we have many olive oils and balsamics to mix and innovate your own flavor creations for
wild & tasty TIP
Pour a generous portion of our Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a small amount of our 25 Star Aged Balsamic on a plate. Sprinkle sea salt and cracked pepper on top. Serve with a sliced fresh baguette for dipping. A perfect snack to share during a fall picnic or as an appetizer before dinner. We have suggestions for many different olive oil and balsamic combos for dipping. Come on in and taste to your heart’s content!
We’ve been bringing great taste to you since 2012 from our inviting little shop in the heart of Brown County, Indiana.
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
Village Green Building
Cover: Biking in the State Park
~by Cindy Steele
ourbrowncounty.com ourbrown@bluemarble.net
Also online at issuu.com/ourbrowncounty OR search in the mobile app ISSUU and on Facebook for OUR BROWN COUNTY
P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435 (812) 988-8807
copyright 2021
Contributors
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. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including Dada and Surealism for Beginners, and Music Theory 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.
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. 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.
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. Jim and his wife Kay have lived here for more than 40 years.
Ryan Stacy and his wife recently moved to Pennsylvania and continues to stay connected with our Brown County. He appreciates good movies, good food, and enjoys cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and playing music.
Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and owner of Christina Alspaugh Photography. She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband, Matt and three boys. She can be reached at <christina_alspaugh@yahoo.com>. View her work at <ChristinaAlspaughPhotography.com>.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” 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.
Julia Pearson wrote for a Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and husband Bruce now reside in Lake Woebegone Country for life’s continuing adventures. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.
Boris Ladwig is a Columbusbased journalist who has worked in print, online and TV media in Indiana and Kentucky and has won awards for features, news, business, non-deadline news, First Amendment/community affairs and investigative reporting.
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.
*Tom Preston’s love of photography began in middle school. He helped setup the dark room at Lawrence North High School and gained experience as the newspaper photographer. He moved to Brown County in 2012 and captures the area’s landscape and tranquility. He portrays the natural beauty that others might miss. See his images on Instagram—color images: @tompreston7771_ud and black and white: @tompreston_bnw—and on Facebook.
Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!
Guess Photo
COMMON GROUNDS
COFFEE
Pioneer Village History & Heritage
Autumn is a special time to put down the guidebooks and Google suggestions and simply follow your nose to the northeast corner of Nashville. There behind the Brown County Courthouse and directly across the street from the Brown County History Center is the Pioneer Village, a collection of nineteenth-century log buildings filled with interesting items from Brown County’s attics.
On the weekends during the months of May through October, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the cozy looking buildings spring to life with demonstrations of heritage crafts and docents ready to converse about the lifeways and history of the bygone era. No admission fees! But donations will always be gratefully accepted. Special tours can be arranged by calling the History Center at (812) 988-2899.
The grounds are open year-round for interested visitors to see the construction of the buildings up close, sit down on one of the benches and rest their feet, or pose for special photographs.
The smoke fire of the blacksmith shop and resounding ping of hammer “smiting” against anvil draws you to the blacksmith workshop. A vital fixture of every crossroads community in Brown County in centuries past, the blacksmith provided nails and hinges for building, tool repair, as well as horseshoes. The smithy’s shop is a living illustration of the schoolchildren immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Village Blacksmith.” And children coming home from school/Look in at the open door; they love to see the flaming forge./and hear the bellows roar. The blacksmith shop has been restored by volunteers, with the doors completely remade with suitable findings made by master blacksmith, Jim Jesse.
Beside the blacksmith shop is the small white clapboard medical office of Nashville’s native son, Dr. A.J. Ralphy, who was born in 1854. He is noted for making house calls to patients. Of his obstetrics services, he did not lose a baby or mother. Restored to its original condition, Dr. Ralphy’s office is furnished with his medical books, instruments, furniture, and some of his taxidermy specimens,
~by Julia Pearson
photos by Cindy Steele
including a golden eagle over the examination table. The building was moved to its present site in 1976 from New Bellsville.
On the other side of the blacksmith shop is the pioneer cabin, where you can pull up a threelegged stool and play a game of checkers on the front porch. The interior is a bountiful exhibit of an early household, with an inviting hearth outfitted with cooking utensils: a kettle hung on a fireplace crane to keep hot water ready; footed cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens for slow roasting venison or rabbits and squirrels; an early hand-crank coffee
bean roaster as well as a footwarmer. The bedstead has crossed rope to hold the mattress. The rope itself had to be tightened often so that the people sleeping together didn’t sag into the center of the bed. “Good night, sleep tight” comes to mind. And “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” refers to the mattress of straw-stuffed ticking that has become inhabited by insects seeking a home. An old remedy for bedbugs was to mix the straw with dried chestnut leaves.
The Brown County Historical Society was gifted with old smokehouse logs, which volunteers happily
Continued on 20
String band performing at the 2019 Gathering.
PIONEER VILLAGE continued from 17
and magically reassembled on the Pioneer Village grounds. A wooden lock fashioned by Jim Kelp has fascinated visitors who study it up close.
The immense double-wide “dog-trot” log museum is the anchor of the Pioneer Village. With hand-hewn logs more than 60 feet long, the loft is over two rooms with a center passthrough, or dog-trot. This magnificent log structure was discovered in Jackson County by James Voland while rabbit hunting. It was reassembled in its present location as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1935. Used as a community building in its rebirth, it was handed to the county and then to the Historical Society in 1962. Today one room is the “Loom Room” with an impressive display of early textile production tools. Demonstrations are provided by members of the Pioneer Women. Master spinners and weavers, Barbara Livesey and Sarah Noggle, are often in the Loom Room on Sundays. (Hint to visitors: ask Barbara to tell you about dyeing with indigo). Items made by the Pioneer Women are available for sale in the gift shop of the History Center. The other room houses the “Tool Shop,” with many of the exhibited wood working and farm tools coming directly from Brown County pioneer families.
The old log jail, star of postcards since the time of photography, was restored several years ago. Bird Snider and his crew replaced the logs that were deteriorating and put on a new roof. Visitors will be impressed with the hand-craftsmanship used in these repairs.
The annual Gathering at the Pioneer Village, closed last summer by the COVID pandemic, is scheduled to take place September 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional activities on the grounds will include rope making, candle dipping, and a kettle of ham and beans cooking over the bonfire, cornbread on the side. The old cider press will be pulled out and put into service. A string band will provide a homegrown soundtrack to this much appreciated special event.
Postcard of the Old Log Jail postmarked 1910. courtesy Indiana Album
Create Magical Holiday Memories in Brown County!
Stroll through a quaint village adorned with twinkling lights. Shop for one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts you can’t find anywhere else. Savor old-fashioned treats and hot chocolate by the fireplace in your cozy cabin.
Start a new holiday tradition by visiting Brown County this Christmas, the perfect time of year to create magical memories.
For help planning your trip, call 812-988-7303, or visit BrownCounty.com
Lang
The Village Art Walk
~story and photos by Boris Ladwig
On a recent Friday in Nashville, a busker strummed his guitar and sang Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” as artists in the Village Green Building around the corner painted a landscape and demonstrated a spinning wheel.
