One Ville to Another

Look what popped out to wish a good trip Saturday morning! I was so glad to see them nestled in the back yard. In fact I really didn’t believe what I was seeing through my kitchen window and had to go out just to make sure. And so it is spring.

We dropped Cali off at the puppy motel with the usual excitement that comes from her riding in the car. By the time we got done I was ready for a nap. She does really good until we turn on the ignition. What can I say. She’s an excitable girl. From there we went to the bank to cash in our loose change. $232.61 – not bad! More than enough to pay for our Tin Pan South Fast Access Passes, and a couple of dinners to boot.

The ride down was pretty smooth sailing, sunny and not too much traffic. We drove into Louisville in mid-afternoon. This picture, from the car window, shows how swollen the Ohio River is. It certainly overwhelms the skyline. The temperature was in the mid 50’s, but the stiff wind made it seem much colder.

Nonetheless, we settled in our hotel and took off for a walk downtown to find somewhere we could eat, have a beer and watch the UCLA/Xavier game. For a brief moment we considered staying out and then walking from there to see the show, but thought better of it. All thing’s considered, that was a good decision. More about that when I can post on Musicana.

I love the mix of old and new buildings in downtown Louisville. I understand there has been quite a rejuvenation of the riverfront area, but am glad places like this theater remain.

There are several murals, like this one of Jockey Pat Day, on the downtown buildings. Others include Diane Sawyer and Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame and my favorite, Muhammad Ali. We drove around for quite awhile this morning trying to remember where Ali’s was. In fact we asked several people for directions. A policewoman told us with all confidence that it was at 8th and Main. But it wasn’t!

This morning (Sunday) was even cooler than yesterday, and no sun. We hit Nashville mid-afternoon. The only blooms we saw were in the picture above until we got to Nashville, proper. Last year this time the Redbuds lined the interstate from Louisville on down, but not this time. There was a deep purple haze where the buds should be, but I don’t think the weather has been warm enough yet. In Nashville, the Redbuds are in full bloom, but not the Dogwoods. I’m not giving up yet. Maybe with a few more warm days…