Looking for a flavorful, nutritious, and simple dish for summer? Whisk together your favorite balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt and pepper to make a delicious vinaigrette and drizzle over vegetables hot off the grill. Our favorite flavors for this are our Tuscan Herb Balsamic and our Fresh Garlic Extra Virgin Olive OIl
We have curated a flavorful collection for your tasting pleasure with plenty to offer for foodies, the experienced cook, or the novice. It goes well beyond the high-quality olive oils and balsamics we built our reputation on. We’ve added jams, pastas, dipping oils, salsas, sauces, and much more. Come in for a tour of tastes and let us be your guide. You’ll be wild about our shop. Shop us online from anywhere, anytime at www.thewildolive.com
We’ve been bringing great taste to you since 2012 from our inviting little shop in the heart of Brown County, Indiana. www.thewildolive.com |
Brown County N
Village Green Building
The Nashville you came to see and love... Step into a world of handcrafted delights where old-fashioned charm meets mouthwatering flavor. Inside our historic building, you’ll find lo cal ar tisans creating small-batch ice cream, decadent fudge, and rich velvety fruit butters. Whether you’re craving a creamy scoop, a nostalgic treat, or a jar of pure fruit bliss, this is your new favorite destination for all thing s sweet and satisfying.
the tradition. Savor the
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, and a former regional reporter for The Republic. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of Forgiveness: The Eva Kor Story, The History of Clowns for Beginners, and Dante for Beginners. He is an editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald-Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer.
Jim Eagleman is a 40-year veteran naturalist with the IN DNR. In retirement, he is now a consultant. His program “Nature Ramblings” can be heard on WFHB radio, the Brown County Hour. He serves on the Sycamore Land Trust board. He enjoys reading, hiking, music, and birding.
Mandi Rainwater is a freelance travel/lifestyle writer, and also runs Rainwater Studios with her husband Kenan. She promotes local musicians and supports the Southern Indiana music scene. She lives in Nashville with her husband, children, and cats.
Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine. She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout. For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing. OUR BROWN COUNTY P.O.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines.” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.
Amy Huffman Oliver has lived in and around Brown County most of her life and raised two kids here with her husband, Jim. She grew up with “newspaper in her blood” by way of her parents, Jane and Stu Huffman, who were both journalists. She writes as a freelancer after working most of her career as an attorney and a seventh-grade teacher.
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. He enjoys expanding his book and record collections.
Paige Langenderfer is a freelance writer and consultant. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Indiana University and her master’s degree in Public Relations Management from IUPUI. Paige lives in Columbus with her husband and daughters.
Brian Blair is a former longtime features writer for The Republic in Columbus. His work has appeared in publications ranging from the Miami Herald to U.S. News and World Report.
*Ray Thomas is a recent transplant from Arizona, where he retired from a career as an elementary school teacher. Before that, he worked in IT with medical systems and as a photojournalist for newspapers and magazines. He also took many photographs while serving in the Navy and as an adventurer in the U.S. He believes Brown County is a slice of heaven.
Thanks, Mom, for making it happen! Also at issuu.com/ourbrowncounty Facebook at OUR BROWN COUNTY
copyright 2025
HATS
Head
Brown Co Antique Mall / Route 46 Vintage............................ 49
Brown Co Craft Gallery ................... 21
Grasshopper Flats Jewelers ........... 27
Hoosier Artist Gallery ..................... 19
Kith & Kindred Gifts.........................
There’s no better place for you and your friends to get away.
Organizing a family reunion, corporate retreat, or bachelorette party? Planning a birthday party, family trip, or best friends’ getaway?
Brown County’s spectacular scenery, unique event venues, and endless things to do make it the ideal destination for groups of any size!
Let’s be friends
Angela Jackson Photography
Brown County Visitors Center. 211 South Van Buren Street. Downtown Nashville.
Chris Harnish Photography
Brown County Visitors Center
211 South Van Buren Street Downtown Nashville
History Mystery
This early artist gained fame by illustrating the books by a famous Hoosier poet. Some have said he put Brown County on the map with those drawings and others in national publications. He moved permanently to Nashville in 1908 and was a “good guy” to the other Art Colony artists. He entertained his colleagues with buckwheat cakes and sausages. He was often seen along the roadside or at some picturesque spot painting or sketching when he wasn’t doing the same in his studio. Who was this artist?
The answer to last issue’s mystery was The Ferguson House and Alice Weaver.
You can have Our Brown County mailed to your postal address. A year’s subscription (six issues) is just $20, which covers postage, supplies, and processing time. You can subscribe by sending in the form below or visit our website ourbrowncounty.com –select the SUBSCRIBE option and follow the payment instructions.
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with check or money order
Happy hollow camp
For a week in June this year, 80 children with hearing loss felt at home in the woods while learning, creating, exercising, and playing at Happy Hollow Camp in southern Brown County. And their isolation disappeared as a sense of community took over.
The camp, located off Bellsville Pike, was founded in 1951 by a group of Indianapolis civic leaders. The camp consists of 850 acres, but only about 100 acres are actively used, with the rest managed by the Nature Conservancy. Over the years, it has served more than 45,000 children.
Happy Hollow is open all year, but most active in the summer. Currently, more than 2,000 children come to camp here annually for outdoor activities, arts and crafts, environmental education, and to have a little fun. About 30 staff members work at the camp, which is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Between rounds of archery practice, camper Rebecka Dealey-Cooper took a few minutes to reflect about her experience.
“I belong here,” the New Castle teen said. “People actually like me.”
Attending as part of a group from Hear Indiana, a statewide association for children with hearing loss, she said she sometimes is alone because she is “different.” But with
fellow campers at Happy Hollow, she said, “This place is perfect.”
Much has changed at the camp since its founding, but its mission to serve Indiana’s children with outdoor experiences while encouraging human potential through exploration, connection, and self-discovery, has not.
“We want all kids to be able to enjoy camp,” said Sara Noyed, Happy Hollow’s executive director.
She said all kids between ages 7 and 14 are welcome to apply. Children whose family members are eligible for free and reduced school lunches can attend for $80 a week, she said, and others can attend on a sliding scale, depending on family size and income. Applications for camp can be made online or over the phone.
The camp has a $1.2 million annual budget, funded primarily by individual donations, grants, and
~story and photos by Bob Gustin
Camp Executive Director Sara Noyed.
fundraising, with some money coming through the government-sponsored AmeriCorp program. About 80 percent of children attending get scholarships.
Noyed has been executive director of the camp for about 2 ½ years. She works both at the camp and from an Indianapolis office.
“I’ve always been a camp person,” she said. “I did it as a kid and I felt like a different person.” She said the camp experience made her more confident, helped her realize who she was around other people, and encouraged her to try new things. Growing up as a shy Milwaukee resident, she said she wants camp “to do for other kids what it did for me.”
She studied recreational management and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin, and now lives in Indianapolis with her two daughters, aged 13 and 15, her husband, and two dogs.
Many of the children who come to camp are from lower income families. Noyed said the first summer she worked at Happy Hollow, she was struck by the number of campers pushing toward the front of the line at mealtime, and discovered they were doing that because they wanted to make sure food was left by the time they got to the serving area. But after realizing everyone could have seconds, or even thirds, there was no longer the food scramble by the end of the week.
She recalls one camper who did not clean up after himself, leaving wrappers and garbage at the table after eating. But before a staffer could call him out on it, another camper did so. “Positive peer influence” broke the sloppy habit, Noyed said.