The Fourth Friday Art Walk, an all-volunteer program that aims to entice new and repeat visitors to peruse local galleries and shops, will have two more dates this year, Sept. 24 and Oct. 22. The
self-guided walks, from 4 to 7 p.m., offer visitors an opportunity to browse an ever-changing palette of paintings, photos, sculptures, and other creative expressions of Brown County artists. Participating galleries offer tourists early artist masterpieces and contemporary works.
The walks feature music, live art demonstrations, and a scavenger hunt that prompts participants to search for a hidden treasure and rewards successful hunters with a gift.
The Brown County Art Guild.
On a recent Friday, Carole Ricketts-Corey demonstrated a spinning wheel in the B3 Gallery, while only a few feet away Megan Russell was painting a landscape.
Down street, at the Brown County Art Guild, guests wandered among paintings that emphasized Brown County’s natural beauty.
Visitors also can get art-related lessons, such as origami making or glass blowing.
“There’s just all kinds of little things you can do to enhance your experience,” said Melanie Voland, president of the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission.
The walks also elicit a sense of camaraderie among the artists, bring more tourists to Nashville, and help the artists sell more of their works, she said.
Some local enthusiasts participate in the walk every time. Others drop by occasionally. The walks have no official starting point. People can start wherever they like.
“There’s something for everyone,” Voland said.
Roberta Chirko, gallery manager at Brown County Art Guild, said the number of walk-related visitors varies with the seasons, with fall typically generating the biggest groups, coinciding with the height of tourist season. The guild usually closes at 5 p.m., but for the Art Walks stays open until 7.
Chirko said the later hours tend to draw a different crowd and include more people on dates or couples taking their time to stroll through the Guild’s two floors.
“It’s a totally different vibe from the daytime,” she said.
The walks had to be canceled during part of 2020 because of the pandemic, and this year, health concerns have forced organizers to alter the format somewhat and skip some of the usual enticements, such as wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres.
However, Voland said participating galleries want to make sure the Art Walk tradition continues.
arts and crafts by local and area artists
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Carole Ricketts-Corey at B3 Gallery.
Megan Russell at B3 Gallery.
Hoosier Buddy Liquors
Cold Beer, Fine Wines & Select Spirits
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Van Buren •
IN (next to Subway) 812-988-2267
~by Boris Ladwig
With hot, spiced wine, delectable treats and solemn music, some Brown County business leaders hope to usher in a new tradition this year with a Europeaninspired Christmas festival that they hope will attract more tourists, support local artists and businesses, and reinvigorate Nashville’s sense of community.
The inaugural Christkindl Market, on December 3 and 4 around Coachlight Square, will feature family-friendly entertainment, artists, music, vendors, contests, and food for locals and tourists.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will delight children, while an angel will walk the square to encourage people to take their minds off the world’s challenges.
“We need community like we’ve never needed it before,” said Lisa Hall, a member of the event’s steering committee and a Brown County Playhouse board member.
Hall conceived of the idea and garnered the support of Brown County Chamber of Commerce President Gregory Fox, who recruited
A new Brown County Tradition
ChristKindl
Market
December 3 & 4
Mark Schmidt, with whom he co-owns Nashville Spice Company. Hall convinced Hanna Estabrook, former Playhouse executive director, to organize the live entertainment.
Hall said the event will complement other Brown County holiday activities, including the Brown County Community Foundation’s Stuff a Stocking drive and the Salvation Army’s Holiday Light Parade
The Christkindl Market will feature lots of local artists whose businesses have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic lockdowns. The organizers said they are collecting grants to enable the artists to participate free of charge.
The event, which the local organizers said was inspired by similar markets in Chicago and Carmel, also aims to extend the Brown County tourist season, which tends to fall off sharply after Thanksgiving. Organizers hope the festival gives tourists a reason to stay longer or to come back.
Schmidt is designing, painting, and constructing 16 7-foot-tall nutcrackers that will be displayed around the square and in front of businesses.
The organizers hope businesses in town will get into the spirit by offering holiday specials and participating in decorating contests so that the event can benefit shops, hotels, and restaurants across town. Schmidt and Fox, for example, will sell a special blend of spices to be mixed into locally produced wine to be heated as a traditional German Glühwein, or mulled wine.
Continued on 37
Lisa Hall, Mark Schmidt, and Gregory Fox.
Patch Music Company
Brown County Antique Mall
Luminox Watches (used by Navy Seals)
Music All Around Us
~by Jeff Tryon
For a town it’s size, Nashville has an amazing variety and availability of good music.
But the local music scene isn’t always just laid out on a platter for you—sometimes you have to seek it out.
The Brown County Inn (BCI) is a good place to start. They have embraced live music, creating several regular opportunities like their Thursday night Hill Folk Music Series, the Saturday Acoustic Brunch, and an open mic night on Wednesdays.
Who will you see when you go out seeking live music in Nashville? It’s a good mix of old favorites and new talents, folks from around these parts, and musical wanderers who pass through every now and then on their latest orbit.
Recent players at the Hill Folk Music series have included Gordon Bonham, Kenan Rainwater, Will
Scott, and the delightfully offbeat Troubadours of Divine Bliss.
Gordon Bonham is one of Indiana’s premiere blues guitarists, singers, and songwriters and a longtime Brown County favorite.
Brown County born and raised singer-songwriter Kenan Rainwater plays in two bands you might encounter locally—The Indiana Boys and Spilt Rail. He is a driving force in the online presentation of local music and musicians.
The BCI’s Saturday Acoustic brunch features a rotating cast of musical treats like The Hammer and the Hatchet, Silver Sparrow, and Kade Puckett, among many others.
The Hammer and The Hatchet features John Bowyer and Jayme Hood, playing and writing country, Americana, bluegrass, and folk music together.
Chuck Wills, Rick Clayton, and Frank Jones.
Silver Sparrow is a duo of locals Sam Herrin and Dave Sisson.
Kade Puckett is a guitarist and vocalist who holds the 2013 Indiana State Fingerstyle Contest title. His huge musical repertoire includes jazz, rock, country, blues, and funk. Oh, and he happens to be very funny.
The BCI’s Corn Crib Lounge has a long history of being a weekend rock and blues nightspot. It has also been home to a ukulele festival that draws players and enthusiasts from around the world.
Another great place to find live local music is the Country Heritage Winery at the southern end of Van Buren Street near the Visitors Center. The intimate spaces—inside or out on the porch—make for close-up personal connection with performers including homegrown locals like Robbie Bowden and Frank Jones.
We recently saw Bowden and old friends Carolyn Dutton and Stephanie Walker out on the patio at the winery.
Dutton is a marvelous fiddle player and Bowden a reliable crowd-pleaser.
The following week, Frank Jones brought his amazing voice, guitar, and repertoire to the inside performance space at the winery, where he was joined on stage by Chuck Wills and Rick Clayton.
