Store Locations for The Plough

Monthly episodes of The Plough DVD Series are now available for purchase in select stores in Nelson County.

*Look for the Buffalo Rings & Rings Coupon in the October episode!

BLOOMFIELD

Snider Drugs

ShopRite Supermarket

Blazers Food Mart

Bart's Mart

BARDSTOWN

Wooden Duck Entertainment

Wickland Spirit Tours (January & February)

Bardstown Booksellers

(NEW) STANFORD, KENTUCKY

The Kentucky Depot Restaurant

OUR NEW WEBSITE!

We now have a new website. www.thecoulterplough.com

The site is still new and under construction, but we will be posting much more there soon.

How to Subscribe to THE COULTER PLOUGH

For those of you new to the site, just click on the image to the top right side of the page (with the credit cards) and there you will be able to select a variety of payment options.

Front Page News - The Kentucky Standard!

We are tremendously appreciative to The Kentucky Standard for their wonderful photo and story on The Coulter Plough in yesterday's Kentucky Standard newspaper!

Godey's Lady's Book - Civil War Recipes - Rabbit Soup

Rabbit Soup [1861]

Begin this soup six hours before dinner. Cut up three large but young and tender rabbits, or four small ones (scoring the backs) and dredge them with flour. Slice six mild onions, and season them with half a grated nutmeg, or more, if you like it. Put some fresh butter into a hot frying-pan (you may substitute for the butter some cold roast-veal gravy that has been carefully cleared from the fat), place it over the fire, and when it boils put in the rabbits and onions, and fry them of a light brown. Then transfer the whole to a soup-pot; season it with a very small teaspoonful of sweet marjoram leaves stripped from the stalks, and four or five blades of mace, adding three large carrots in slices. Pour on, slowly, four quarts of hot water from a kettle already boiling hard. Cover the soup-pot, and let it simmer slowly, skimming it well, till the meat of the rabbits is reduced to shreds and drops from the bones, which will not be in less than five hours, if boiled gently as it ought. When quite done, strain the soup into a tureen. Have ready the grated yolks of six hard boiled eggs, and stir them into the soup immediately after it is strained and while it is very hot. Add, also, some bread cut into dice or small squares, and fried brown or fresh buttered toast, with all the crust removed, and cut into very small bits or mouthfuls.

- Courtesy University Press of Kentucky

Kentucky Home Kitchens: Apple Pie

Kentucky Apple Pie (As seen in The Coulter Plough)

by Darlene Crume

Bloomfield, KY

Ingredients

Refrigerated roll pie crust (for bottom and top layer)

6 small fresh apples (Darlene used Washington Red Delicious)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 stick of butter (regular margarine)

2 tspn. ground cinnamon

1 tspn. allspice

1 tspn. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350˚. Peel and slice apples. Make and add bottom layer

crust to medium sized baking pan. In a bowl, mix apples with sugar, flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, and ground nutmeg.

Pour mixture onto bottom layer of pie crust. Top with 1/2 stick butter

cut into pieces. Cover with top layer of pie crust. Cut a little extra butter

and place on top of crust along with some additional sprinkles of sugar

and cinnamon.

Bake for 1 hour.

Olive Leaf Extract: Nature's Secret for Vibrant Health and Long Life

Medical experts are just now discovering the wonders of Olive Leaf Extract. It's a natural, safe and effective herbal with unequalled health-giving properties. Called nature's "smart" germ-killer, Olive Leaf Extract seems to only attack harmful micro-organisms - viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites - without harming the helpful ones. What an important discovery in a time when the third leading cause of death in America comes at the hands of parasitic micro-organisms. In addition, users report increased energy, improved circulation, elimination of heart problems, normalized blood pressure, relief from fatigue and muscle problems, freedom from colds and flu and other health-promoting benefits.

The Fourth Generation

I noticed over the years that it was a rare occasion to see a Monarch butterfly until the fall months. Now I know why. Ever since elementary school we have all known the life cycle of a butterfly. But there's something different about the cycle of Monarch butterflies. In March and April the first generations of Monarchs are born. Thriving off milkweed the larvae grow and in two weeks are fully grown caterpillars. They then form a cocoon and after six days emerge as an adult butterfly. From two to six weeks the butterflies pollinate, reproduce, and die.

