Sunday, August 11, 2013

Lawrence County Gem and Mineral Show

The weather has continued to be unseasonably cool, and our work has proceeded at a brisk pace.
 This is a side-by-side comparison of the change in 2 weeks with my 6' high 7,500 lb. stone sculpture "Ecliptic".
 Meg and I took Friday off to go to the Gem and Mineral Show in Bedford, IN.  There are quite a few Amish in that region, so you have to drive carefully.  (Actually, we bought vegetables from an Amish fellow on the way home).
 The show had moved this year from Bloomington to the Lawrence County Fairgrounds.  It's now in an air-conditioned building - a vast improvement from my perspective.
 I bought several specimens for my collection, including these delicate blue needle crystals of Cyanotrichite (a copper mineral).
 Usually, I buy rocks that weigh several tons when I go to Bedford (at least I saved on crane fees).
 Our real find was Sue's Thai Kitchen, just south of the Salem, IN courthouse.
 Meg had green curry, but I tried something different: Larb.  It's heavily spiced beef over rice, including lots of fresh mint and cilantro plus sides of fresh cabbage, cucumber and broccoli.  The real secret is the stuff in the small jars.  The vinaigrette sauce adds incredible flavor, but be careful with her home-grown dried pepper blend (the heat just keeps on coming!)  Be sure to try the Thai Tea.
 After eating, we checked out the classic cars that had gathered around the courthouse.
 It gave us an excuse to get a close look at the ornately carved stone façade of the courthouse.  From the courthouse steps, we had a good view of this complex war memorial.  The pyramid-shaped kiosk explained the symbolism in this installation.  (Now...someone explain the symbolism behind the pyramid-shaped sign...)
A "Walt Disney moment" looking out the dining room window: a possum, a rabbit, a mother raccoon and 2 of her babies, a doe and a yearling buck in velvet.

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