Big Woods Pizza up on North Van Buren Street offers live music on Tuesdays, and Hard Truth Hills usually has live music on the weekends, either indoors or out back at their sprawling campus out on Old State Road 46.
The still-new 2,000-seat Brown County Music Center brings in all kinds of touring national acts, and the Brown County Playhouse hosts a lot of live music.
The Playhouse regularly features musical reviews like “Summer of ’69” and “Respect” and tribute bands like “Margaritaville” and “Tribute to Elvis.”
Then there is the granddaddy of them all, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival in Bean Blossom, which has added events like the John Hartford Memorial Festival, a Blues Fest, and the Hippy Hill Deadfest to their list of happenings.
On weekend afternoons, a trip down to the historic Story Inn will be rewarded with live music from the likes of Will Scott, Zion Crossroads, or Lou Stant.
The live music situation in Nashville and Brown
Continued on 36
Kade Puckett.
Jack Whittle Trio.
DeMaris Gaunt and the Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour
~story and photos by Bob Gustin
Artist, poet and writer DeMaris Gaunt has lived in Brown County for only about three years, but her roots here run deep.
Long before she built her home and Mud Horse Art studio at 1515 Tanglewood Lane, she had connections to the unspoiled natural beauty and nurturing artist colony which characterize the area.
Her great-grandfather, Ora Chitwood, was a former Brown County sheriff and county commissioner who owned and developed land around what was to become Lake Lemon. And as a child, her father Charles Henderson, a builder and former mayor of Greenwood, brought the family on many trips to Nashville and Brown County State Park, particularly Ogle Lake.
“My dream in life was to be an artist and live in the woods,” she said.
Though she said she is still not “plugged in” to all of the local arts community, due partly to the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus last year, she looks forward to being a part of the Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour, going on the whole month of October. The free, self-guided tour features 28 artists in 20 studios across the county.
Named after a childhood friend of her mother’s, DeMaris attended Herron School of Art and Design, and is divorced from caricature artist Paul Gaunt. Their son Will, 13, lives with DeMaris and is a budding artist himself. Her other children are Jayden, 28, who has a husband J.R., three children,
and a degree in psychology from Purdue; and Isaac, 21, a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University, studying communications/acting.
Though her main source of income is her stained glass and pyrography (wood burning and colored pencil) creations, she has published a novel, Two Doors, and writes a poetry blog.
“Poetry is my counselor, my therapy. Everything dark and sad inside of me is released when I write poetry.”
She likens poetry to the “maple syrup of literature,” taking feelings, emotions, and events and boiling it down to its essence.
“You’re left with something powerful and meaningful,” she said.
Gaunt said she is equal parts visual artist and writer, which satisfy the same creative urge. But she knows she will never make a living off writing.
Her artwork includes mosaics, mirrors, stained glass pieces, wood burned designs, leather pouches and bags, glass sculptures, jewelry from recycled objects, and freehand line drawings.
She began working with stained glass in 1994, while doing an internship at a stained glass studio in Greenwood. That inspired her and set her on a path of creativity.
She first worked from patterns, but said she soon abandoned that and now only does original designs.
“I only create from something I’ve drawn and
designed myself,” she said, and that’s one of the luxuries of having her own home/studio. “I can evolve. I have a wonderful space to try new things and fail or have accomplishments.”
One of her accomplishments is a recent commission to make seven glass sculptures to be given as trophies in the Indiana Governor’s Art Awards.
Success has been a combination of luck and hard work, Gaunt said, along with inspiration, which can be hard to define.
She doesn’t know where the designs come from. Anything from random spilled liquid to the beauty of nature can lead to a new creation. “I’m drawn to visually impactful shapes and colors.
“It’s likely people get inspired by nature,” she said, because we’ve evolved to appreciate a landscape.” She also found inspiration in modern art and architecture during a recent visit to New York City. “I simply love to draw shapes, forms, and lines that are pleasing to the eye, and hope it’s pleasing to the beholder as well.”
Her studio name comes from a Native American children’s story called “The Mud Pony” she used to read to her daughter.
A poor young Native American boy wanted a pony so badly he made one out of clay. He loved it and cared for it as if it were real, and it helped him cope and survive after he was separated from his parents. One day, he woke up and the mud pony was gone, but a beautiful white horse was in its place. Together, he and his horse found their lost tribe, and later, the boy became a great warrior. The story ends with the boy grown up, the chief of his people. He believes his mud pony helped him achieve these great things, and he gives thanks to his spirit.
“It was a beautifully illustrated book and I loved the story. The family lore is that we are part Cherokee, and I’ve also always loved horses, so I decided to call my business Mud Horse Art.”
Her studio will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every day in October except Mondays. Though many studios are open seven days a week, individual artists set their own times.
“It’s a wonderful way to meet people and connect,” she said. “You can tell them about what you do, and it’s fun.
“It’s a beautiful thing.”
For more information contact DeMaris Gaunt at (317) 902-9272, <demarisgaunt@gmail.com>, <mudhorseart.etsy.com>.
20 STUDIOS 27 ARTISANS
MUSIC ALL AROUND US continued from 33
County is somewhat fluid and changeable. Many places will feature occasional live music, including the Nashville House, The Farmhouse Cafe, and the 19th Hole sports bar out at the Salt Creek Golf Retreat. Sometimes, you just have to have your antenna up and be on the lookout for where live music is likely to be happening. It is everywhere. The whole place is crawling with musicians of every kind. It is common to come upon buskers singing on a street corner in Nashville. Be an encourager and supporter of the arts. Toss a few bills into that old beat-up guitar case. Someday soon, you may see them up on stage, under the lights, adding joy and harmony to the general wonder of a visit to Brown County.
Check out the Back Roads of Brown County website and social media pages for more about the artists and their work Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour BrownCountyStudioTour
The Hammer and The Hatchet.
Robbie Bowden and Friends.
BACK ROADS OF
Brown County Studio Tour
~by Bob Gustin
From solid chunks of stone to fragile slivers of glass, The Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour is back with a full contingent of artists this year.
The 23rd annual free, self-guided tour is going on the whole month of October as artists and craftsmen open their studios and workspaces to visitors amidst the glorious spectacle of autumn leaves.
The tour features 28 artists in 20 studios, including contemporary artists and craftsmen, many of which will be doing demonstrations. Some offer hands-on experience to visitors wanting to take part. Work can be purchased directly from the artist who created it.
The tour began in 1998, and visitors this year will find old favorites on the tour, along with several artists who are on it for the first time.
The tour is designed to broaden public understanding of the arts in Brown County, which has been an art colony for more than 100 years, and is recognized as one of Indiana Cultural Districts.
The T.C. Steele State Historic Site, commemorating one of Brown County’s early artists, is a stop on the tour, offering discounted admission for Back Roads tour participants. All other stops on the tour are free of charge.