In May and June the second generation is born, and in July and August the third. These groups follow the same life cycle as the first generation. The fourth generation, however, has a lifestyle of its own.

Born in the months of September and October, the fourth generation of monarchs hatch and go through metamorphosis but instead of dying after two to six weeks, these fascinating creatures migrate (sometimes in massive amounts) to the warmer climates of southern America and Mexico. Here they will thrive for six to eight months until it is time to migrate back, reproduce, and begin the entire cycle again.

Kentucky is right in the middle of the Monarch's migration path, a mere pit stop for the long journey across North America into Mexico.

October Episode Teaser 1

What People Are Saying

What People Are Saying About "The Coulter Plough" DVD Show!

"Watched it when I got in from work yesterday, could NOT stop watching...so dinner was late!! It was fascinating, funny, entertaining, educational and very well done indeed!" - Debra, Newport, KY

"I'm gonna mix me up a batch of honey remedy tonight!!! Wish I had his honey to start with!!" - Donna, Lexington, KY

"Great journalism and wonderful cinema!" - Pat, Bardstown, KY

"I just watched "The Coulter Plough." You did an amazing job...can't wait to see the next one. If you haven't seen this DVD...please do!" - Peggy, Bloomfield, KY

"We really enjoyed the DVD. As always your background music choices were spot-on. I especially like the how-to piece and the how-its-made bits. My six-year-old really enjoyed the bit about the bees and honey and also the guitar making." - Amy, Bardstown, KY

"LOVED IT! We got it on Monday and watched it Monday night! I've already told 2-3 other people they need to buy one! Very well put together." - Jennifer, Bloomfield, KY

"This is a must see for small town Kentucky folk!" - Missy, Chaplin, KY

"LOVE The Plough!" - Charlene, Bardstown, KY

"It brought back some very fond memories! Great work!" - Kathy, Lexington, KY

"I am very impressed with the scope of The Coulter Plough. It came off as a very professional piece of production especially considering as much ground covered." - Jody, Louisville, KY

Baked O'Possum Recipe (for amusement)

A friend gave me a copy of the 1981 Edmonson County Homemaker's Cookbook called "Kitchen Art." On page 76 I found a recipe for "Baked O'Possum," something you just don't see these days in cookbooks. I'll admit, I was rather amused by this unique recipe. (By the way, the photograph seen here is plastic, not real...even the peas and bread!)

Baked O'Possum

by Edna R. Sanders

1 fat O'possum 1 small pod red pepper

1 c. vinegar 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. water 1 clove garlic

Solution for coating O'possum

1 tsp. mustard 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. horseradish 1 tsp. salt

1 minced onion 1/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. paprika

Remove head from "possum", slit down belly side. Remove insides and skin very carefully. Hold under running water 1 minute. Combine vinegar, water, red pepper, and brown sugar and garlic. Soak "possum" overnight in solution. Next day, remove "possum" ; dry well. Wash a brick well and stretch "possum" over brick in baking pan large enough to place sweet potatoes around the "possum". Cover loosely with foil. Bake 1 hour at 350˚. Remove foil and bake 1 more hour. Remove from oven, let stand 15 minutes. Now, throw the O'possum away and eat the brick and sweet potatoes. P.S. O'possum can really be eaten, if desired.

Episode 1 Mailing

Hey all! We are excited to announce that Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough will be shipping to subscribers this Saturday - most will receive them on Monday! Stay tuned to your mailboxes!

Antibacterial soaps: More Harm than Good?

More Harm Than Good
For starters, there is little proof that the antibacterial soap you buy at the drug store actually kills the most-dreaded microbes: S. aureus (staph) and E. coli. Plus, living in a disinfected bubble can actually be bad for your health and the environment. Many experts believe that too much sanitization weakens the immune system and may create lethal superbugs that are antibiotic resistant. If that's not enough, the bacteria-killing chemicals go down the drain and into our waterways, harming wildlife and potentially ending up back in our bodies where they can present health risks.