Staff members come from across the state and the nation, and some are international residents. Noyed pointed to one staffer who lives in Ireland, but attended the camp as a child, just like her Irish father did. Most staff members are college students, and Noyed said all “have a passion for the outdoors and a passion for working with kids.”
The camp has initiated a counselor-in-training program for teens between 15 and 17, and
Continued on 18
continues to look for staffers, who must be 18 years old.
Some of the typical campers who come to camp each summer include church, school, and business groups, as well as family reunions and mixed groups. It has historically offered activities focused on children from lower income communities, the foster care system, and those with special medical needs such as asthma, diabetes, and muscular dystrophy.
”I belong here. People actually like me.”
—camper Rebecka Dealey-Cooper
Campers can try swimming, canoeing and kayaking Lilly Lake. Horseback riding, high and low rope exercises, archery, ziplines, and gaga ball (a modified sort of dodge ball), are also available.
Brown County resident Bill Freeman became a member of the camp’s board of directors about 20 years ago after meeting Bernie Schrader, former executive director of the camp. Learning about the camp’s mission, Freeman said he hoped to help serve underprivileged kids during his retirement, and has been able to use his construction experience to enhance camp facilities.
“It is my personal feeling that helping any underprivileged child helps the community,” he said, and helps give them a better direction in life.
Interested families may apply online at happyhollowcamp.org and fill out forms, or call the office at 317-638-3849.
HAPPY HOLLOW continued from 17
photo by Michele Wedel
Save the Red Barn
R~story and photos by
Brian Blair
ich Hardesty steers himself toward historic preservation even as he makes his way to this interview. The 57-year-old Nashville resident straddles his late father’s restored, classic 1968 Honda 160 motorcycle as he arrives for the conversation.
The pop musician is the leader of the “Save the Red Barn Jamboree,” a movement now in its third year to refurbish a more than century-old site on East State Road 46 near Brown County State Park’s north entrance.
Since the 1980s, the Red Barn has hosted area musicians including Lloyd Wood, Sheila Stephen, Bruce Borders, and the Country Plus Band.
Lloyd Wood’s group, the original house band for the Little Nashville Opry, was the first to make the barn into a music venue with the belief that it was only going to be a temporary gig location. Wood’s band ended up playing there for a decade.
Other performers used the Red Barn on a regular basis, including Robert Shaw, whose tributes to Johnny Cash and Elvis drew crowds during the busy season a decade after Wood left. Shaw was responsible for many building improvements at that time.
T-shirt and poster from the May 10 Barn Sale fundraiser.
The Little Nashville’s Red Barn Jamboree.
The most recent attempt at restoring the Red Barn and bringing music back took place in 2016 when musician Doug Talley organized local performances there.
The barn’s interior clearly needs saving, with little electricity and plenty of evidence of forlorn forgottenness. Inside and outside the Red Barn, Hardesty sees possibilities for the place that had sat empty from 2017.
“The jamboree is the gateway to little Nashville, where people come from all over the world,” Hardesty said. “We want this place to be a staple where we can bring together all the different musicians.
On May 10, Hardesty, and a list of popular musician friends, held a Red Barn outdoor fundraiser and sale in front of an estimated crowd of 200 people. That little May fundraiser generated more than $800 for Mother’s Cupboard food pantry and it built awareness of the restoration efforts.
Hardesty knows it might require half a million dollars for new electrical, a new stage, and many more changes for the entire restoration.
The plan formulated by him and longtime friend and current business partner Wayne Puckett includes a range of regular fundraisers for everything from firefighters to animal causes and more.
“That event was proof that we can do this project,” he said.
He loves the local history enough that he recently began driving the tourist train known as The Nashville Express, giving visitors an overview of the town. Metalworks artist Brad Cox, who owns the Express, sees Hardesty’s creativity as a songwriter and musician as perfect tools to raise both awareness and money.
“He really regularly promotes Nashville already,” Cox said. “He has done that even on his Jamaican concert tours and on his appearances on Channel 8.”
He last appeared on the station’s news show Lifestyle Live in March to highlight his saving mission, singing his original tune “Little Nashville on My Mind.”
His project is far more than a song in his heart.
Continued on 24
Rich Hardesty sitting on the indoor stage that is in need of repairs.
He and Puckett are in the process of buying the property from current owner Vercii Reed of Bedford.
If Hardesty is a never-say-die dreamer, then Puckett is at least in part a practical realist.
Puckett recalled the first time he saw the place after several years of neglect. “I was like, boy, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And we both know we need a lot of help…. But I believe that music is a great way to bring people together.”
The pair figures installing electricity may surface as the largest early expense. But Hardesty’s determination hardly will allow skeptics to douse his vision of another town locale for families and others to find relaxation and connection.
Hardesty is planning the next gathering at the Red Barn for July 4th weekend.
This challenge presents a dizzying array of moving parts. Hardesty sees worthwhile efforts lined with some sense of adventure or risk.
“I’d rather get comfortable being uncomfortable,” he said.
The veteran musician has little time for the status quo. When his father died, Hardesty wrote a song called “Sleeping Tiger.” One line markedly stands out: “Don’t die with the music still inside you.”
Or the dream.
To support the cause you can contact Rich Hardesty at 317-490-7424 or hardestymusic@yahoo.com
RED BARN continued from 23
Rich Hardesty sits on his late father's restored 1968 Honda 160 motorcycle.
Red Barn Jamboree when Robert Shaw was performing his Johnny Cash and Elvis tribute shows in 2010.
Brown County’s Sarah Flint joined Shaw on stage as June Carter.
Brown County WINERY RY
More than a house. More than expected. From concept to completion, Russ makes the complex feel simple. With deep experience and a consultative style, he guides clients through every decision—so you’re never overwhelmed, always informed, and completely confident.
Call or text Russ at 812 345-0045
Designing
Photo: Steve Raymer
~by Mandi Rainwater
Atransformative approach to health and wellness is taking root in Nashville. The spacious suite formerly occupied by IU Health providers is now a collective space where you can find three licensed massage therapists, an esthetician, salt therapy and red-light therapy rooms, wellness coaching, energy healing, and more. Nashville Wellness has become a hub for personal transformation, relaxation, and holistic healing.
Six practitioners offer a variety of services in one convenient location.
There is ample parking and an accessible first-floor location.
Gail’s Therapeutic Massage Gail Blankenship ran Honey Bee Massage Therapy on Main Street before joining Nashville Wellness. Gail formerly worked in a wellness center in Fort Pierce, Florida. She brings her experience and enthusiasm for collaborative efforts to this new venture.
Gail’s Therapeutic Massage features a private massage room for individuals as well as a couple’s room for simultaneous massage treatments with Gail and
another therapist. Gail provides a personalized experience incorporating a wide range of techniques like therapeutic massage, Swedish massage, cupping, dry brushing, reflexology for hands and feet, and Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage.
Rainbow Bridge Ranch Ashley Gillespie of Rainbow Bridge Ranch is a licensed massage therapist who specializes in deep tissue massage for both people and horses. She previously offered in-home services. Joining Nashville Wellness provided a
dedicated space for her massage and PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) therapy. PEMF therapy is a non-invasive treatment that directs electromagnetic fields up to 16 inches into the body that can reduce inflammation, increase circulation, and break up scar tissue.
Ashley is a strong proponent of regular self-care to combat anxiety, depression, and stress. She notes, “Everybody’s trying to take care of everybody else, but never taking care of themselves. It’s kind of a two-for-one. You get your body taken care of, but you also help with your mental state, which is so important.”