“The tour is a wonderful way to spend a beautiful autumn day visiting local studios in the backcountry of Brown County,” said Lory Winford, vice president of the tour. “Artists open up their
CHRISTKINDL continued from 28
Chef Carrie Douglas, an instructor at C4 Columbus Area Career Connection, will create and sell German desserts, cider, and chocolate. Fox said he hopes the event will bring out multiple generations to have a good time around the holidays and that the inaugural event will prove so successful that it launches a Brown County tradition.
studios and share their talent and craft with interested visitors.”
Though the tour was officially called off in 2020 due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus, a handful of artists continued to hold open studio hours in October. This year, the tour has made a strong return, with a variety of artists and their guests.
This year’s artists include Kathy Sparks, fiber art; Sidney Bolam, stone carving; Ann McCann, weaving; Juliette Herwitt, painting; Jean Haley, fiber art; Martha Sechler, watercolor and gourd art; Jason Nickel, blacksmithing; DeMaris Gaunt, stained glass; Scott and Jill Stowers, woodworking, food and soap; Amanda Mathis, primitive painting; Evan Knox, jewelry; Dixie Ferrer, mixed media art; Joy Sims, glass art; Lori Morgan, handpainted barn quilts; M.K. Watkins, painter; Mary Burkhart, wooden decor and stone carving; Sarah Noggle, weaving; Sarabeth Noggle, prints and drawings; Robb Besosa, handcrafted furniture; Lory Williams Winford, pastel art; Brad Cox, metal art; Susan Showalter, photography and jewelry; Sandy Binder, alpaca fiber art; Chris and Bob Gustin, weaving; Pete Baxter, woodworking; and Martha Hall Bowman, jewelry and painting.
Some studios are open every day in October, but individual studios set their own hours, so days and hours vary. Details are available on maps available at the many stores, restaurants, and lodging spots, or you can download a copy from <browncountystudiotour.com>.
The organizers are still looking for sponsors who can buy in at levels between $250 and $5,000, which will include event name integration and brand presence in the marketing campaign. For information, interested sponsors can email Hall at <hall@glorygirlproductions.com>. Donations are tax deductible and will be handled through the Playhouse, which also will sponsor the entertainment stage.
photos by Tom Preston
Calendar
Brown County Playhouse
Sept. 10-13 & 17-19
Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike
Sept. 24 Respect-Women of Rock n’ Soul
Sept. 25 Wasting Away in Margaritaville
Sept. 30 & Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
Jenn & Eric: Simply Acoustic,
Simply Amazing
Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Hall of Fame
Oct. 2 & 16 The King
Oct. 15 & 16 Melchior Marionettes
The Slightly Haunted Puppet Show 1:00 and 3:00 shows
70 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6555 www.browncountyplayhouse.org
Brown County Music Center
Sept. 11 Halestorm
Sept. 18 Hotel California : A Salute to the Eagles
Sept. 23 The Price is Right Live
Sept. 24 LeAnn Rimes
Oct. 3 Chris Thile
Oct. 5 Melissa Etheridge
Oct. 9 Clay Walker
Oct. 13 Christopher Cross
Oct. 15 Free Fallin’: Tom Petty Tribute
Oct. 16-17 Broadway Fright Night
Oct. 22 Brian Wilson 812-988-5323
www.browncountymusiccenter.com
Country Heritage Winery
Sept. 3 TBD
Sept. 4 Robbie Bowden & Friends
Sept. 10 Coner Berry Band
Sept. 11 Rhythm & Wine Band
Sept. 17 Open Mic Night
Sept. 18 Ross Benson
Sept. 24 Bob Palindrome
Sept. 25 Stant & Moore
Oct. 1 Bakersfield Bound
Oct. 2 Gary Applegate-Joe Rock
Oct. 8 Coner Berry Band
Oct. 9 Robbie Bowden & Friends
Oct. 15 Open Mic Night
Oct. 16 Speed City Spoilers
Oct. 22 Hubie Ashcraft
The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip.
Oct. 23 Isaac & Haymond
Oct. 29 TBD
Oct. 30 Ross Benson
Music 6:00-9:00 Fri. & Sat.
225 Van Buren St. 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com
Brown County Inn
Wed. Open Mic Night 6:00-9:00
Thurs. Hill Folk Music Series 6:00-8:00
Sat. Acoustic Brunch Noon-3:00
HILL FOLK MUSIC SERIES:
Sept. 2 Will Scott and Chuck Wills
Sept. 9 JC Clements, Jason Blakenship, David Sharp
Sept. 16 Dietrich Gosser
Sept. 30 Megan Palmer
Oct. 7 Will Scott and Ross Benson
Oct. 14 Tyrone Cotton
Oct. 21 Silver Sparrow
Oct. 28 The Hammer and The Hatchet 51 State Road 46 East 812-988-2291 www.browncountyinn.com
19th Hole Sports Bar
Sept. 4 Karaoke
Sept. 11 Tyler Poe
Sept. 18 Darrin Scott
Sept. 25 Forest Gras
Oct. 2 Karaoke
Oct. 9 Past Tense
Oct. 16 Darrin Scott
Oct. 30 Forest Gras
2359 State Road 46 East 812-988-7888 www.saltcreekgolf.com
Hard Truth Hills
THURSDAYS MUSIC CONCERT SERIES
5:00-8:00
Sept. 2 Tracy Thompson
Sept. 9 Scott Coner
Sept. 16 Bob Schneider
Sept. 23 Coot Crabtree
Sept. 30 Scotter Hanes
SEPTEMBER CONCERT SERIES
Sept. 3 Jan Belle and Friends 7:00-10:00
Sept. 4 TBD
Sept. 5 TBD 1:00-4:00
Blackjack Davey and the Rhythm Kings 6:00-9:00
Sept. 10 Tic Tac Flow 7:00-10:00
Sept. 11 Scott Gould 1:00-4:00 Isaac Rudd Band 7:00-10:00
Sept. 12 TBD 12:00-3:00
Sept. 17 Rich Hardesty 7:00-10:00
Sept. 18 Bob Palindrome 11:00-2:00 Indy Island Party 7:00-10:00
Sept. 19 TBD 12:00-3:00
Sept. 24 Rhonda Funk 7:00-10:00
Sept. 25 Scott Clay 1:00-4:00 Meager Kings 7:00-10:00
Sept. 26 TBD 12:00-3:00 418 Old State Road 46 812-720-4840 www.hardtruthhills.com
Story Inn
Sept. 3 Dave Sisson 2:00-5:00
Sept. 4 Will Scott 2:00-5:00
Sept. 5 Zion Crossroads 4:00-7:00
Sept. 10 170th Birthday 5:00-9:00 Nate 5:45-7:45
Sept. 18 Stant & Moore 2:00-5:00
Sept. 19 Will Scott 2:00-5:00
Sept. 19 Paint & Sip 3:45-6:45
Oct. 3 Doug Dillman 12:00-3:00 Zion Crossroads 4:00-7:00
Oct. 9 Will Scott 2:00-5:00
Oct. 10 Nick Dittmeier 2:00-5:00
Oct. 16 Stant & Moore 2:00-5:00
Oct. 17 Will Scott 2:00-5:00
Oct. 23 Will Scott 2:00-5:00
Oct. 31 Nick Dittmeier 12:00-3:00 Foxxy Lady Music 4:00-7:00 6404 SR 135 S. 812-988-2273
www.storyinn.com
Nashville House Music Series Live Music Fri., Sat., Sun. 6:00-9:00
Big Woods Pizza Live Music Tues. 5:00-8:00 44 North Van Buren St. 812-988-6004
Mike’s Music & Dance Barn
Mon. Line Dancing w/ Billy 6:30-9:00 2277 State Road 46 812-988-8636 www.mikesmusicbarn.com
Nashville Farmer’s Market
Sundays 11:00-2:00, Brown Co. Inn parking lot at State Road 135 & 46 intersection. Local produce, herbs, bedding plants, flowers, food.