Although you have likely heard at least some of this before, you probably still reach for the antibacterial soap to clean your bathroom and wash your hands. The psychological draw is undeniable. In fact, scientists' warnings have not dampened the burgeoning market. Antibacterial products are a one billion dollar industry and make up nearly 80 percent of all liquid soaps. In 2003, there were fewer than 200 antibacterial products on the market; currently there are over 3,000.

The biggest--and most publicized--concern is whether antibacterial products, like the overuse of antibiotics, will eventually create more of the untreatable bacteria we fear. By creating a hostile environment, antibacterial agents promote strains of bacteria with certain mutations that allow them to survive. These superbugs are also more likely to be immune to antibiotics. The most commonly used antimicrobial in soaps--triclosa--has already shown resistance to S. aureous.

No Better Than Regular Soap
Still, the most important piece of information when you are staring at an aisle full of cleansers is whether or not the antibacterial soaps fulfill their promise.

According to the Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association, they are no more effective at preventing infections than regular soap. The bacteria-killing chemicals in common over-the-counter soaps are too diluted to kill the heartier microbes that pose the most threat to humans; they do not present any advantage over using regular soap. Plus, the average person is a lazy hand washer. Most of us wash our hands for less than ten seconds--five seconds is the norm--which gives the toxins little chance to bind to the bacteria and do their job. In one study, a standard strain of E. coli had to be bathed in store-bought antibacterial soap for a minimum of two hours before being killed. Mutated strains survived for twice as long.

So, these antibacterial agents, having failed at their mission, are then washed down the drain where they go on to cause serious environmental problems. Even after water purification, a large percentage of the toxins remain, entering our waterways and our bodies. A 2007 study detected triclosan in seventeen of twenty-one people. The chemicals were found in blood samples, urine, and breast milk. While it's not yet clear that these chemicals negatively impact humans, animal studies show that triclocarban interferes with rat reproduction and triclosan triggers tadpoles to mature into frogs at a much more rapid rate. Because of their unknown effects in humans, many scientists advise against taking the risk. There is also evidence that when triclosan is mixed with chlorine--even the low levels common in drinking water--it creates a toxin that has been identified as a probable carcinogen.

While the research on the negative effects of antibacterial soaps is far from definitive, the evidence that they are no better at preventing illness than regular soap is. So why use them? It doesn't mean giving up on hygiene. Don't stop washing your hands--or start eating off the floor, for that matter. Buy a regular bar or hand soap that doesn't contain unnecessary chemicals or look for brands with natural ingredients. And when you are washing your hands with your non-antibacterial soap, do it right. Lather up for ten seconds and rub hard. Exfoliation is the best way to rid your skin of bacteria. Most importantly, until more is known about antimicrobial chemicals, avoid them if you are pregnant or have an infant. If triclosan and triclocarban are dangerous to humans, the smaller the body, the greater the harm they can cause.

Dear Season: Tree Stand Safety

• Use a tree stand only during daylight hours.
• Practice first with your tree stand and FAS at ground level, using all safety devices that were included with the stand. Then continue to practice, gradually going higher. Practice shooting from your stand while wearing your FAS.
• Get enough sleep to ensure that you are well rested before using a tree stand.
• Carry a signaling device, such as a whistle, cell phone, two-way radio, or personal locator beacon (PLB), to let others know if you have a problem.
• Take your time and plan every move you make while installing and using an elevated stand.
• Check your stand carefully prior to each use. Do not leave a stand attached to a tree for more than two weeks.
• Never exceed the weight limit of your stand or FAS. Remember that the weight includes you plus your equipment.
• Do not climb with anything in your hands or on your back.
  • Use a haul line.
  • Raise and lower all hunting equipment on the opposite side of the tree from your climbing route.

Episode 1 Update

Hey all! We are currently finalizing Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough. We expect the premier episode to arrive in your mailbox in less than 2 weeks. We appreciate your patience as we unveil our unique series! For more information about subscribing, contact us at (502) 507-2810 or click the subscribe link on the right hand side of the blog page. Thank you.

Seasonal Update

20 Days until Autumn!

2009 Junior Miss - Kelli Ralston

Congratulations to Kelli Ralston, senior at Nelson County High School, the winner of the 2009 Nelson County Junior Miss! The full interview with Kelli can be seen in Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough...coming soon!

