Leaving Bardstown.

Well, we are home! We finally arrived Thursday night at 9:20.  We left at 12:30....It was a long ride. There was an accident on the highway in Cincinnati that slowed us down for almost an hour.  The border was not horribly backed up, but of course I picked the lane that ended up being the slowest. I was stressed out about getting to the border the entire trip...wondering what they were going to ask me once they noticed the car was all packed up.  I had a list of all my belongings, but I didn't want to have to go in and fill out paperwork leaving The Bubs in the car by himself.  Luckily I was able to get through the 20 questions and he let me go.  I have found acting dumb and being accompanied by a dog really works for me in these situations.  I felt so much better once we were through and on our way to the closest Tim Horton's!

I was up at 5:30 that morning thanks to stubby legs, which turned out to be a good thing considering all I had to get done. Let's just say the renter after me hit the jackpot on inheriting lots of my stuff.  If I was more organized I would have had the extra stored with my boss in Springfield, but on the upside I don't have to deal with bringing back any more stuff through the border.  I cannot even tell you how many trips up and down those three flights of stairs I had to take in order to get everything into the car and all the garbage thrown out.  I won't miss the stairs.  I should be in better shape because of it.....but I am not.  Bubba spent the entire trip stuff in on top of about a foot thick layer of clothes, blankets and sheets.  It was a good thing I never had to slam on the brakes or there would have been a slobbery, basset hound projectile making his way through the windshield.

It was good to see everyone for a couple of days. Amir took Tina and I out for dinner on Wednesday night before I left. Tina heads back to work here in Blenheim in March and she is scared out of her mind. She is going to miss the security of Amir and the freedom he gave her.  Hopefully I will be able to go back to KY next month.  I didn't get a chance to shop anywhere!!!  No target and no Zappo's!!  There was just no time.  This weekend Zappo is having a big sale of 70% off everything. Grrrr. But we had to get back to wee TC and his health issues.  I was hoping with the medication I had given him, he would have improved while we were away.  No such luck.  He looks completely healthy and has plenty of energy. He still eats and drinks like normal.  He still has no problem waking me up at the crack of dawn so he can get a hit of his favourite Temptation treats.  But, he has a pooping problem and now it looks like he might be throwing up.  None of it sounds good and none of the tests so far have told us anything conclusive.  So my most dependable pet will be having some surgery on Monday to have his gut and internal organs checked out.  I am not expecting a good diagnosis....but hoping for one.  I don't think the old guy is ready to go yet.  At least I am not ready to let him go yet. Fingers crossed.

The car is finally unpacked today and most of my stuff is put away.  There was a lot of cleaning, a nice long bath and a very short walk for Bubba.  The wind is incredible out there today.  So now we watch Project Runway All-Stars, have some wine and contemplate the future. My goals so far this year are to get the house cleaned up, move to London, get in the best shape of my life, plan my African Safari Trip for my big 40 and bring the Sip and Strokes phenomenon to Canada!  This list should keep me out of trouble for a little while....as to the fate of this blog....time is over for Bardstown, but I am not sure I am done with my blogging.  I will let you know.  Thanks for reading!! xxoo

Back in Bardstown!

Well... Bubba and I left Chatham this morning in the dark and rainy weather and we now find ourselves in the sun, no jacket required, Kentucky.  I won't lie....I miss it.  I missed my apartment despite the stair climb.  It would be safe to say that Bubba feels the opposite!! He is lying next to me right now, but I drugged him to take the edge off.  He was panting and staring at the door like someone was going to come in.  I wonder if he can see ghosts or something....

I left TC hiding from me in the basement.  I gave him the last of his medication this morning and he was not happy with me.  He wouldn't even come out to say goodbye.  I had to find him to make sure he was ok before I left.  I hope is issue going to the bathroom isn't too serious.  The vet said he was in really good shape despite the inflamed bowel....

So now I sit enjoying a Budlight, watching pet videos on The Ellen Show and wondering what will be for dinner. I feel like there is more I want to tell you, but I can't remember right now.  If I remember I will get back to you.

All My Pretty Shoes.

When I was packing up for my move home, I decided I should take out all my pretty shoes, line them up and count to see how many pairs I have actually purchased from all my expeditions to Zappos.  The number was not nearly as staggering and potentially embarrassing, as I thought it was going to be. In total I have 20 new pairs of shoes! The majority of the shoes were purchased at Zappos with the exception of the lovely leopard print flats on the end that I found on sale for 50% off at Macy's!

SHOES = HAPPY

P.S. Four Roses.

I stole this link from Mr. Bob Jones who had posted it on Facebook. Perfect timing actually! It is the Four Roses Master Distiller talking about bourbon, how Four Roses got it's name and how to drink bourbon.  He even suggests that it is a good replacement for tequila in a margarita!

Just click on the link below and you can watch.

Four Roses | Bourbon | Drinks

lifestyle.sympatico.ca

The Bourbon Trail Conquered! Part Three: Four Roses.