Murder Mystery Dinner
Sept. 11 & 18, Oct. 2, 9, 16 & 23, 6:30-8:30 Artists Colony Inn restaurant 105 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-0600 www.artistscolonyinn.com
Village Art Walk
Fourth Fridays, 4:00-7:00 April-October. Free self-guided walking tour of downtown Nashville art galleries
Pioneer Village Tours
Sat. & Sun. 11:00-3:00 Free to attend. Donations appreciated.
Brown County Dragway
480 Gatesville Road in Bean Blossom Races take place on weekends through October, weather permitting Check Facebook for schedule 812-327-6968
Great Outdoor Art Contest
Sept. 10-11 | T.C. Steele Historic Site
Oldest plein air painting competition in Indiana. T.C. Artwork judged Sept. 11 at 3:00 and awards given at 4:00. 4220 T.C. Steele Rd. in Belmont 812-988-2785
6th Annual A Taste of Art
Sept. 17 | Seasons Conference Center
5:00-Live Fine Art Auction starts 7:30 Wine, ‘Shine, & beer tastings, silent auction. Charity fundraiser for Rotary. 560 State Road 46. www.rotaryclubofbrowncounty.org
Fallen Leaf Books
Haunted Author Event
Sept. 18 | 1:00-4:00 Klara Lee Sweet, author of Haunted Bloomington, IN, will share stories and sign books. 45 S. Jefferson St. 812-988-0202
Pioneer Village Gathering
Sept. 18, 11:00-3:00 | Pioneer Village Crafts, ham & beans, string band.
BucCornEar Festival
Sept. 18, 11:00-4:00 Jackson Twp Fire Dept Come celebrate pirates, popcorn, and fire prevention. Games, prizes, food, and fun. Free admission. Small donation for games. 4831 Helmsburg Rd. in Helmsburg 812-988-6201
Bill Monroe Bean Blossom
Bluegrass & Uncle Pen Fest
Sept. 17-25 | Bill Monroe’s Music Park Bluegrass legends and favorites plus local bands. Music, food, vendors. 5163 N. SR 135 812-988-6422
https://billmonroemusicpark.com/
Good People Good Times
Music Festival
Sept. 24 & 25 | Explore Brown County 10th Anniversary Celebration
Bands, artists, workshops, kid activities 2620 Valley Branch Road www.gpgtmusicfest.com
Betty Begonia’s Upscale Tag Sale
Sept. 25, 9:00-4:00 1641 Oak Grove Rd., Nashville Group sale in a 1920s-era barn. Fabulous finds.
Brown County Rock and Mineral Show and Swap
Sept. 25, 26
Sat. 10:00-6:00 | Sun. 10:00-4:00
Brown Co. History Center 90 E. Gould St. Rock crafts, jewelry, fossils, geodes, crystals, minerals, turquoise, agates. http://browncountyrock.webs.com/
Brown County Volunteer Fire Department Fish Tent
Starting Sept. 25 at courthouse lawn
Sat. and Sun. through Oct. 8:00am-6:00pm Hot fish, cold drinks, apple cider, french fries, and hot dogs.
Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour
Month of October | Free self-guided tour
Works for sale and demonstrations
www.BrownCountyStudioTour.com
Collector’s Showcase
Indiana’s Crown Jewel: Brown County State Park
Oct. 1-Nov. 14, Brown County Art Gallery
See page 43 for schedule 812-988-4609
BrownCountyArtGallery.org
49th Fall Fare-Nashville
United Methodist Church
Oct. 2, 8:00 am-3:00 | Village Green
Main and Jefferson streets
Unexpected treasures, crafts, books, PIE!, antiques & collectibles, silent auction/art, boutique, Live Music, plants. Breakfast and lunch served at the Village Cafe. Kids games. Proceeds go to someone in need.
Midwest Distillers Fest
Oct. 2, 2:00–6:00 | Hard Truth Hills
418 Old State Road 46 in Nashville
A craft spirits tasting experience featuring 15+ craft distilleries. Live music, food for purchase, games, and more. Must be 21. www.MidwestDistillersFest.com
Brown County EPIC
Mountain Bike Festival
Oct. 8-10 | Brown County State Park
Camping, demos, food trucks, a beer garden, group rides, games, raffles, live music, a postride BBQ. Proceeds go to HMBA. www.hmba.org
Friendly Forest Trick or Treat
Oct. 22,23, 29,30, 7:00-9:00
Jackson Twp Fire Dept. Free candy bags. Snacks and drinks available for purchase. Costumes encouraged.
$1 per child, adults free with child. 4831 Helmsburg Rd. in Helmsburg 812-988-6201
Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass and Uncle Pen Festival
Sept. 17–Sept. 25
Theannual Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival traditionally held in June is being combined with the annual Uncle Pen Fest for nine days of bluegrass music. This year the festival begins on Friday, September 17 and continues daily through Saturday, September 25.
Bluegrass music has been a staple at Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground in Bean Blossom, Indiana. The history of the park dates back to 1941 when the Brown County Jamboree was held under a tent on Sunday evenings. The spirit and the music of Bill Monroe lives on each year during the largest running bluegrass festival in the world.
Bluegrass legends Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers; Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; Junior Sisk; Larry Stephenson; Larry Efaw & the Bluegrass Mountaineers; Rickey Wasson; Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys; and Larry Cordle will entertain bluegrass lovers.
Bluegrass favorites The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys; Kenny and Amanda Smith; Dale Ann Bradley Trio; The Grascals; Williamson Branch; Steve Thomas & The Time Machine; The Farm Hands; The Roe Family Singers; Bobby & Teddy Cyrus; Lindley Creek; Miss Megan and Luke McKnight; and Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road will also be performing.
New to the festival this year will be the addition of local and regional bluegrass performers Flat Broke; The Grasshounds; Hoosier Tradition; Mountain Laurel; Cedar Grove; Deeper Shade of Blue; Blue Flame; Southern Wind; The Hammer & The Hatchet; Open Highway Bluegrass Band; Bannister Family Bluegrass; Alex Leach Band; and Not Too Bad Bluegrass Band.
Each year a committee nominates and selects a noted bluegrass performer to be inducted into the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame which is in the park’s Bill Monroe Museum. This year two people will be inducted, “Stringbean” David Akeman and Ricky Skaggs. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 25 at 8 p.m. on the main stage.