Buttermilk Days 2009

"Buttermilk Days" held each year in August in Bardstown is a time of family, friends, and good (free) food! Look for the story in Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough!

EPISODE 1 TV SPOT

Here is the new TV spot for Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough hosted by Kevin Harned!

Enjoy!

Seeking Local Cooks!

Have you ever submitted a family recipe to a church or local cookbook? If so, we at The Coulter Plough are asking you to take it a step further and share your recipe "on-camera" in one of our episodes of The Coulter Plough! E-mail us at jcoulter@tunnellmill.com.

Small Town Sexy - PUBLIC RELEASE

Small town America has a new allure according to Bardstown, Kentucky economic developer and author Kim Huston who tells all in her new book Small Town Sexy. The public release of Small Town Sexy will be in Nelson County:

Saturday, August 22nd, 12-2pm

Bardstown Booksellers

129 North Third Street

Bardstown, KY

Sunday, August 23rd, 1-3pm

Olde Bloomfield Meeting Hall

104 Taylorsville Road (Main Street)

Bloomfield, KY

www.smalltownsexybook.com

Kim Huston - Small Town Sexy

Bardstown's Kim Huston is passionate about small town life. In her new book, "Small Town Sexy," she reveals why residents love their not-so-big-city lifestyle and how small town charms are seducing newcomers. Huston speaks from experience, as small town girl who cherishes her roots -- and as a professional who is helping develop her town’s economic prosperity.

“Small towns aren’t just for small businesses anymore. The internet has made sure of that,” says Huston. “Towns joining the wired world of technology realize that you don’t need an office tower in Big City USA to do a million dollar deal, you can do it from Main Street USA.”

The romance reaches beyond business interests. Says Huston, “There are 20 to 40 year-olds coming back home with a real desire to raise their families in communities similar to where they grew up. And, retirees are drawn to many small towns that have the climate, recreational opportunities and accessibility to highways and airports that they are seeking.”

Flipping through Small Town Sexy, chapter titles hint of the authors’ humor and insight:

• It’s Not Your Mayberry Anymore

• Confessions of a Small Town Politician

• Can Big Fish Swim in a Small Pond?

• No, seriously, Size Does NOT Matter

• Big City Envy

Christmas Pickles in July - Part 3

Christmas Pickles: The Final Step to these tasty treats! Try them with

cottage cheese!

This Day in Weather History

15 August 2007 → Record heat baked central Kentucky: Bowling Green 104, Louisville 103, and Lexington 101.

Welcome Host KEVIN HARNED!

We are proud to announce that Kevin Harned will be the Host of The Coulter Plough DVD Magazine Show!

Trail Cameras: To Catch a Deer and A Thief

I recently purchased a trail camera for my father for the upcoming deer hunting season. After doing much research, I decided to go with the Moultrie i40, an affordable trail camera that delivers excellent results and has great feedback all across the internet by purchasers. A newer version is now available, the i60, but you'll pay a hundred bucks more. After giving it a little thought, I wondered why I'm not hearing more about these cameras being used as security devices in addition to cameras for tracking deer?

It's my opinion that if these cameras are safely hidden or made secure by protective coverings, every homeowner should have one. To only be a 4.0 megapixel camera, the Moultrie i40 delivers extraordinary images. I would argue that there isn't much difference in the Moultrie cam as there is in my 8.1 megapixel still shot camera when it comes to picture quality.

Recently, an old pre-Civil War era mansion was burned in Bloomfield (KY). Before the fire, the home had been the source of tremendous theft and over the years hundreds of antiques had been stolen that were left behind locked doors when the owners moved to another residence close by. Wouldn't it have been wonderful to have a few trail cameras hidden in the shadows of the large house? I can imagine it would have made a tremendous difference and many of the burglars would have been caught.

My only complaint would be the fragility of the shell design of the Moultrie. More expensive trail cameras are more sturdy in their build. But you can't beat the low cost of the i40 Moultrie and the reliability is excellent. But I can't say the same for the plastic casing that houses the camera. Drop the camera a foot to the ground and it could be destroyed quite easily. My suggestion would be to go the extra mile and purchasing protective casing for the camera. Also, the i40 is not camouflaged.