We made it to Four Roses a half hour before the last tour. This gave us plenty of time to scope out the gift shop and grounds beforehand.  I will admit that my enthusiasm was at a low on this my 16th and final distillery tour. You will be able to guess that by the lack of photographic documentation below.  I wouldn't admit it at the time, but I could have skipped the tour, went straight to the bourbon samples and getting the last and final stamp in my passport!  The architecture was very distinctive and not like any of the other distilleries.

The visitor's center.

This building is where they produce the bourbon.

In the background is one of the rickhouses.

Four Roses Entrance!

If you look closely you can see Rambo standing in the parking lot.

It's me!

Pretty.

Very tall storage building for corn.

I don't know what it means to be called the "Heads and Tails Tank".

Ta-Dah! Passport Complete!!

When I return to Kentucky to get the rest of my things, I will be putting this passport in the mail to get my free t-shirt.  I will be sure to post a picture of it when I get it.

The Bourbon Trail Conquered! Part Two: Wild Turkey.

We left Woodford Reserve, stopped for a quick lunch at Wendy's and travelled the backwoods of Frankfort, Kentucky in search of Wild Turkey.  This operation was a lot different than the other distilleries.  They seem less concerned on appearance and show and more concerned about quantity and mass production. It is a very large operation with not many employee's required to run it.

Wild Turkey!! 

 Silos of Rye and Corn!

A truck dropping off corn. There is a grate under the truck the corn falls through.

The mash fermenting process.  I think this was the largest room of mash barrels I came across in all my tours.

 Fermenter being steam cleaned.

The Sensory Lab where all the magic happens.

 Big barrel...pretty.

 The distilling process occurs in this building. It is then transferred by pipes underneath the ground to the warehouse where they fill all the barrels.

Pretty big place!

Filling up the barrels!  Much bigger operation than Woodford.

This is how they label the barrels. The machine places a stencil over the end and then a roller with ink runs over it.

They are set up to pour five barrels at a time.

 Fill 'er up!

Sadly there is some spillage...what a waste.

View of the Visitor Center.

Not every day you get to ride a Wild Turkey!

We sampled their bourbon, grabbed some souvenirs, had our passports stamped and were off like a herd of turtles to get to our final distillery before it closed.

The Bourbon Trail Conquered! Part One: Woodford Reserve

So I am happy to finally say I completed "The Bourbon Trail" before I left Bardstown last year.  (Saying last year makes it sound like it was so long ago....when it was really less than two weeks ago) Even though I had10 months in Bardstown and many wonderful visits to distilleries with my guests, I still had three more distilleries to tour to get my free t-shirt!  So I dragged Rambo with me to cram in all three visits in one day.  (Rambo being the young man who took me shooting and has a slight infatuation with me.)

We left Bardstown early so we could hit the first tour of the distillery that was the farthest away.  Woodford Reserve is located in Versailles, KY.  Versailles...(pronounced Ver-sales) is horse country located near Lexington.  Woodford Reserve I found out is owned by the Jack Daniels Corporation in Tennessee. It is referred to as a "craft bourbon". They only make a couple of bourbons and Rye. Nothing like you would find at Jim Beam or Maker's Mark.  It is very small and probably the most beautiful nestled in and around all these amazing horse farms.  Going to work there would be so peaceful and relaxing.  They even had a cat!  He was named after the bourbon's creator....which I can't remember right now. Elijah...something

The descendants of the original distillers...notice all those Brown names??

Looking down at the distillery from the visitor's center.

The Rickhouse.  Notice not nearly, as tall as, all the other distilleries...and made of brick on the outside.

The bottling warehouse.

Once they have been filled with the "White Lightening", the barrels are transferred along this rail to the rickhouse for storage  .

A barrel in front of the rickhouse.

  

Inside the distillery. They actually distill their bourbon three times as opposed to just two times which most of the other distilleries do.  These copper stills are from Scotland.

Looking down to where the barrels are filled.

This is how the barrels get filled after the three step distilling process. Then the bungs get hammered in....they told us what wood is used to make the bungs, but I can't remember. 

This building was originally created for the tax men that took up residence to make sure they were getting their share of the money the distillery made. They were not very popular....so no bathroom was ever installed inside the building.

Looking up to the visitor's center.

Elijah, the distillery's cat!

Chubby ol' guy. They think he is about 15. 

He enjoys the attention of all the visitors.

Elijah wondering what happened to all the attention.

Picture of the barrels in the rickhouse. 

The rickhouse and bottling area.

The bottling operation!

The visitor's center.  They take you on a little bus down to the distillery....it really isn't far enough to require a bus. After we got our sample of bourbon to taste,  a chocolate treat and then the required stamp on our passports, we headed to Wild Turkey.

PHEW!

Creepy neighbour dealt with!!! Message sent was loud and clear. Maybe now I won't feel like I need to hide out.  I think I made him cry....honestly I hope I made him cry.