Happy Hour Health
Kim Davis’s Happy Hour Health features a range of suites, including a salt therapy room, red-light therapy room, and private office for wellness coaching. Kim explains, “Health and life coaching focuses on long-term lifestyle change—things like reducing inflammation, managing stress, improving relationships, or building confidence about yourself.”
The salt therapy room accommodates up to six guests at once for a rejuvenating group spa experience. Clients get the maximum benefits from salt therapy in 30 minutes. Red light therapy is a solo experience that can improve circulation, collagen production, mood, and sleep quality.
The Lux Day Spa
Licensed esthetician Amanda Fox moved The Lux Day Spa into a soothing spa space at Nashville Wellness. She offers facials, body treatments, spray tans, waxing, and lash lifts and tints.
Amanda uses her expertise to personalize each service to suit the client’s needs. She plans to revamp her menu in the new year with tiered offerings for deeply individualized skincare services.
Holistic Solutions, LLC
April Brancamp is a board-certified Traditional Naturopath and Reiki Master Practitioner. She helps clients get to the root of their health issues and address them with alternative treatment modalities like herbals, essential oils, and energy medicine.
She also performs bioenergetic testing that evaluates the body’s electromagnetic field. April explains that the tool “talks to your body and tells the system what it needs.” She goes on to explain that the tool allows her to imprint personalized balancing frequencies into tinctures, quartz jewelry, and wearable patches based on the results of the bioenergetic reading.
April offers naturopathic consultations, bioenergetic testing, and essential oil consultations to help clients develop personal wellness plans.
Five Spheres Wellness
Corey Sobah comes from a diverse background that includes massage therapy, bodywork, yoga, meditation, and naturalist training. Drawing on these disciplines, he takes an integral approach to health and wellness that considers mind, body, and spirit as well as social and ecological components.
Corey’s primary offering is massage and integrative bodywork utilizing a variety of techniques including Swedish, Thai, deep tissue, hot stone, and sports massage. He also offers trigger point therapy, ayurveda, energy work, cupping, and acupressure.
Services at Nashville Wellness are typically available by appointment only, as each practitioner maintains their own schedule. You can find contact details via Nashville-Wellness.com. With advance planning, you can build your own spa day with multiple healing and pampering services in one soothing spot.
Nashville Wellness is located at 103 Willow Street Suite A in Nashville, next to the Brown County YMCA.
Musings Chainsaws
~by Mark Blackwell
Some old wise man once said, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
I think that means, if you are in need and someone is willing to help you out, then you have a friend in deed. Here in Brown County I say, “A friend who will lend you his chainsaw is a rare and beautiful thing!” And if the rest of you don’t say that, well, you ought to.
When I was living in the backwoods of our fair county, I, like most of my forest dwelling friends, would not dare to venture out without a trusty chainsaw in the pickup. And those of the belt-and-suspenders persuasion would also carry a two-gallon can of gasoline, a quart of bar oil, an extra chain, a spark plug and a bow saw, just in case.
Now some of you non-forest dwellers maybe scratchin’ your heads, wonderin’ about carryin’ a mess of hardware like that. Well, let me tell you (because I’m gonna do it anyways), not having a reliable saw could mean the difference between enjoying a hot
supper in a warm cabin versus a long walk home in cold rain or snow. All it takes is one downed tree.
Way back in the last century, before cell phones, my wife and I built a cozy little cabin up on a ridge, pretty far back in the woods. It was right at two miles from the main road, down a narrow two-rack that wasn’t used much because it ended just a quarter mile beyond our place. We only had one neighbor, and he lived a little farther back in the woods. It was a place of sylvan beauty and quiet solitude.
I believe it was the first winter we lived out there, that a good sized snow storm blew in while I was at work. I was working evenings in Bloomington back then and wouldn’t get home ’til ten or eleven o’clock depending on the season and road conditions. Bear in mind that the road from Bloomington was
pretty interesting drive in good weather, with hills, curves, hairpin turns, a humpback bridge, and suicidal wildlife to keep you alert. But throw heavy snow and ice into the mix, and the commute would go from tedious to hair raising.
I was always glad to get to my turnoff because I only had to go a couple more miles to get home to a warm fire and an adult beverage. I could feel my mood elevating as I wheeled onto my little two-track. And it stayed elevated until I got a mile or so down the road. Then as I peered through the windshield wipers and the heavy snow I saw what looked to be Moby Dick stretched out across my path.
Well, I stopped and got out of the truck to reconnoiter. I could see that it was whale of a big old oak tree that decided to give up being an upstanding member of the forest to become an obstacle to my comfort and happiness. The situation had only one resolution but at that moment I was too cold to figure it out.
So, I got back in the truck to warm up and as I sat there I had only one wish on my mind; I wished I had my chainsaw with me. But it was back home, in the barn. I had used it all fall, taking down dead trees and bucking them up for firewood. I hadn’t really thought to put it in the
truck. Well, the resolution to the predicament finally worked its way into my half-frozen brain— I was gonna have to walk home.
I turned off the headlights (to save the battery), turned on the emergency flashers so that I could find I the truck when I came back to work on the tree, and I started hoofing it.
With the wind blowing snow in my face and drifts in my path, I slogged for what felt like ten miles home. I could finally see the dim lights of the cabin, and that sight, while not exactly warming the cockles of my heart or any other frozen part of my body, did lift my spirits some.
I made it home. On the porch I made so much noise stomping and shaking the snow off that my wife came to the door to see what was happening. “Well, where have you been?” she asked. “I’ve been worried about you. I was about to get in the car and go looking for you,” she continued. It was a lovely thought but about an hour too late.
I told her about the downed tree and how, after I got a mug of hot coffee in me and warmed up some, I was going to grab the chainsaw and clear the road. She said that it was just terrible that I had to go back out into the storm but she volunteered to help. And then she added, “You did remember to get gas for the saw, didn’t you?”