The Bean Dinner, an annual favorite free to all attendees, will be held on Tuesday, September 20.
Tickets are available in advance or at the gate. Three types of tickets are available for this year’s Bean Blossom Bluegrass & Uncle Pen Festival: 9-Day pass, 4-Day pass, and Single-Day tickets. Onsite camping is available for primitive tents, and RV sites with electric and water are there for big rigs and all types of campers, vans, and buses.
Bill Monroe Music Park is pet friendly, you can bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers. Parking is free, gates open at 10 daily.
Visit <BillMonoreMusicPark.com> for a complete schedule and ticket information. Bill Monroe Music Park & Campground is located at 5163 N. State Road 135, seven miles north of Nashville, in Brown County, Indiana. (812) 988-6422 <info@billmonroemusicpark.com>.
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. courtesy photo
Larry Sparks. courtesy photo
Indiana’s Crown Jewel: Brown County State Park
A two year exploration
Oct. 1–Nov. 14
Brown
County Art Gallery’s Collector’s Showcase 2021 presents 91 spectacular paintings by a single living artist, Tim Greatbatch.
It celebrates the park’s 100th anniversary, and it’s an exhibit you can take home as the paintings are for sale. Part of the proceeds benefit the Gallery Foundation. Visitors receive a full color souvenir catalog.
In addition, work by the early colony called “The Long View” will look back over a century of vistas.
Schedule of Events:
Oct. 1 VIP Tour with the artist. First chance to buy. $25. Food and wine 6 p.m. Reservations required.
Oct. 2 Grand Opening Barbeque
5:30 pm Food, beer, and wine. Music and some history by Jon and Zelton Kay. All exhibits open. $15. RSVP requested, pay at the door.
Oct. 3 State Park Memories
Hear and share tales of the park with artist Tim Greatbatch and longtime park naturalist Jim Eagleman. Plus cookies. All exhibits open. 2 p.m. $5 donation at the door.
Oct. 30 Postcards from the Park
The story of tourism in Brown County as seen in postcards from the past. Folklorist and IU Professor Jon Kay will tell the tales. All exhibits open. 2 p.m. $5 donation at the door.
2020: COVID the Musical at the Brown County Playhouse
Nov. 12–14 and 19–21
TheBrown County Playhouse Management, Inc. commissioned award-winning playwright, Ashton Wolf, to create, write, and score a new play called 2020: COVID the Musical, about the fallout from the coronavirus. Scheduled for November 12–14 and 19–21, 2021.
A mysterious narrator who seems to have otherworldly powers takes six characters of diverse background on an emotional musical journey as they recount their experience having lived in the new “normal” world of COVID-19 and the fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic.
This musical exposé is presented in a concert-like setting as a series of songs, each of which are introduced by a narrator of no particular origin. Occasionally, a brief vignette is presented prior, or after, a song to explain the narrative and through-line of each musical composition.
Poignant songs, funny songs, and heartwrenching musical compositions drive this latest work by playwright Ashton Wolf who has had an astonishing career in the theatrical arts. This is Wolf’s 12th musical and will be his 10th to be produced on the stage.
Wolf covers the gamut with a variety of musical styles, all the while, telling the tale of one of the most unbelievable years in human history; stories of human agony, confusion, pain, and anger but also stories about the powerful and resilient side of the human spirit with songs like, “My Angel—My Kitty, and Me,” “Into the Light,” “Quarantine Tango,” and “In My Daddy’s Eyes.”
From the poignant to the sublime and even sometimes hysterical, there’s the Jimmy Buffett-like “Maybe Tomorrow,” the power ballad “As Beautiful as You,” and the wildly raucous “Ain’t no Toliet Paper Blues.” 21 songs take the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotion while revealing a heartfelt message of peace, love, and hope.
Songs by Ashton Wolf will delight people from all walks of life. With powerful ballads, hard driving rock songs, rap, and traditional musical theater compositions, “2020” has something for everyone, with Broadway-worthy songs by an emerging powerhouse in the theatrical arts. Ashton Wolf is at his best with 2020: COVID the Musical. Visit the Brown County Playhouse’s website <BrownCountyPlayhouse.org> or call (812) 988-6555 for more information about upcoming shows.
Tim Greatbatch. photo by Paige Langenderfer
Chris Thile Interview
“Having never been to Nashville, Indiana before, I anticipate getting to see my music by the light of those sparks that fly when an artist meets an audience for the first time.”
Brown County Music Center Show October 3
G~by Ryan Stacy
ood news for the music world—Chris Thile doesn’t have COVID. At least he didn’t when we spoke in August: Thile was at a testing site when I called him, waiting for his results.
“It’s Thile,” I heard him tell the nurse who asked his name. “T-H-I-L-E.” Which apparently didn’t ring a bell, because nobody there replied with “Chris Thile, the multiple-Grammy-winning mandolin prodigy? Who released two albums before he finished high school? Who’s worked with Allison Krause, Bela Fleck, and Yo-Yo Ma? Who took over hosting duties on public radio’s hit show Prairie Home Companion? That Chris Thile?”
Yep, that would be Chris. And fortunately for all of us, he’ll be very recognized when he plays the first date of his new tour on October 3 at Brown County Music Center. Fans from all over the region are prepared to be captivated by Thile’s material from Laysongs, his latest album, which he created during the 2020 shutdown.
After his opportunities to perform live evaporated thanks to the pandemic, Thile and his family headed upstate from their home in Brooklyn to regroup. In the small town where they rented a house, there happened to be a recording studio inside an old church building, which he felt
Continued on 50
photo by Josh Goleman
drawn to immediately. He jumped at the chance to stay productive, collaborating with his environment to bring a new batch of highly introspective songs into the world.
“This record felt like I sat down to conjure something, and in the act of conjuring, it sort of opened up a rich vein of channeling,” Thile recalls. “I wanted to make a record that considers the religious impulse, and walks all around that. It’s a record full of questions.” Fresh insight into himself and his music came with the new territory. “Being deprived of other voices to listen to helped me realize the extent to which I’d been taking [them] for granted,” he says.
The October show will be Thile’s first time playing here, and he’s excited—to experience the beauty and creativity Brown County is known for, and because the format will also be a first for him. On this tour, Chris will be presenting Laysongs the same way he recorded it: just him and his mandolin. The big difference being, of course, that instead of the vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows of the empty church, his audience will be hundreds of people, each with their own stories and expectations.
No problem at all, says Chris: the uncertainty of how his bare-bones performance will translate at a venue designed for grandness and spectacle is part of the tour’s appeal. “This record starts with the question ‘What shall we sing now, when we gather together?’” he explains. “I love the thought that we get to take a crack at answering that at each of these solo shows. I realized I need that collaboration [with the audience]. You’re going to see a very grateful and humbled mandolinist onstage.”