I had a friend paint a camouflage design over the entire body of my Moultrie. You'll want a camouflage camera, especially if the camera is strapped to a tree in the woods, to greatly help prevent thieves stealing the actual camera. Some hunters like to check their camera once a week for images. I would recommend every couple days if you are able to...just for the sake of making sure it isn't stolen.

Also, if you are a deer hunter, make a small tag and tape it to the bottom of the camera where it can only be read if a trespasser is standing close to the camera and is considering stealing or damaging it. Don't be afraid to pose an exaggerated threat: say something to the nature of that by the time they have read the note, the camera has taken and sent photos via GPS satellite to a computer where they will be downloaded and reviewed, so destroying or stealing the device is not a good idea as they are already busted.

May sound hilarious, and it won't work every time, but believe me, I have seen it work and it's better to pose a threat as opposed to the trespasser running off with your $200 camera.

The Interment and Disinterment of John May Hamilton

THE INTERMENT OF JOHN MAY HAMILTON

An account in "A History of the Civil War in Nelson Co., Kentucky" by John B. Thomas, Jr. tells of the fate of John May Hamilton. The story begins on the night of June 17, 1864, when Col. George M. Jessee's Confederate Cavalry with about 200 men camped somewhere in - mostly Rebel - Nelson County between Bloomfield and Bardstown, possibly at Camp Charity. Five of his men went to the home of John R. Jones who lived nearby in a large brick home that still stands near the Bluegrass Parkway and the Bloomfield-Springfield road [Ky 55]. They demanded a horse, saddle and bridle. Jones refused and fired on the men through the front door, inflicting a fatal wound on one before being killed himself. He was buried three days later at a place called the Camp Ground with a large crowd in attendance.

The previous month, from Washington, Joseph Holt, Adjutant General of the Army, had sent a message to Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge of the Military District of Kentucky suggesting punishment - which might even have been interpreted as execution - of Confederate soldiers captured a second time after being released on an oath not to fight again. Some say Holt - whose wife was from Nelson County - and Burbridge wanted an excuse to shoot Confederate prisoners.

On July 16, 1864, Burbridge issued General Order 59, establishing a policy stating: "When an unarmed Union citizen is murdered, four guerrillas will be selected from the prisoners in the hands of the military authority and publicly shot to death in the most convenient place near the scene of the outrage." This order started what is known as Burbridge's Reign of Terror in Kentucky. During the next seven months, over 60 prisoners, usually selected by lottery, were sent to various places in the state and shot or hanged. The case of John R. Jones was one of the first to come to the attention of Burbridge.

Two young men, John May Hamilton and Richmond Berry, were brought to Nelson County, not knowing their fate. They had been held as prisoners-of-war in Lexington, Kentucky after being captured as guerrillas who served with "Partisan Rangers" in Tennessee and Kentucky. The men in these outfits "lived off the countryside" and were more or less recognized as having official standing by the South, but were seen as bank robbers, outlaws, and guerrillas by the North. Hamilton had been with "Sidney Cook's Guerrillas" when they raided Flemingsburg, Ashland and Olive Hill in Eastern Kentucky. He was captured March 6, 1864, while on a raid in Johnson County, near his home farm. They were taken to "Bunker Hill" [now called Schoolhouse Hill] and executed by firing squad to atone for the death of John R. Jones, a man they had never seen.

In a history of the town, Dr. A.H. Merrifield called it "the gloomiest day Bloomfield had during the war."

The local account of the deaths of these two men tells of the bravery of John May Hamilton, when he realized they were to face a firing squad. "Their bodies were given over to the good people of Bloomfield and were buried handsomely in metal caskets. Before interment their bodies were laid out in the Masonic hall where the whole town wept over these innocent young men." A number of years later the local women's club - who thought he was from Richmond, VA instead of Morgan Co., KY - erected a stone for John that notes, "Though a stranger, he lies among friends."