BROOKS RUN CABIN
by
photos
Ray Thomas
The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip. Submit calendar info to ourbrowncounty@outlook.com
Brown County Playhouse
July 11 Worship Through the Decades
July 12 PettyBreakers: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
July 18 Brown Co. Homegrown Showcase
July 19 Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute
July 25 The Late Night Revelators
July 26 Fingerstyle Guitar Competition and Concert
Aug. 2 Get Poison’d: A Tribute to Poison
Aug. 15-17, 22-23 Harvey-Live Theatre
Aug. 20 ChamberFest Brown County: Bows, Fingers & Feet
Most shows at 7:30
70 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-6555 www.browncountyplayhouse.org
Brown County Music Center
July 10 Robin Trower
July 11 Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks
July 17 Gabby Barrett
July 18 Get The Let Out
July 24 Foghat
July 26 Travis Tritt
July 28 Matthew West
Aug. 8 The Bacon Brothers
Aug. 15 Boys in the Band: The Alabama Tribute
Aug. 22 The Del McCoury Band
June 28 Greensky Bluegrass 812-988-5323 www.browncountymusiccenter.com
Brown County Inn
Open Mic Nights Wed. 6:00-9:00
Hill Folk Music Series Thurs. 7:00-9:00
Fri. & Sat. Live Music 8:00-11:00
July 2 Open Mic
July 3 JD Whitcomb & The Delta Drifters
July 4 Gene Fugate
July 5 The Januarys
July 9 Open Mic
July 10 Elizabeth Lee Duo
July 11 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock
July 12 Acre Brothers
July 16 Open Mic
July 17 John Ford
July 18 Zion Crossroads
July 19 Tom Harold & The Fallin’ Angels
July 23 Open Mic
July 24 Billy Blanchard
July 25 CPR Revival
July 26 Deep Country Dream
July 30 Open Mic
July 31 Kade Puckett
Aug. 1 Past Tense
Aug. 2 Common Ground Band
Aug. 6 Open Mic
Aug. 7 Allie Jean Burbrink
Aug. 8 Andra Fay & Scott Ballantine
Aug. 9 Tumbling Dice
Aug. 13 Open Mic
Aug. 14 Bobcat Opossum
Aug. 15 Sean Lamb & Janet Miller
Aug. 16 Amanda Webb Band
Aug. 20 Open Mic
Aug. 21 Rick Fettig
Aug. 22 Duvenky Code Trio
Aug. 23 Big Daddy Caddy
Aug. 27 Open Mic
Aug. 28 Gus Page
Aug. 29 BA Blues
Aug. 30 M Squared Projects
51 State Road 46 East • 812-988-2291 www.browncountyinn.com
Country Heritage Winery
Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00
July 4 TBD
July 5 Frank Jones & The Stoney Lonesome
July 11 Carolyn Dutton & Steve Houk
July 12 Clearwater Band
July 18 Amanda & Brian Webb
July 19 Conner Berry
July 25 Gene Fugate
July 26 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock
Aug. 1 Karaoke
Aug. 2 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock
Calendar
Aug. 8 TBD
Aug. 9 Paul Bertsch Trio
Aug. 15 Michaell Reed
Aug. 16 Two for the Show
Aug. 22 Ruben Guthrie
Aug. 23 Gene Fugate
Aug. 29 Gene Fugate Duo 225 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com
19th Hole Sports Bar
Music Fri. 7:00-10:00 & Sat. 8:00-11:00
July 4 no music
July 5 Amanda Webb
July 11 Gene Fugate
July 12 Past Tense
July 18 Clearwater Band
July 19 Coyote 5. 0
July 23 Brett Denney
July 26 Two for the Show
Aug. 1 John Ryan
Aug. 2 TBD
Aug. 8 Gene Fugate
Aug. 9 DJ Jordan Roberts
Aug. 15 Clearwater Band
Aug. 16 Past Tense
Aug. 22 Ryan Noblitt
Aug. 23 Deadeye Drifters
Aug. 29 TBD
Aug. 30 The Vanguards 2359 East State Road 46 812-988-4323 www.saltcreekgolf.com
Nashville House
Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00 | Sun. 1:00-4:00
July 4 Dave Sisson
July 5 LeRoy McQueen
July 6 Travers Marks
July 11 Ben Fuson
July 12 Doug Dillman
July 13 Taylor Hernly
July 18 Zach Benge
July 19 Austin James
July 20 Gene Fugate
July 25 The Hammer & The Hatchet
July 26 John B Collins
July 27 Ruben Guthrie
Aug. 1 Doug Dillman
Aug. 2 Jaylen Martinez
Aug. 3 Travers Marks
Aug. 8 TBD
Aug. 9 Dave Sisson
Aug. 10 Corey Flick
Aug. 15 Ben Fuson
Aug. 16 Sweet Pea
Aug. 17 Ruben Guthrie
Aug. 22 LeRoy McQueen
Aug. 23 Austin James
Aug. 24 Michael Staublin
Aug. 29 Jan Bell
Aug. 30 Jaylen Martinez
Aug. 31 Taylor Hernly
15 S. Van Buren Street 812-988-4554 www.nashvillehousebc.com
Ferguson House
Beer Garden
Music Fri. in 6:00-9:00 | Sat. 1:00-4:00 AND 6:00-9:00 | Sun. 1:00-4:00
July 4 LeRoy McQueen
July 5 Rich Hardesty 1:00-4:00 Sweet Pea 6:00-9:00
July 6 Doug Dillman
July 11 Travers Marks
July 12 Gene Fugate 1:00-4:00 Ruben Guthrie
July 13 Forest Turner
July 18 Jan Bell
July 19 Carolyn Dutton 1:00-4:00
John B Collins 6:00-9:00
July 20 Corey Flick
July 25 Austin James
July 26 Ben Fuson 1:00-4:00
Dave Sisson 6:00-9:00
July 27 Taylor Hernly
Aug. 1 Amanda Webb
Aug. 2 Rich Hardesty 1:00-4:00
Michael Staublin 6:00-9:00
Aug. 3 Doug Dillman
Aug. 8 Ben Fuson
Aug. 9 Travers Marks 1:00-4:00 Sweet Pea 6:00-9:00
Aug. 10 Ruben Guthrie
Aug. 15 Gene Fugate
Aug. 16 Buck Knawe 1:00-4:00
Dave Sisson 6:00-9:00
Aug. 17 Taylor Hernly
Aug. 22 Jan Bell
Aug. 23 Joe Land 1:00-4:00
LeRoy McQueen 6:00-9:00
Aug. 24 Rusted String
Aug 29 The Hammer & The Hatchet
Aug. 30 Austin James 1:00-4:00
Ross Benson 6:00-9:00
Aug. 31 Forest Turner
Antique Alley 78 Franklin Street
812-988-4042
Hard Truth Distilling Co.
Live Music on the Rocks every Fri. & Sat.
July 4 Why Store
July 5 Bourbon Roots / Michael Moulder
July 6 Dusty Bo / Luke Powers 2:00-5:00
July 11 Slow Gin
July 12 Zillafyde / Lysergic / Bengebreakers
July 18 Hickman and the Hard Knocks
July 19 Mason Via / Cody Ikerd & The Sidewinders special event 4:00-9:00
Whiskey Chaser Running Festival
July 25 Zach Benge / Kristopher Garner / Tege Holt
Cask & Still Social
July 26 Bourbon & BBQ Festival
Arianna & The Bourbon Britches / Eric Hamblen Band / Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters / Justin Wells Noon-9:00
Aug. 1 Rainwater V / Brad Lemmons
Aug. 2 Gravy Bird / Tumbling Dice / Kick It Lester
Aug. 8 Slow Gin
Aug. 9 Tiki Festival
Tay Bronson & The Tackle Box / Rich Hardesty Band / Lunar Beach House ( Jimmy Buffet Tribute)
2:00-9:00
Aug. 15 Project Doyle
Aug. 16 Project Doyle
Aug. 22 Taylor Hernly / Austin Frink / Dakota Curtis
Aug. 23 IU Back to School Concert
Blockhouse Tonk Band /
Shelby County Sinners / Hank Ruff 4:00-9:00
Aug. 29 Rainwater V
Aug. 30 Hickman & The Hard Knocks / Two Jasons
Aug. 31 Downstairs Mixup / Marvin Parrish 2:00-5:00
All shows 6:00-9:00 unless otherwise noted
Check website for additional info. & dates
Hard Truth Distilling Co.
418 Old State Road 46 • 812-720-4840
www.hardtruth.com
Story Inn
Fri. Love Shack Karaoke 9:30-12:30
Sat. pianist Ted Seaman 6:00-9:00
Check social media for more info. 6404 State Road 135 • 812-988-2273 www.storyinn.com
Nashville Farmer’s Market
Sundays 11:00-2:00, Brown Co. Inn parking lot at State Road 135 & 46 intersection
Local produce, meats, eggs, food, arts, plants, music.
