the ceiling and ask Bert if that were possible and if it would make any difference to the functionality.  For right now we really can't see how it will make much of a difference especially since we are not going to be hanging lights from this particular ceiling anyways.  So now I have a ceiling which has a bit of design to it.  The great thing about doing your own living space is you can make it to your liking and put your little personal touches on it.

                                                        Hammering away

Siren almost completely healed

Siren has healed wonderfully!  She is now waddling around with her siblings as if nothing happened.  I did keep them all caged for a good 3 days.  I told them when one of you gets hurt you all have to change your daily routine.  They certainly were not liking not being able to waddle around the yard and quacked at me constantly to let them out.  They are happy ducks again though.

It's Whereabout Wednesday!

 Whereabout Wednesday happens every other Wednesday.  It is a fun time where we post our travels around Kentucky and other neighboring states.  Every now and then we might go somewhere even further who knows that is what makes it Whereabout Wednesday lol.  Where will we be next?
 Our first travel blog is about Makers Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY.  Makers Mark just happens to be the only handmade straight bourbon whiskey in the entire US.  However, on the bottle they spell it as WHISKY without the E.  Bert points out that it might be that they are showcasing our states abbreviation KY.   It was an interesting tour. 

                       I copied this pic from the internet just to show you what Maker's Mark is (I do not own the copyright)...

  Off we go...
  We learned that Mr. Samuels purchased the distillery land especially because of the 15-16 acre limestone lake.  This lake water is used for every single bottle of Makers Mark.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to see the lake.  There was plenty more to see though.


                         First sight is an old firetruck and gas pump.

   See the old fireman's jackets, hats and extinguishers...

Old fire truck

The old office

 Bert pushing my cousin Philip through Whisky Creek Bridge

Whisky Creek

                                     The "first drive through liquor store"

Whisky Wagon

Maker's Mark Distillery

The mash barrels-they actually let you taste all of the differently aged mash

Whisky Wall

Hand dipping the bottles

 Maker's Mark Whisky ages in these white oak barrels to taste

 approximately 6 years

The Free Tasting begins

     Geez Philip how many glasses do you need ?  Lol, just kidding this pic is a bit

deceptive (wink).

Bert says, "Yes, quite smooth"

I didn't like the way I looked in my pic so this is all I'm showing.  Hey it's my blog I can do what I like :)

Sign up online to be an ambassador and they will put your name on a plaque and display it on one of the barrels.  It is free to sign up!  You get all kinds of free stuff.  Once your barrel ages to perfection you are welcome to purchase 2 bottles from your very own barrel!

We ended our tour with a quick lunch at the toll gate cafe.

             We really thought the bourbon barbecue sauce was absolutely delicious!   However, we weren't that impressed with the other food.  Sorry :(  In all fairness though we tend to be picky eaters because we are used to eating at home.  At home we cook with quality food and lots of spices and flavorings as well as fresh veggies.

  In closing, I always buy a bottle of Maker's Mark every winter.  I use it when needed to fight nasty colds and winter bugs.  We make a drink from the whisky that is called a hot toddy.  My family has used this toddy to fight nasty colds for as long as I can remember.  Maybe I will share how I make it sometime :)  Hope you enjoyed this post.

If You'd like more info about Maker's Mark Distillery here is their website link as well as a funny video from youtube...

http://www.makersmark.com/age-verification

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLiWVGc3VZk

Siren is Healing Well

Siren is healing well.  She has gotten back her knack for being very loud and quacky today.  She seemed to try to prove herself by snatching a tomato from her siblings and limping around as fast as she could to keep them from eating it.  I think she will be just fine in no time! 

The Lord's Prayer in Cherokee

The Lord's Prayer in Cherokee

Siren continues to heal

  Siren has had a rough day today with her foot and leg.  She has stayed off of it and is allowing herself the healing time she needs.  The other ducks have been very protective of her.
  I thought I'd show a video of them when they were babies.

One of Our Ducks Got Hurt Today

    Today I woke up and did my normal routine which always involves checking on my little ducks.  Only 3 came to greeet me and I immediately freaked out because I knew something was wrong.  Then here came my duck Siren limping slowly behind everyone else.  Bert said when he had gotten up earlier he discovered that she had hay twine wrapped around her legs and couldn't move.  He took it off of her and checked to see if her leg was broken.  Although her leg is not broken her foot is hurt.
    From a female perspective my mood is a bit heavy because this is the first time any of my ducks have ever gotten hurt.  It is a reminder to me that as much as I try to protect the animals, people and things I care about, there is still so much that is out of my control.  It is so easy to try to shut yourself down emotionally towards the people and animals you care about in a desperate attempt to never have to feel the pain that accompanies them getting hurt or dying.  You tell yourself if I force myself not to feel or care then I won't have to hurt.  Sadly, the truth is that during our lives we will hurt in some way, shape or form despite all of our attempts to avoid it.
    Now from a male's perspective Bert says he was concerned at first but once he took the twine off  he really hasn't thought about it much.  He says he hopes she's ok but the duck being injured doesn't bring out any deep emotions within him.  He says, " I know she will be fine" as he quietly gives in to his early afternoon sleepiness :) 
    


She did not enjoy being picked up while I checked her legs and feet...