What you won’t see on this tour, however, is a typical mandolinist. Over a lifetime of dedication to his instrument, Chris has explored its possibilities from just about every angle. Born in southern California, Thile says he was just two years old when he first knew he wanted to play music. “It was at a pizza place in north San Diego county,” he tells me. “This guy named John Moore led a bluegrass band there. I remember loving the mandolin, but I’m pretty sure I loved it because he played it.” Chris had to wait until he was five to get a mandolin of his own, and as a steady stream of records and sold-out shows can attest, he hasn’t stopped playing it yet.
After releasing a few albums of traditional-sounding music as a kid, he broke big with Nickel Creek, a Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass trio he formed with two local friends. And as Thile’s songwriting talent and performance evolved and expanded, so did his circle of collaborators. He’s played Carnegie Hall with the Punch Brothers, another of his groups. His less regular fellow travelers have included Brad Mehldau on piano, Edgar Mayer on bass, and an impressive roster of others.
But make no mistake: despite performing alone on this tour, Chris Thile will be no less thrilling at Brown County Music Center than at any other point in his career. “I want expectations to be exceeded,” he says. “I’ll always be up there trying to surprise myself, exceeding my own expectations. Having never been to Nashville, Indiana before, I anticipate getting to see my music by the light of those sparks that fly when an artist meets an audience for the first time.”
You can get tickets and details for all Brown County Music Center shows at <BrownCountyMusicCenter.com> and <Ticketmaster.com>.
Brown County Music Center
Sept. 11 Halestorm
Sept. 18 Hotel California : A Salute to the Eagles
Sept. 23 The Price is Right Live
Sept. 24 LeAnn Rimes
Oc t. 3 Chris Thile
Oc t. 5 Melissa Etheridge
Oc t. 9 Clay Walker
Oc t. 13
Christopher Cross
Oc t. 15 Free Fallin’: Tom Petty Tribute
Oc t. 16-17 Broadway Fright Night
Oc t. 22 Brian Wilson
Nov. 6 Three Dog Night
Nov. 7 Mar y Chapin Carpenter, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin
Nov. 9 Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening
Nov. 11 John Hiatt & The Jerr y Douglas Band
Nov. 13 Old Crow Medicine Show
Nov. 30 Carrot Top
Dec. 4 Warrant & Hero Jr.
Dec. 5 Kenny G
Nov. 5 Craig Morgan
Dec. 9 38 Special & The Dane Clark Band
Dec. 22 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
The Toy Chest
Keeping her business open while its doors were COVID-closed was not how Hilary Key planned to celebrate The Toy Chest’s 50th Anniversary.
But Hilary and her husband, Danny, have proved they are not defined by setbacks.
Through success, failure, silent struggles, and becoming parents, these masters of reinvention continue thinking outside of the toy box to bring their dreams to life.
Hilary, a 31-year-old mother of two, is in her seventh year as owner of The Toy Chest, a specialty toy store in the Artists Colony Shops complex. She and Danny also own The Allison House, an 1876 Victorian mansion that hosts up to 14 guests in the heart of Nashville. Danny also launched and serves as managing broker at Brown County Real Estate.
Here’s a little bit about how they’ve made it all work.
Question: You guys are involved in such diverse businesses. Talk about your roles outside of the toy store?
Hilary: The Toy Chest is where my heart is. I love and believe strongly in the power of play. Between having a family and a job I absolutely love, I don’t want my attention split in too many other directions.
Q: Was the pandemic your biggest challenge as a business owner?
Hilary: It has been a tumultuous seven years, so the biggest challenge is hard to pin down. I was most affected financially by the 2016 construction on SR 135. At that time, I still viewed the store’s success as subject to whatever tourism made it through my doors.
In 2017, we learned a larger company was taking over the site of our Bloomington location of The Toy
~story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
Owner Hilary Key.
Chest, so we had 30 days to relocate. I also had roughly 30 days left in a pregnancy, so we had to make the difficult decision to close.
COVID-19 has presented challenge after challenge, but by 2020, I was ready to attack each with everything I had. Despite constant demand for creativity, difficult decisions, and very, very long hours, I felt better equipped to face COVID than some of the challenges that preceded it. I’m glad it didn’t occur earlier in my tenure.
Finally, I spent three of the past seven years battling fertility issues, so it was hard to be fully engaged mentally through those times. It’s hard to face challenges silently, so that background battle was significant.
Q: How did you keep The Toy Chest open during quarantine, when your doors were closed?
Hilary: The fact that I don’t want a new job—and neither does my amazing manager, Emily Stone— pushed the two of us to do whatever we needed to do, for however long we needed to. I couldn’t have
managed it without her support, or my husband pulling more weight at home, the most dedicated returning staff I could have imagined, social media giving our new offerings visibility, and the fact that I went into the pandemic with a functioning retail website and solid knowledge of how it worked with my point-of-sale system. And I couldn’t have paid my bills without the extreme support from our customers. New customers came out of the woodwork and remain loyal today. Multiple existing customers spent thousands of dollars with us last year and are now friends. Thousands of people shared our social media posts and sent their family and friends to us. I was regularly in tears thinking about the support we were getting from our local community and the larger Toy Chest community that had been building for 50 years.
Q: The lease on your second Bloomington location of The Toy Chest was set to renew during the pandemic, and you found yourself closing again. Is that something you’ll revisit?
Hilary: At this point, I’m more focused on mobile options. I really want to buy a multi-functional vehicle to make into a play-mobile that could take play concepts or the store itself on the road. We could use it when making free deliveries (a pandemic addition that we’ll probably continue forever), to make pop-up stores for events, or load it with crafts, games, obstacle course equipment, etc. and go to a customer’s location for parties.
Q: What other dreams do you have for the store?
Hilary: Seven years ago, I had jumped into the retail world, and it was hard to think of expansion in any manner other than more retail or manufacturing. Ideas such as opening play spaces, offering courses to teach parents the importance of play, and expanding through programs pushed from our online store are what I spend more time on now. We’ll always have the Nashville store, but expansion might not mean more brick and mortar.
Q: What makes you most proud, reflecting on your time with The Toy Chest?
Hilary: The relationship we’ve built with our customers and our community. There have been moments when we have had to make tough decisions, take stands on controversial situations, and ask our customers for support. I know now that our employees are a very strong unit and that our customers are here for us, believe in what we have to offer, and want to see us succeed.
Field Notes: American Beech
M~by Jim Eagleman
y dad knew my weakness for chewing gum and used it for gentle bribes and coaxing. As a kid accompanying him on his vet calls to rural Pennsylvania farms, I witnessed a lot of interesting things—calves being born, lots of kittens, a cool milkhouse—and I hated to leave each farm. To announce our departure, a fresh piece of Beech-nut Gum was offered. I tore into the foil wrapper, folding the gum over and over. Those first mouthfuls of almost peppery sweetness were heaven!
During a trip to a distant farm my dad took us to the Daniel Boone Historic Homestead. He always tried to create memorable experiences for me. He told me to read anything inside the cabin I could share with my classmates. By the cabin door was a photo of a carved piece of bark with the inscription, “D. Boone ciled a bar on this tree in 1760.” The museum lady reported that the carving was on a beech tree. I wondered if the carved beech tree was used to make my favorite Beechnut Gum.