47th IHA Show and Sale
Now-July 12, Brown Co. Art Gallery
Main St. & Artist Drive 812-988-4609
https://browncountyartgallery.org
Fireworks
July 3 | Brown Co. High School at dusk by Brown Co. Lions Club
July 4 | Story Inn at dusk
Music starts at noon: The Hammer & The Hatchet
Logan Rush
Flick & Rainwater
King Bee & The Stingers
Also Fundraiser dinner for Community Foundation 6404 State Road 135 • 812-988-2273
Continued on 42
Red Barn Jamboree
July 4 Weekend Gathering
Live music, food, cornhole, water balloons, raffle, art, community. Part of the Save the Red Barn efforts by Rich Hardesty. 71 Parkview Rd, Nashville
Cornstock Festival
July 11, 12 | Bill Monroe’s Music Park
Music starts at 1:00
FRIDAY:
Clayton Anderson
Six Foot Blonde
Naptown Hepcats
Tres Amigos
Jonny James
SATURDAY:
Blind Melon
Henry Lee Summer
Steepwater Band
Hank Ruff
Don Stuck Band
Radio Contest Winner AND bands on second stage both days 5163 N. SR 135 812-988-6422
July 23 | Deer Run Park | 6:00-9:00 Attendees will bring school supplies as donations and receive a a chance to ride the ReMax hot air balloon as a reward. Includes first responders area with food and drink vendors plus Shop With a Cop.
Hippy Hill Festival
July 24, 25, 26 | Bill Monroe’s Music Park
Music, food, vendors
John Welton & The Awakening, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Graciously Departed, Stealin’ the Farm, Zu Zu Ya Ya, Emi Sunshine, and many other bands 5163 N. SR 135 812-988-6422
https://billmonroemusicpark.com
14th Annual
Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
July 25-26 | Fri. Party in tent at BCI 6:00 Sat. Competition starts 11:00 am Concert 7:30 at Brown Co. Playhouse www.indianastringfest.com browncountyplayhouse.org
Humane Society Barn Sale
Aug. 7-9 | 8-4 | BC Humane Soc. Fundraiser Donate items Aug. 1-3
Away A Day RV Campground (in Gnaw Bone) 5515 State Road 46, Nashville https://www.bchumane.org/
Pickin’ in the Backwoods
Aug. 7-9 | eXplore Brown County/ Valley Branch Retreat
Presented by Coyote Radio Show and Podcast, alongside Duke’s Indy 30+ bands, free camping, free parking, BYOB, food trucks, campfire jams.
THURSDAY:
The Lakewoods, Austin Hamilton & The Hitch Hikers, The Resonant Rogues, Low Water Bridge Band
FRIDAY:
The Hammer & The Hatchet, Moonlight Mile, Nicky Diamonds, Abe Partridge, Emily Jamerson, Casper Allen & The Naturals, Timbo, Matt Heckler, The Deslondes
SATURDAY:
Hannah Juanita & Mose Wilson, Johnny Logan & The Roughnecks, The Hill Country Devil, India Ramey, Bill Taylor, The Honky Tonk Wranglers, Jason Dea West & The Siskiyou Crest, The Local Honeys, Nolan Taylor, AND bands on the Red Barn stage Friday and Saturday. 2620 Valley Branch Rd, Nashville www.pickininthebackwoods.com www.coyoteradioshowandpodcast.com www.dukesindy.com
Aug. 21-23 | Bill Monroe’s Music Park Music, food, vendors.
THURSDAY: Bloomington Blues Group
FRIDAY:
Highway 9 Blues Band, Houk & Dutton, Brandon Santini, Chris Sutton & Soul Mountain, Cody Ikerd & The Sidewinders, Jeff Shew & The Late Night Crew, Jason Ricci, Russ Bucy, Ally Venable
SATURDAY:
Mandalyn & The Hunters, Keith Beatty
The Blues Ambassadors, Piney Woods & The Harrodsburg Horns, Charlie McCoy with Rock Bottom, Gravy Bird, King Bee & The Stingers
Tom Harold & The Fallin’ Angels
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band 5163 N. SR 135 812-988-6422 https://billmonroemusicpark.com
Good People Good Times Music Festival
Aug. 22 & 23 | eXplore Brown County Valley Branch Retreat
2 days and nights of music, art, light shows, camping, workshops, kids activities
Kids 12 and under are free! Free face painting during the day. Kids parade on Saturday.
2620 Valley Branch Rd, Nashville https://www.gpgtmusicfest.com/
Brown County Music Center
July 10 Robin Trower
July 11 Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks
July 16 Railroad Ear th, Yonder Mountain String
Band & Daniel Donato's Cosmic Countr y
July 17 Gabby Barrett
July 18 Get The Led Out
July 24 Foghat
July 26 Travis Tritt
July 28 Matthew West
Aug. 8 The Bacon Brothers
Aug. 15 Boys in the Band: The Alabama Tribute
Aug. 22 The Del McCour y Band
Sept. 5 The Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Sept. 11 Leonid & Friends
Sept. 12 All-Star Vegas starring Pi the Magic Dragon Sept. 13 Free Fallin - Tom Petty Concer t Experience Sept. 26 Blue Oyster Cult Oc t. 2 Celtic Thunder Oc t. 3 The Rocket Man Show
Oc t. 12 Marty Stuar t & His Fabulous S uperlatives
Oc t. 18 CoComelon: S ing-A-Long LIVE Oc t. 24 Joe Nichols
Oc t. 25 Hippies & Cowboys Music Festival
Nov. 8 Lee Greenwood
Nov. 9 The Doo Wop Projec t Nov. 13 Shaun Cassid y
Dec. 7 Blue Oc tober
Dec. 9 Jane Lynch's A Swingin' Little Christmas
July 11 • Worship Through The Decades
July 12 • PettyBreakers: A Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
July 18 • Brown County Homegrown Showcase
July 19 • Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute
July 25 • The Late Night Revelators
July 26 • 14th Annual Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
August 2 • Get Poison’d: A Tribute to Poison
August 15-17 & 22-23 • LIVE THEATRE Harvey August 20 • Chamberfest Brown County: Bows, Fingers, & Feet
Brown County Playhouse July/August
~by Amy Huffman Oliver
The Brown County Playhouse in downtown Nashville presents a variety of acts for your entertainment.
The historic Playhouse hosted it first “strawhat” performance in the summer of 1949. The first facility consisted of a barn for the stage and an open-sided tent covering wooden benches. The current building was constructed in 1977 using the original barn wood on the façade.
From then until 2010, the Playhouse hosted four summer stock shows performed by Indiana University students and staff.
Today, in its 76th year, the Playhouse operates as a non-profit organization filling the comfortable 400-seat theater throughout the year. With professional lighting and sound, it is a venue that can not only host touring tribute bands, but also local musical concerts, a fingerstyle guitar competition, and four community theater performances each year.
To see the full schedule and buy advance tickets, check out browncountyplayhouse.org .
TRIBUTE BANDS:
July 12 The PettyBreakers—tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
July 19 Satisfaction—The International Rolling Stones Show.
August 2 Get Poison’d—tribute to Poison.
REGIONAL ACTS:
July 11 Worship Through the Decades—musical journey celebrating the timeless worship classics.
July 18 The Brown County Homegrown Showcase—an evening with top local artists The Hammer and The Hatchet, Frank Jones and The Undertones, plus Shelby and Hunter Kelley.
July 25 The Late Night Revelators—Indianapolisbased band plays classic Motown, rhythm & blues.
COMMUNITY THEATRE:
August 15, 16, 22, & 23 at 7:30pm and August 17 at 2:30pm
Harvey —a heartwarming comedy by the Playhouse community troupe about the charming but eccentric Elwood P. Dowd, whose best friend happens to be an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit named Harvey.
