Adventures of Clay and Pam

We have just returned from a wonderful visit with Scott and Sandy as they near their one year anniversary. They are such terrific hosts! We golfed, went to Maker's Mark distillery, ate at wonderful restaurants, visited and visited. Scott cooked out for us one night and we had game night at their house another night. Really a great time. I wish I could see them more often, but luckily there is email and the telephone to keep up. Here are some pictures. One of our afternoons was spent at the Louisville Home-arama where we oogled over nearly 6,000 sq ft houses that were decorated beautifully. Who would want to clean and air condition 6,000 sq ft? Who could afford that much furniture?

The photo below that looks like a big vat of goo is just that. It is an open vat in some stage of becoming bourbon. Yeasty and bubbling. This is where the sour mash ferments, producing the alcohol that will eventually become bourbon. These 12 foot deep cypress vats hold about 9,300 gallons of sour mash. We were able to stick our fingers in it to taste it. There were two vats and the tour guide could tell which one was closer to being "done" but they tasted very close to the same to me. So, imagine that. Clay, Scott, Sandy and I (along with 30 other people in various stages of hygeine) have all repeatedly stuck our fingers in this stuff and you will eventually be drinking it. I suppose any fly that tries a taste test could possibly be there for good as well.

We spent our 4th (that's right) 4th of July together. Hard to believe it has been 4 years, but it has. This year we were lucky to be a part of the Long Center for the Performing Arts employee party because Jeff is an Assistant Technical Director there. We joined his colleagues and their families for a perfect 4th of July barbecue made even more special because we were indoors in the airconditioning. We did slip out to hear the symphony up close and personal despite it being piped in live in the Long Center. The pictures of the crowd and the skyline were taken from our window on the world in the Center. One of the photos is from just behind the symphony looking back up to the windows.

The rest of the weekend was just as great. Golfing on Saturday and Sunday cruising down the river with friends on their boat. On Monday we went skiing. I slalomed twice and did the kneeboard several times. Tuesday was spent aching. Either I need to ski more often or cut way back on the type of skiing I do. In fact, I bought some trick skis today to perhaps retire my slalom and enjoy the trick skis. They take sooooo much less muscle power.