With any mention of the American beech tree, no matter how scientific or informal, I recall
those times with my dad. Author Wendell Berry calls it the “significance of place.” Things first learned accompanying the experience, sensory things like hearing or smelling, and where, are deeply connected to our recall. They are just as important as the actual experience.
The American Beech, Fagus grandifolia (edible large leaves), is found from Nova Scotia, southwest to northern Florida and into eastern Texas. Paleobotanists tell us that at one time the beech was found throughout most of North America and could still occupy this range. But, because of the ice ages they disappeared from the western two-thirds of the continent.
The smooth, gray bark, almost elephantlike skin in appearance, and the saw-toothed margins on simple leaves with parallel veins, are trademark features of the American Beech. Triangular nuts on mature trees (40 years and older) are covered in spiny husks that darken into fall. These nuts are part of the forest’s mast crop which includes walnuts, acorns, and hickory nuts, feeding people and wildlife. The beechnut flavor I recall in the gum was not from the beech nut oil, but from two mints, spearmint or peppermint.
I continue to look for the edible nut crop each year at my favorite, big, beech trees. The trees cycle anywhere from two to eight years, requiring my return to see if it is an “on” year. What we see in beautiful beech flooring and furniture has been crafted by expert wood workers. In its rougher form it is preferred by woodstove owners because of its high density and good wood burning qualities.
Reaching a height of 80 feet and taller, the American beech is often the tallest tree in the forest. Strikes by lightning and open wounds are common. The cambium layer, located just inside the bark, keeps it vital despite the inner, non-living heartwood core that rots, resulting in a hollowedout base. It is often used by wildlife as a den site and food source.
Take a walk through any Brown County woodland and you will find the American Beech tree is a prominent member. It is associated with sugar maple, occasionally musclewood, and shrubs like viburnum and highbush cranberry. The forest complex of beech-maple is often compared to another association, oak-hickory, and the two occur in the Midwest temperate zone. They are usually close with similar understories and herbal layers. It’s the oak-hickory grouping that is more economically valued by commercial foresters and it’s these trees, mostly oaks, that we see loaded on logging trucks.
You might come across a beech tree with deep incisions of heart-shapes and initials during your trailside hike. It’s the smooth, gray bark of the American beech tree that is most chosen by pocketknife carvers. When they are asked, “Where else might you carve your initials?”—”On the sandy beach!” should be the reply. I do not condone the practice of defacing trees. This destructive practice is harmful. We all agree the beech tree with its smooth gray bark looks far more beautiful and natural without deep scars and cuts.
My annual fall ritual is to sit under some beech trees in my woods as the leaf drop continues. Leaf litter from the beech and other trees cover the mast crop that squirrels find. I suspect what they leave behind the doe and her twin fawns will find. Beech leaves turn from summer green to autumn golden, then winter tan. Winter winds will rattle leaves on the beech tree’s branches that retain next spring’s bud.
I’ve always been a fan of the beech.
~by Mark Blackwell
Communicating these days seems to be getting harder and harder. Know what I mean? The fact that people even ask that question proves my point. Conversely, when a point is not clear or a wrong word or phrase is used in a conversation, people will often make the statement, “You know what I mean.” I usually don’t, but it does get me to thinking about what is happening to our ability to understand each other.
In the Bible there is the story of the “Tower of Babel.” The story begins with everybody speaking the same language, getting along good, and working at building an old testament version of a skyscraper. But after a while, a curse is levied and they are all made to speak new and different languages.
Well, the next thing you know, nobody knows what the next feller is saying, and that brought about some serious misunderstandings and general confusion. The whole tower constructing project came to a screeching halt. And that is exactly the sort of predicament I believe we’re cursing ourselves into.
Less is Fewer
My analysis of the current situation leads me to think that there are several reasons for folks to have their own language.
The first is geography. When a group of people reside in a specific locality it makes sense for them to develop and share common language. That way they can be pretty sure of who belongs in that locality and who don’t. Also, it makes it easier to wage war on folks who talk funny [civil wars and some revolutions excepted].
Then there is evolution—languages, in general, don’t stay static. If you don’t believe it, just try reading Beowulf or The Canterbury Tales. Also, the evolution of language is helped along by the different generations and sub-cultures of speakers wanting to put their particular “brand” on it.
And that brings us to the subjects of slang and jargon.
Slang denotes what the younger generations bring to their native tongue and jargon is what other sub-cultures do to it. It is a way to claim ownership of language and a way of defining an in-group. Who doesn’t want to be hip, hep, cool, and groovy? Slang is also a part of language that is under constant renovation.
What was once “far out” and “mind-blowing” has become “awesome” and “epic.” Going back to my Biblical analogy—“aware” begat “hip” and “hip” begat “woke”—and on it goes.
Jargon is, primarily, the creation of professions and other sub-cultures. It linguistically defines a boundary between practitioners of various corporate and/or religious ideologies and the hoi polloi. However, jargon is defined by the hoi polloi as mumbo-jumbo. Even the riffraff have their version of jargon.
I can understand the idea of slang and jargon, it’s wanting to be in an “in” group—one of the team, so to speak. What bothers me is what I call linguistic laxity.
Produced by Brown County Playhouse Management, Inc. and Ashton Wolf. Production directed by Ashton Wolf. Music & lyrics and book by Ashton Wolf.
IS FEWER continued from 62
There is in language a sort of shorthand made up of proverbs, adages, and just plain old sayings. In English these things have been appropriated from what were common sources of culture and knowledge. There was a time, not too long ago, that people who spoke English got much of their education from sources that included Ancient Greek philosophers and playwrights, the Bible, Shakespeare, and a whole gaggle of nineteenth century authors and poets.
It is these sources that tell us “not to cry over spilt milk” and to not “count our chickens before they hatch.” Shakespeare, single-handedly, contributed more than 1700 words and phrases to the English language. “All that glitters is not gold,” “It’s Greek to me,” and “strange bedfellows” are now common elements of speech. But it has come to my attention that people are starting to mix these sayings.
Lately, I have been hearing things like, “don’t burn your bridges until you get there” and “there’s more than one way to swing a cat.” And I’ve heard people in the media say, “He tried to saddle the fence.”
Now, I will be the first to admit, that there are times when you can intentionally mix metaphors for humorous effect but that means relying on your audience to know what the original adage is and what it means. One such philosopher who excelled at this was “Abe Martin.”
Abe was the creation and mouthpiece for author Kin Hubbard and waxed philosophical from our own
Brown County. Most of Abe’s sayings didn’t make it into the popular lexicon but should have. Like this one: “He who hesitates is saved.” And “A friend is like an umbrella. He’s never there when you want him, an’ if he is he’s broke.” And “People that can’t sing never refuse.”
I wish that all the visitors to the county might acquaint themselves with Abe and his sayings because you can’t really know the character of Brown County without knowing him.
I will end this little essay with one more of Abe’s observations that I rely on: “Nobuddy kin talk as interesting’ as th’ feller that’s not hampered by facts er information.”