ANNUAL MUSICAL EVENTS:
July 26 14th Annual Indiana Fingerstyle Guitar Competition and Concert—acoustic fingerstyle guitarists from around the world compete in the only event of its kind in the Midwest. Top three finalists play at the evening concert with Tim and Myles Thompson. (SEE PAGE 56)
August 20 ChamberFest Brown County Bow, Fingers and Feet—four folk musicians play a blend of clog and percussive dancing, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, and guitar.
The schedule for other ChamberFest Brown County performances at other local venues can be viewed at chamberfestbrowncounty.com . (SEE PAGE 70)
THANK YOU!
Our 30 Years Party at the Seasons on May 4 was a great success. Thanks to everyone who showed up on a cold, rainy Sunday. What a fantastic turnout! Thanks to all the entertainers that volunteered their talent to provide great music and fun. Will Scott provided the sound so we all could hear the music. The jam at the end of the day allowed for some special fellowship. Kevin Ault and Carol Fitzgerald were great party hosts. The food was fabulous. Special thanks to Barb and Joe Davis for helping with the centerpieces. The consensus is that we should have a party like this every year and not wait for any special anniversaries.
So, see y’all some time next year.
Friends of State Park Projects
The Friends of Brown County State Park have recently completed three major projects in collaboration with the state park staff, including converting tennis courts into outdoor pickleball courts, designing and installing gardens and a new picnic area west of the Nature Center, and completing the restoration of the Peachtree Shelter, a historic Brown County stone building built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. The shelter, which is on Trail 10 and inaccessible by vehicle, had fallen into disrepair. Thanks to the generosity of the Fabulous 50 Women’s Giving Circle, Brown County Community Foundation, Indiana Parks Alliance, and many local individuals, the project was funded and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on June 6.
The FBCSP already have their sights on the next project, CLIMB TO THE TOP, the renovation of the Weed Patch Fire Tower in the park. The fire tower has been serving our community for almost 100 Years. Located at the highest point in the county, it was built in 1927 by the Conservation Department of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Originally used as an early warning system when fire danger was high, the Weed Patch Tower continues to serve our with the addition of antennas that are used by the Civil Air Patrol, Brown County Emergency Management, and Southern Brown County Fire Department. Without this wonderful tower, these organizations would be forced to find an alternative.
For the past several years, access to the splendid view in the cab at the top of the tower has been closed off due to safety issues.
The Friends of Brown County State Park are raising funds to completely renovate the tower and make the cab accessible to help celebrate the 100th birthday of Brown County State Park in 2029.
Checks can be sent to: FBCSP, P.O. Box 1892, Nashville, IN 47448 or donate online at friendsbcsp.org .
June 6 Ribbon cutting at the Peachtree Shelter.
B r o w n
C o u n t y
A n t i q u e
m a l l & R o u t e 4 6
V i n t a g e
E s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 7 2 , t h i s t r e a s u r e
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m i l e s f r o m d o w n t o w n N a s h v i l l e w i t h o v e r
6 0 u n i q u e s h o p s b e t w e e n t h r e e b u i l d i n g s
b r i m m i n g w i t h a n t i q u e s , c o l l e c t i b l e s , a r t ,
s i l v e r , t u r q u o i s e , j e w e l r y , & m o r e !
R o u t e 4 6 V i n t a g e , t h e f u n k y n e i g h b o r i n
b u i l d i n g t w o , o f f e r s a g r o o v y c u r a t e d
s e l e c t i o n o f g i f t s , h o m e d e c o r a n d
f a b u l o u s o n e - o f - a - k i n d c l o t h e s f o r h o t
m a m a s , c o o l d a d d i o s , & b a d a * * b a b e s .
“ S h o p o u r w h i m s i c a l w o n d e r l a n d a n d l e t
u s s h o o t a n e r a r i g h t t h r o u g h y o u r h e a r t . ”
O p e n 7 D a y s a W e e k Y e a r R o u n d
M o n d a y t o S a t u r d a y 9 a m - 5 : 3 0 p m
S u n d a y 1 0 a m - 5 : 3 0 p m
3 2 8 8 S t a t e R o a d 4 6 E N a s h v i l l e , I N
8 1 2 - 9 8 8 - 1 0 2 5 | F R E E P A R K I N G
The tent commandments
~by Paige Langenderfer
Anew store called The Tent Commandments has created a whimsical escape for visitors at the Heritage Mall in downtown Nashville.
A cozy corner of what used to be a quiet space is now buzzing with color, curiosity, and outdoor fun. The Tent Commandments store is the latest retail concept of Jaime Vermillion, a longtime Brown County resident and business owner.
The store Vermillion refers to as “Tent,” has hand-painted barn doors, custom murals, and shelves full of forest creatures, fairy lights, and mushroom-growing kits.
“We call it our treehouse,” she said. “We wanted it to feel like a little escape. Somewhere playful, peaceful, and full of things you didn’t know you needed until you saw them.”
Vermillion, who also owns Sweetea’s Tea Shop next to the Visitors Center, opened Tent in April with the help of her brother—and creative collaborator—Rob. Even the store’s name, came from one of Rob’s lightbulb moments.
“We loved that it was simple, outdoorsy, and had some spiritual meaning too,” she said.
“We talked about opening a store that felt like a family camp—something that carried useful items, fun items, and that welcomed everyone: men, women, and kids. We thought it might be a project for the future. Then this space opened up, and everything started falling into place.”
From there, it was a community effort. Friends and Sweetea’s staff helped transform the
space, hanging murals, installing rustic wood beams, and painting walls that now glow with soft, earthy colors.
Vermillion’s faith is woven gently into everything she does. A self-described “Jesus girl,” she doesn’t push it, but hopes people feel the warmth and welcome that come from her belief in serving others.
The Tent Commandments owner Jaime Vermillion.
courtesy photos
“I feel like God gave me this store,” she said. “I just want to create something that invites joy.”
Inside Tent, joy is everywhere: from the plush praying mantis and the smiling snapping turtle to solar-powered gadgets, glowing lightning bug T-shirts, and unisex outdoor apparel with cheeky slogans like “I Have Questionable Morels.” The store also has jewelry inspired by birds and bugs, handcrafted fairy lamps, and kid-sized dragonfly wands.
“It’s all delightfully unexpected—but somehow, it fits together perfectly,” she said.
Vermillion credits her Sweetea’s team for making Tent possible. “I couldn’t have done this without them,” she said. “They’ve picked up extra shifts, supported me completely, and given me the freedom to build something new. Even though they’re not working here, I feel like they’re part of it.”
Vermillion feels that Nashville is the perfect setting for The Tent Commandments.
“I’ve lived in a lot of places—big cities, small towns—but Brown County is by far my favorite,” she said. “It’s this incredible mix of natural beauty, community support, and tourism. I love it. It’s magic.”
Vermillion first came to Brown County as a child, camping in the state park with her family. A graduate of IU’s School of Journalism, Vermillion spent 15 years working in media, before diving headfirst into business ownership in 2018 when she bought Sweetea’s.
“I never thought I’d be a business owner,” she said. “But the doors kept opening, and I just kept walking through them. It’s become a dream I didn’t even know I had.”
While Sweetea’s is still Vermillion’s “home,” Tent is her creative playground—somewhere she hopes people of all ages can slow down, smile, and connect with their whimsical side.
“Whether it’s a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt or a compass for your next hike, I want Tent to be a place where people feel joy,” she said. “Brown County is full of unique voices. This is just my small way of adding to the song.”
The Tent Commandments is located in the Heritage Mall, 41 South Van Buren Street, Nashville.