(The grave of John May Hamilton is shown above - Photo by Stacie Munroe)

THE DISINTERMENT OF JOHN MAY HAMILTON

Hamilton enlisted in Co. K, 5th Kentucky Infantry of the CSA at the beginning of the Civil War.

On Saturday, August 8, 2009, the 5th Kentucky Infantry Re-enactment group at the request of Hamilton's decedents, disinterred the body of John May Hamilton from Maple Grove Cemetery in Bloomfield for removal and re-burial at his home in Keaton, Kentucky. The remains of Hamilton were found and placed in a new coffin and Hamilton returned home after 145 years.

A Cooney-Neck Social

J.L. Yates (pictured) of Bloomfield plays a fiddle that was given to him as a gift. Every 2 or 3 weekends, the Yates family has an old-fashioned cookout and plenty of Bluegrass music. With my camera in tow, I set out last Saturday night and had a wonderful time talking to the old-timers and listening to some great music, provided by local musicians. The main course at dinner was Florida crappie, deep fried to a golden brown. The atmosphere was wonderful and pure Kentucky. My video journal of the night will be featured in Episode 1 of The Coulter Plough this month.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eyed susan

Now blooming in Kentucky

Christmas Pickles in July - Part 2

Day 2 continued of making Christmas pickles!

Christmas Pickles in July - Part 2

Day 2 of making Christmas pickles!

Heath Seymour

Today we were out on location in a rural field taping a segment with Heath Seymour, a wonderful Kentucky artist. It is an honor to have Heath be part of the Plough series and his art will be the official artwork of the The Coulter Plough DVDs! This is a tremendous honor. Though today was the first time meeting Heath personally, I have followed his work for years. In 2002, I purchased one of Heath's original pieces from Sutherland Gallery in downtown Bardstown. The gallery has since closed. Heath's work caught my eye immediately. I loved his work for the simplicity and grace and style. His work also captured my attention in that he painted subjects that very much connected to my own tastes. The Coulter Plough has allowed the opportunity to not only meet Heath, but to work with him as well. I look forward to Heath's beautiful art being the official "look" of The Coulter Plough DVDs.

ONLINE ORDERING NOW AVAILABLE!

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO "THE COULTER PLOUGH" MONTHLY DVD SERIES CAN NOW

BE PROCESSED ON OUR BLOG. Select the PAYPAL LINK to the RIGHT side of the screen.

the 15th Kentucky Infantry Regiment ...

i recently read 'the battle rages higher: the union's 15th kentucky infantry regiment' and, thankfully, as i always try to do when i read something ... i learned a whole heck of a lot.

for those unfamiliar, the united states was once engaged in a civil war, lasting from 1861 until 1865 ... granted (no pun intended), this war happened a long time ago, so who could blame you if you don't know anything about it ... but let me preach a bit ... you should know something about it. some 620,000 american soldiers and sailors died (from the federal forces and confederate forces, combined) and an undetermined number of civilians ... we can at least say more than a million americans died in this war, though we may never know the true number ... so by this reason alone, americans should care that the union was nearly lost ... the united states as it exists today would not be so if just a couple of battles had gone differently.

and this can be argued, but in my opinion (which is highly uneducated), even if the confederate states had defeated the U.S., they would have been begging by the turn on the 20th century to be let back in ... while the agricultural base was high in the south, the industrial base belonged to the north, which would have led to such high tariff on imports and exports going both ways, the south could have never survived ... so bocephus can sing all he wants 'if the south woulda won' but i just don't think the south could have sustained in a win, even with england on their side.

but back to the book ...

even though kentucky was considered a border state and a bit of a neutral, the commonwealth still had tens of thousands of soldiers enlist for the union ... in the first two months of the war, more kentuckians volunteered for the union cause than did for the south in the entire war ... nevermind that kentuckians were democrats (and largely remain so) and lincoln was a republican, kentuckians were proud of their place in the united states and took it as an affront to that paternal nature of government prevelant in the early years of our nation.

the 15th kentucky was drawn from around louisville and central kentucky, enlisting citizens who were mainly agrarian in background and irish, scottish and german in heraldy ... most of the 980 plus men that served in the unit over its three-year existence were immigrants to the united states, causing a bit of turbulence with the 'native-borne' soldiers ... kind of sounds a lot like today doesn't it?

