Colourful skies...

A couple more beautiful Daviess County sunsets. There have been plenty of them over the past few weeks!

 

Nazgul helmet...

Candace and I were invited to a birthday tea (supper) by our friends the Maleys back in September. Their children are Lord of The Rings fans and the meal was a Hobbit-styled tea. I decided to surprise them by dressing up as the Witch-King of Angmar, the leader of the Nazgul in Tolkien's Middle-Earth books. I made the helmet and mask with some instructions that I had found online. It turned out really well! I can now say that I've been Aragorn - at my 21st birthday in 2005 - and the Witch-King a decade later! :)

 I started by cutting the helmet shape out of cereal boxes. I then glued it together.

 I used paper mache to strengthen the cereal box cardboard.

 The next step was the spikes for the side of the helmet.

 I then glued the spikes onto the helmet.

 And finally, I painted it and used a clear glue to add extra strength and give it a metallic look.

 Aragorn in 2005...

 Witch-King in 2015!

With the Maley's children at the Hobbit birthday tea. :)

The Ohio River in Evansville...

Evansville is a large city about an hour south of Odon, Indiana. It sits on the north bank of the Ohio River, the natural border separating Indiana from Kentucky. Candace and I walked along the river front on the Greenway path, which encircles Evansville, last month.

During the Second World War, Evansville was an important industrial hub that built Landing Ship - Tanks (LSTs) for the Allies. The USS LST 325 is moored on the Ohio River in Evansville as a museum ship. Unfortunately, when we were down in Evansville the ship had sailed elsewhere - but we'll get to visit her another day, I'm sure.

 Where LST 325 is usually berthed.

Barge on the Ohio River.

City of Evansville paddle-steamer hotel and casino.

 Steam engine and carriages at the Evansville Museum.

 A closer view of the locomotive.

 Red caboose.

 Sculpture outside the Visitor's Bureau.

 Evansville Visitor's Bureau.

 Korean War memorial.

 Four Freedoms Monument.

 City of Evansville paddle-steamer.

 Walking to the downtown riverfront area.

 Tiered seating where you can watch the river. They also have concerts and fireworks displays here.

The seal of the City of Evansville.

Cicadas...

Cicadas are very common in Indiana during the summer months. They are large insects and have a very distinct call that is heard from the trees above. This was the first live cicada that I'd ever seen, sitting on our stoep outside.

Close-up of the insect's head.

A year of Rusty...

We celebrated one year of having Rusty in our family this past Friday, 23rd October. We didn't do anything to mark the day, but we have loved having this sweet-natured dog in our family. He brings such joy to our lives - and lots of hair to our house! :)

 All snug in his basket.

 Strange sleeping positions.

 Lying in his little basket downstairs.

 He loves his little piggy. It was his first toy and he even brings it on trips.

Looking for attention. :)

Travels back to Indiana...

Candace and I travelled back to Indiana on Monday, 24th August. We drove through many pretty places and took our time on the drive back. Our highlight was stopping at the Humpback Covered Bridge near Covington, Virginia. Other interesting stops included the Natural Bridge in Virginia and the town of White Sulphur Springs - and the historic Greenbrier hotel - in West Virginia. We even detoured a fair distance so I could set foot in Ohio - another state - later in the day. We only arrived back home at about 23h00 (11pm) in the evening!

 Driving through the hills of Virginia.

 Heading to the Natural Bridge.

 The large hotel at Natural Bridge.

 Entrance to the Natural Bridge.

 Old car parked outside the tourist attraction.

 Butterflies relaxing in the sun.

 We didn't have enough time to go into the actual site of the Natural Bridge, and so we drove into the hills to try and catch a sight. You can just about make it out through the trees here.

 Pretty Virginia farmland and rolling hills.

 Driving to the Humpback Bridge in Virginia.

 It's beautiful!

 Walking in the river bed below.

 There are three bridges here.

 Dunlap Creek, a tributary of the Jackson River.

 We loved this artwork near the bridge.

 Driving into White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

 Old buildings on the Main Street.

 Awesome zebra Land Rover.

 Groundhog.

 Amtrak railway station at White Sulphur Springs.

 The historic Greenbrier hotel.

 Main entrance.

 Pretty flowers.

 The Springhouse - a natural sulphur water spring.

 History of the Springhouse.

 Leaving West Virginia and entering Kentucky.

 Ohio! I opened the car door and put my foot on the ground when we were stopped at an intersection! :)

Large girders on the bridge crossing the Ohio River.