Indiana Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
July
25 and 26, 2025
Fingerstyle guitarists will converge in Nashville for the Fourteenth Annual Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival this July. It is the only event of its kind in the Midwest and will bring as many as 30 of the finest fingerstyle guitar players from around the world to participate in the competition at the Brown County Playhouse.
Musicians will compete for prize guitars provided by Thomas Roeger Guitars, Brown Custom Guitars, and Amplify Nashville, as well as an entry into the International Festival, held in September. The event will be capped by a concert featuring the duo of Tim and Myles Thompson. The top three competitors will perform during the concert.
The event will span two days: Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26.
Friday, July 25 will feature the Friday Night Party at Brown County Inn’s Town Hall Conference Center, from 6 to 10 p.m. Past and present contestants will perform open-mic style on the stage, and food and drinks will be available. Admission is $5 and tickets are available at the door. Music in the Corn Crib Lounge will feature Chris Wolf and CPR Revival from 8 to 11 p.m.
Saturday, July 26 is the Fingerstyle Competition beginning at 11 a.m. at the Brown County Playhouse. The top three winners will be announced at 2 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for each event can be purchased separately or you can buy all-day passes for both through indianastringfest.com or browncountyplayhouse.org 812-988-6555. Doors open for the competition at 10:00 a.m.
The Indiana State Fingerstyle Competition is one of only eight competitions worldwide to be accredited by the Walnut Valley Festival, honoring acoustic musicians for more than 55 years during its national competition.
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with fingertips, fingernails or picks attached to the fingers. The term is often used synonymously with fingerpicking, classical, or thumb style. Prominent fingerstyle players include Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Tommy Emmanuel, and Andres Segovia.
TField Notes Insects
~by Jim Eagleman
he ground was powder dry and bare; the last rain had been weeks before. We stood motionless and dazed as the professor rambled on. The humidity that morning had risen to 80 percent and we knew we were in for another scorcher. A few students fanned themselves with the handout.
“High temperatures and high humidity create great conditions for insects,” he said. “While we don’t do well in this heat, the mosquitos and ants love it.”
A forest ecology class at the university’s new field station was one of several I enrolled in that June. With no summer job prospect and a chance to take some required classes, I moved into an old farmhouse at the field station. Bunk beds, a small, communal kitchen, and one bathroom made for sparse conditions. Still, I had looked forward to this class and the others for weeks.
“You will appreciate how well a forest functions if you add the
important role of insects,” the professor said. “I won’t make entomologists of you this summer, but we will certainly view insects in a more positive light than what you previously thought.”
Our schedule for the next few days was to visit the property’s many habitats, located on the upper bluffs of the Mississippi River in western Illinois. There were hilltop prairie remnants, deep forest ravines, and many streambeds that fed into the river. Our hikes to each place allowed us to discuss and speculate, with a lot of stopping to inspect leaf litter, tree bark, and plants. Insects played a major role as plant and animal relationships were examined.
Several times I thought the class should be renamed. Instead of forest ecology, it should rather be called “bugs of forest and glade.” We saw pollinators visit flowers, leaf miners chisel their way along plant veins, and ants carry leaf cuttings to their
underground home. A yellowbilled cuckoo flew from a small cherry tree with webbing, the forest tent caterpillars a part of its diet.
Insects viewed in a more positive light than what we thought? The professor might be right.
A box turtle stopped us, and a reference was made to its cold-blooded lifestyle. The professor reminded us that all insects are also cold-blooded. As temperatures rose under the canopy, humid, still and motionless, sweat trickled down my arm. A stink bug moved rapidly along a tree limb—a lot faster than one I saw earlier. The cold-blooded reptile sat motionless, relying on its surroundings for food, shelter, and comfort level. It may not have been that different from the life of a bug.
We moved into a field overgrown but once grazed by livestock. A large mound
photo by DeMaris Glazier
appeared in the distance. We walked through tall grass and soon caught the stench of a dead animal. A cow had died, never retrieved by the farmer, and was now bloated from extreme heat. Standing downhill from the carcass, we could peer into the open body cavity. We saw some movement. Out crawled a mother ’possum looking a bit disturbed, her babies further back in a nest of cow hair and dried stomach contents. Maggot flies swirled as she exited, and she stopped to snap at a few flying around her head. Wasps, scavenger beetles of an indeterminable lot, and ants scurried about as she left.
She returned later to her home, nursery, and food pantry. The insects helped further decomposition and provided food for predators, we were reminded. The ’possum was the “star of the show,” but insects also played critical supporting roles in this drama.
On a trip back to campus a swarm of June bugs smacked against my windshield. These fat, clumsy flying beetles chose this time to appear in big numbers. Turning on the wipers, a frothy smear was no match for washer fluid. I had to stop and clean the glass. “Opportunists” was the term the professor used; the conditions happened to be just right for this population explosion.
But nothing compared to the wave of cicada emergence later that summer. Predictions of a healthy annual cicada appearance, along with the periodic 13-year hatching, made this coemergence a big “must see.” Cicada biology made the front page of the local paper, and we were primed to witness this glorious event.
With their noisy and peculiar lifestyle, cicadas can actually help trees. Small limbs where eggs are laid eventually die and drop to the ground creating a pruning effect. The nymphs that hatch burrow below ground and move while feeding on roots, aerating soils. Birds and squirrels feast on cicadas during their mass emergence, but large numbers are likely to outstrip any capacity to control them. Surplus dead cicada bodies rot and add organic fertilizer to forest plants.
Inter-relationships of plants to animals, insects to plants, and insects to animals, while a foundation to ecologic understanding, continue
to reveal dependencies. These relationships may be easy to see, or appear subtle, minute. This is a reliance we cannot disregard. These associations can be a great mystery, challenge, and hope. The more we know, the more we need to know. Sound science and biology remain key. May we all view insects in a more positive light.
Specialty care now in Nashville
Specialty care is more convenient than ever at the Sue Borgelt Medical Center in Nashville. Cardiology, Orthopedic and Urology services are available at IU Health close to home.
Cardiology: call 812.676.4144 for a Cardiology appointment
Orthopedics: (with or without referral) Wednesdays, 8 am – 4:30 pm, call 812.333.BONE (2663) for an Orthopedics appointment
Urology: Mondays, 8 am – 4:30 pm, call 812.676.4300 for a Urology appointment
Keli Ferguson, PA-C Sports Medicine, Orthopedics
Penny Hobson, NP Cardiology
Paula Bunde, MD Urology Nichole Myers, NP Urology
Fangcheng Wu, MD Cardiology
Sampler
Longtime readers of this column will recall my general rule of never dining below ground level.
There are occasions when the temptation of a particular culinary delight is enough to overcome simple prejudice.
Happily, the occasion recently arose once again with the opening of Nashville’s newest restaurant: Hoosier Thai, at 15 South Van Buren Street on the corner of Main and Van Buren streets, one level below the Nashville House.
Any sort of eatery serving ethnic foods is a welcome sight in this midwestern restaurant scene. Since Thai food is a favorite in my family, we were all overjoyed to hear about it.
Accordingly, I took the leap of faith, technically a flight of steps, into the cozy and intimate underground space of Hoosier Thai for a delightful dining experience.
Hoosier Thai
The appetizer menu is excellent, and it was all that I could do to stop myself from making a meal from the “starter” selections.
There’s a chicken satay, grilled, marinated chicken on a skewer with peanut or cucumber sauce. There’s a Thai spring roll deepfried and served with sweet and sour sauce, or a Thai salad roll with choice of chicken, tofu or shrimp. There are shrimp cigars, vegetable tempura, and floured and fried sweet Thai calamari rings.