the 15th fought at perryville (kentucky's major battle), the battle of nashville, stone's river, chickamauga, chattanooga and took part in the siege of atlanta, most of the time facing across the field into the rifle sights of the first kentucky of the CSA, the 'orphan brigade' ... that unit was also drawn from the same geographic region, so many in both units had friends, family and neighbors in common ... it was a rather unique situation.

more than fifty percent of the unit ended up as a casualty, either killed, wounded or mustered out due to wartime sickness and ailments ... only 30 other units, out of hundreds of union regiments, had higher casualty rates.

after reading the book, even while reading, i was blown away by the history that sits all around us east of the mississippi and at some points west of the big river ... these soldiers camped, trained and fought in fields and villages that are now our backyards and subdivisions ... civil war forts sit all around us, many of them overgrown and forgotten to time ... some communities do well to preserve their history (such as tiny sacramento in webster county or glasgow and their fort williams, which is featured in my default pic) ... others simply allow the remnants of our past to erode and decay, never to be considered again.

in kentucky, the civil war is still a bit of a sore spot for some ... both president lincoln and president jefferson davis were born here, barely 100 miles apart ... we have the jeff davis memorial just to the west of us in fairview in todd county and old abe is 200 in 2009, but i just don't think kentucky is getting with the program ... there is still a bit of work to be done.

we get bent out of shape over high schools with rebel mascots, turn our cannons all sorts of directions to avoid pointing it towards 'the friendly side', our squares contain both confederate and union memorials, we preserve musket balls in home's walls, yet we still do not try to teach our young people just how important the outcome we received in the civil war was and is today. in this part of the country, we have battle re-enactments and there is always a larger number of confederates actors than union, though the state was largely pro-union ... it is certainly fashionable in our part of the world to wear the 'stars and bars' and pledge your undying loyalty to the CSA, even if you have no idea what it all meant.

if there is a point to this blog, it is this ... there are plenty of 'sources' of knowledge out there, but nothing beats getting out and learning on your own ... read a book and then visit the sites it talks about ... ask some of the older folks around where the battles and campsites were; they know these things. it is up to you to learn, because if you are relying on someone else for the truth, you might end up like atlantans waiting for a savior from richmond ... under immense fire and not a prayer in hell, save the pity of god himself.

Christmas Pickles in July - Part 1

Some people love them, others don't. But as a kid growing up in rural Bloomfield, I couldn't wait to get my hands on these each Christmas. Christmas Pickles. Most people think they're apple cinnamon rings or sticks. As a kid, you couldn't have convinced me that these wonderful tasting treats were actually...cucumbers. But in fact, they are cucumbers and you start to see some gardeners making them as early as the summer cucumbers are ready in the garden, canning them and shelving them until Christmas. There is no doubt these sweet and zesty little treats are quite appealing when they rarely appear on the Christmas dinner table. Sometimes they surround a platter layered with lettuce and cottage cheese. Other times they are just eaten right out of the Ball or Mason jar. I happened to be a kid who loved them, as did my younger sister and older brother. My aunt Gail usually provided them. During the summer, my aunt Linda. These crunchy, tangy little red fermented cucumber sticks satisfied my sweet-tooth and there was no such thing as just eating one stick in one sitting. Bottom line, they're absolutely delicious and savory.

Recipes differ from person to person as to how to make them. Christmas Pickles take time to make. Some folks let the process last for six or seven days, others only three days, and others as many as 14 days! Some folks use Alum, others do not. Alum is actually a toxin to humans if too much is consumed, but some Christmas Pickle-makers believe Alum is an absolute necessity in making the "best" pickles. Alum, in addition to pickling lime, is used often in homemade pickling recipes. If properly used in small amounts, Alum is not hazardous to your health.

For the next week, we will be demonstrating how to make Christmas Pickles. Here is Day 1 of the process!

Left-Over Cucumbers? A sweet and tasty alternative

Watch this week for a step-by-step VIDEO process of how you can enjoy cucumbers on a whole new level, and quite old-fashioned at that!

Kentucky Nature

There are 20 species of frogs in Kentucky.