Elk Hunt Lottery Winner

Bert was recently selected to take place in the Kentucky Elk Hunt season.  He was and is more than thrilled at the prospect of bringing home some elk meat.  He was surprised earlier this week with an envelope in the mail containing a hat, elk hunting dvd and invitation for a special banquet.
I believe the hunt is to be in December if I recall correctly.  His cousin is coming down from Maine with his rv and they are going to hunt together.  They will be camping out and just having a great time.  They are going to do a lot of video taping so I will be sure to post a little of it when the time comes.
Here is a pic of him opening the envelope...

Tell Me That One Again

"Now that was funny you got to tell me that again."

We Had Visitors today

We had visitors today.  I do believe they are more than willing to hang out with us because we have let our lawn get quite shabby.  The ducks prefer lots of grass to waddle around in so we try to keep it to their liking.  The deer are more than happy to reap the benefits.

 mama luvs u

Started the Fence

Bert was working today, it wasn't raining and the clouds were giving some shade from the sun.  I decided it would be a good time to start on the fence.  I had been doing some research on youtube on how to use old pallet boards and wanted to give it a go.

old boards

I took the boards and rearranged them so there would be no gaps.  Yay, my first fence attempt all made from recycled material.  Bert came home and snapped a pic of me finishing up my fence.

I have to give credit where credit is due so here are some links on youtube which gave me the idea to try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVRouZJI7aQ&feature=colike

http://youtu.be/O7oWaRPpdKU

http://youtu.be/ZtPmUZ-k3aI

http://youtu.be/4UkAdkJcxp0

A Very Talented Lady

I have stumbled across a very talented author here on blogger.  Her name is Darlene Franklin Campbell, she is an Appalachian lady with a strong Mexican heritage. The moment I came across her site I knew I had just struck gold!   I am posting a link to her blog titled The First Mexican Hillbilly, a link to her website and a video which describes her book titled I Listened, Momma.  This is the first book in a long time that I have been truly excited to purchase.  It is available through Amazon and other booksellers.

http://nochipa.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/the-first-mexican-hillbilly-published-in-new-madrid-2007/

http://darcampbell.angelfire.com/chippie/darlenefranklincampbell.html

My Garden

I had big plans this year of really digging in and learning how to be a gardener.  However, because I broke my leg it kind of put a dent in my mobility.  So I opted to put a few tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in containers on the front porch.  With the veggies on the front porch it made it a whole lot easier for me to get to them in order to water daily.  I just planted them and hoped for the best.  They have not done exceptional overall but to be honest I just feel grateful that I have grown anything this year. 
Here is a pic of our cayenne pepper plant.  We are blessed with 2 peppers on this one.  It had a bunch of flowers on it and I am really not sure why only 2 chose to grow.

Chicken Hawks

The ducks are having a stressful day today!  We have some very loud and active chicken hawks that have been circling around, sometimes quite close.  It is so interesting to watch my ducks' natural instincts to be cautious take over.  They naturally know who their enemies are and they sure don't waste any time questioning whether they are right. 

Working on the loft

Today we accomplished quite a bit.  Bert finished up the flooring in the loft and we moved a bed into it.  Yay, although I guess we are jumping the gun a little as we still need to put up the ceiling and paneling.  Bert says it has a tree house feel to it.  It's funny because both of us used to want a tree house when we were little but never had one.  I can't help but be reminded of little house on the prairie.  I always thought Laura's and Mary's loft bedroom was so awesome.  Ours isn't quite as roomy but it works.  Remember this...
http://youtu.be/v2qCltpQmkw

Screen Door Attempt 2

This will be our second attempt to put on a screen door.  Last year we put the hinges on backwards and it never did shut right.  Just in case you might be wondering if I actually do any of this work too the answer is yes!  I guess I need to get Bert behind the camera to take some pics of me being handy with the screw driver.

We successfully put the screen door on but unfortunately the spring is messed up so it doesn't shut tightly.  I sure would like it if the screen door would slam tightly shut by itself.  Oh well we decided that unless we can get the spring to work right we will probably just add an extra latch down at the bottom to make it more secure.

Rainy Day Today

It rained all day today and we are so thankful because we really needed it! I thought it would be cute to take a pic or two of our ducks running around.  It is still hard for me to believe that these big birds are the same little ducklings we raised!

The Loft

Bert is finishing up the insulation on the newly built loft that will be a bedroom.  Our house is definitely not going to be comfortable for tall people as our living room ceiling is only a tiny bit above Bert's head and he is 5"10.  It fits us well and to be honest we don't have a lot of visitors anyway.  I hope that changes someday :) If any tall people visit us we just hope they don't mind bending down a little to get around!

pic 2