In the end, I chose the Thai dumplings, steamed soft wontons filled with ground pork, shrimp and veggies, and the crab Rangoon with crab meat, cream cheese and onions in a wonton wrap. Yummy!
They were both delicious and filling and, as I say, nearly a meal in themselves.
Mrs. Sampler loves the sweet Thai iced tea, but I insisted on the hot tea, jasmine, ginger, or chrysanthemum, in the cute little teapot.
Now, perhaps I should inject a word of warning about the restaurant’s décor, which I can safely say is unlike that of any other Thai restaurant in the world.
That is because the previous occupant, the venerable That Sandwich Place, left behind their extensive collection of Bob Knight memorabilia. I am a little melancholy that I need to explain to some that Bob Knight was a
former men’s basketball coach at Indiana University whose teams won a couple of national titles.
The wall space at Hoosier Thai is taken up with photos, posters, schedules, and every other kind of IU basketball ephemera—from trophies and memorial basketballs to little Bobby Knight dolls.
By chance, I was seated beside the most iconic of all Bob Knight photos ever taken: the infamous chair-throwing scene at Purdue 40 years ago. A moment frozen in time as you await your pad Thai.
The entrée menu is extensive.
There’s Pad Gra Prow, Thai spicy basil with stir fried meat in a homemade spicy sauce with green beans, onions and bell peppers; Eggplant Thailand with eggplant stir fried with veggies and the special Thai sauce; and sweet and sour sauté with pineapple and mixed vegetables.
I was drawn to an item appearing on the menu simply as “The Cashew Nuts.” I guess that says it all, although you do get carrots, onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bell peppers, and those little bitty tiny ears of corn.
Where do the tiny ears of corn come from? Is there a tiny little vegetable farm out there somewhere growing miniature food?
Thai food is generally spicy, and you can request the level of spiciness you enjoy, from one to five. I do not love too much spice, but I have learned that a certain amount of heat is part of the Thai food experience. So, I have been gradually increasing the amount of heat I request each time I visit a Thai restaurant.
Mrs. Sampler is a fan of curry dishes, and Hoosier Thai is the right spot for that, with seven curry offerings on the menu, ranging from Massaman and pumpkin curry, through green, red and yellow curries, to roasted duck with red curry and Panang curry with kaffir lime leaves.
From the “chef’s special” menu, she chose “Pad Bus Sa Ra Com,” a three-flavored dish with
Brown County Model Trains
HOOSIER THAI continued from 65
Look for the signs
Selling gently used items to bene t Brown County. Accepting clothing and household item donations. Women’s boutique, kids and teen clothing, men’s clothing, and household items
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 10:00 to 5:00 284 South Van Buren in Nashville (near stoplight, behind Subway) (812) 988-6003
pumpkin, pineapple, carrots, onions, mushrooms, corn cooked in a creamy coconut milk sauce flavored with yellow curry powder, bell peppers, and basil.
The chef’s special menu also includes pineapple curry (“Gang Khua Sup Bah Rod”) with shrimp and chicken; Bancock seafood, mango curry, chicken and shrimp, and Pad Emperors, a delicious combination dish with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and calamari, stir fried with onions, carrots, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, corn, and bell peppers.
We didn’t even make it as far as the Thai noodle soup menu, which proffers pork noodle, duck noodle, and beef noodle soup, with meat balls. Also Khao Soi (curry noodles), traditional northern style egg noodles served with a special coconut curry, bean sprouts and cilantro with crispy egg noodles and lime on top.
The service was excellent, the food top-notch, and we can’t wait to go again. I’m determined to try everything on the menu, but Mrs. Sampler said, “If I went there tomorrow, I’d have the exact same thing.”
As you may know, I have a bit of a problem—I always end up wanting what the other fellow has ordered. In this case, after I had happily received the food that I had ordered, the patron seated next to me was brought their choice—a spectacular “pineapple boat”—a whole pineapple hollowed out and stuffed with shrimp and fried rice.
I was so envious that I asked them if I could photograph that beauty. Entirely for your further edification, mind you.
Stuffed to the gills and suffused with a feeling of goodwill toward all mankind, we made our way up the stairway, into the spring light of an early evening downtown Nashville. People were milling around, dodging traffic, the outdoor terrace of the Nashville house was packed with folks having a good time and there was music in the air.
And we were profoundly satisfied.
Hoosier Thai offers carryout and online ordering at 812-200-1597 and hoosierthai.com .
FIREPLACE CENTER
ChamberFest Brown County
August 17-23,
2025
Welcome to ChamberFest 2025, August 17 through 23 in downtown Nashville.
The menu is rich in variety. You’ll journey from the 1600s to American fiddle and dance. Our ports of call: 17th-century England, Russia, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, France, the British Isles, and America.
New stars shine this year. From Rome comes award-winning principal oboe Gianfranco Bortolato of the Teatro dell’Opera. Soprano Anne Azéma, Artistic Director of the Boston Camerata, joins world-renown lutenist Nigel North. From the Eastman School of Music comes top-flight bassoonist George Sakakeeny, who’s performed under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. Brittany Haas, performing on Bows, Fiddle, and Feet, is one of the foremost fiddlers of her generation. She’ll perform with American singer-songwriter and old-time musician and educator Kristin Andreassen.
Returning are Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinists Larry Neuman, Lei Hou, and Qing Hou. Pianist Andreas Ioannides. Star clarinetist James Campbell appears in three performances. And from the IU Jacobs School of Music comes one of our inaugural artists, the Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet.
The venues are: Nashville United Methodist Church (August 17, 21, 22), St. Agnes Catholic Church (August 18, 19), the Brown County Playhouse (August 20), and New Life Community Church (August 23).
You can attend concerts at no cost (except the Playhouse performance) but suggested donations of $20 are welcome. To reserve seats visit chamberfestbrowncounty.com . Purchase your tickets for Bows, Fingers, and Feet through the Brown County Playhouse browncountyplayhouse.org or 812-988-6555..
All concerts start at 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 17: Love, Dance and Sing! Love songs of Brahms for vocal soloists and ChamberFest favorite, Pianist Andreas Ioannides.
Monday, August 18: Delicious Ayres Early 17thcentury music inspired by Robert Dowland’s a Musical Banquet (c 1610). Lutenist Nigel North and soprano Anne Azéma perform songs and dances from England, France, and Italy.
Tuesday, August 19: Phantasy Music from England, Russia, and Germany. Classics from the wind and string repertoire. Works include Quartet by the 18-year-old Benjamin Britten, Prokofiev’s balletinspired Quintet, and the much-loved Beethoven Septet.
~submitted by Jan Holloway
Wednesday, August 20: Bows, Fingers, and Feet
American and Celtic folk music and percussive dance performed on clawhammer banjo, fiddle, guitar, and feet.
Thursday, August 21: Comfort Reeds Three otherworldly sonatas of late Saint-Saëns, for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Poulenc’s finest achievement—his Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano. And what Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 452.
Friday, August 22: Pacifica Returns for the five-year anniversary of its appearance at the inaugural ChamberFest 2020. On the program: the lyrical Barber String Quartet op 11, Béla Bartók’s masterpiece, the dynamic String quartet No. 4, and Beethoven’s String Quartet no. 13, op 130.
Saturday, August 23: From Dusk to Dawn The Brahms Clarinet Quintet, op. 115, an introspective piece written near the end of his life. Closing the concert, and the festival, is the radiant Dvořák String Sextet, op. 48.
For more information visit chamberfestbrowncounty.com .