Green Treefrog

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Family: Hylidae, Treefrogs

Description 1 1/4-2 1/2" (3.2-6.4 cm). Bright green, yellow, or greenish-gray. Has sharply defined light stripe along upper jaw and side of body; side stripe occasionally absent. Sometimes has tiny, black-edged gold spots on back. Large toe pads.

Voice Cowbell-like when heard at a distance. Nearer, sound is quank, quank. Males call while clinging to vertical stems 1-2' (.3-.5 m) above water.

Breeding March to October in southern areas, April to September in northern areas.

Habitat Trees and shrubs growing in or near permanent water. During the day frequently found asleep on underside of large leaves or in other moist, shady places.

Range Delaware south along the coastal plain into Florida and the Keys, west to s. Texas, and north through c. Arkansas and w. Tennessee to Illinois.

Discussion Green Treefrogs congregate in large choruses of several hundred. A typical treefrog, this species prefers to walk rather than jump. When fleeing a predator in the trees it takes gangly leaps into space.

This Day in Weather History

26 July 1984 → An F2 tornado struck Spencer County. Several barns were damaged near Taylorsville. Also, an F1 tornado was seen in Warren County.

Lincoln at Knob Creek

“My earliest recollection is of the Knob Creek place.” So wrote Abraham Lincoln on June 4, 1860 to Samuel Haycraft, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Haycraft had invited the future President to visit his childhood home in Kentucky. The Lincoln family lived on 30 acres of the 228 acre Knob Creek Farm from the time Abraham was two and a half until he was almost eight years old. Here he learned to talk and soon grew big enough to run errands such as carrying water, and gathering wood for the fires. Abraham recalled in later years numerous memories of his childhood here; a stone house he had passed while taking corn to Hodgen’s Mill; a certain big tree that had attracted his boyish fancy; the old homestead; the clear stream where he fished, and the surrounding hills where he picked berries were all impressed on his mind.

He could remember how he stayed by his mother’s side and watched her face while listening to her read the Bible. Lincoln could also remember the baby brother who was born and died on the Knob Creek Farm.

He remembered one occasion when he and his sister Sarah, had planted the garden; Abraham said that he planted pumpkin seeds in every other hill and every other row while Sarah and others planted the corn. The following night a big rain in the hills sent water rushing into the creek, the creek flooded the fields and washed away their garden.

It was also at Knob Creek that Abraham first saw African Americans being taken south along the Louisville - Nashville Turnpike, part of the old Cumberland Road, to be sold as slaves.

Lincoln once wrote that while living on Knob Creek he and his sister, Sarah, were sent for short periods, to an A, B, C school – the first kept by Zachariah Riney, and the second by Caleb Hazel. These were subscription schools and lasted only a few months. Free schools did not come to Kentucky until the 1830’s.

Likewise, he never forgot the time he fell in the swollen Knob Creek while playing on a foot log near his home. Had it not been for Austin Gollaher, a friend and school mate, Abraham would probably have drowned. Austin, with a keen sense of pioneer knowledge, grabbed a long tree limb from the bank and held it out like a strong arm to the struggling Lincoln. Abraham spoke of the incident after he became President.

(The Coulter Plough series heads to Knob Creek. COMING SOON!)

The Fabulous Humor of Kentucky Folklore

In the hilly parts of Kentucky, people often use funny expressions to talk about how hilly and poor the land is. A man might joke that his farm is "so steep I can look down the chimly and see what my old lady's fixin' fur supper." Another farmer might say, "My land's so hilly I'm askeered a fallin' out-a my field and breakin' my neck." Hill farmers joke that "land's so pore it wouldn't raise a fight" or "so pore a rabbit's gotta carry his dinner when he goes acrosst it."

Many Kentuckians from rural areas are tall and skinny, so there are a number of skinny comparison jokes. "I'm so skinny I can take shelter under a clothesline when it rains and not get wet." Or even better, "I'm so skinny I just turn sideways to hide from my wife."

An old Kentucky funeral custom is to put coins on the dead person's eyes. This custom is thousands of years old. Back then people believed that the dead person's soul had to cross a river. The money was to pay for the ferry ride to the other side.