I was going to type out everything that happened, but I really don’t want to remember it. Today while hiking Malady stepped on a group of bees. At least 3 stung her paw (pulled 3 stingers out, there were probably more), but she had an allergic reaction and died before we made it to the animal hospital. She didn’t seem like she was in any pain, and she was having a lot of fun before it happened. Malady has been the most loving dog since I got her, and she got me through a lot over the last few years.
Malady, I love you

In my world Monday is known as “Manager Monday”, when I slave over spreadsheets and payroll and sales (for about an hour) and then do other stuff that goes in to managing a semi-successful shop. This past Monday was no exception. In between putting away an order updating something on the computer I stepped outside, and, well, that was it. the weather was too nice to be inside doing stuff all day, especially when it was all stuff that I could put off.

So, around 2pm, I got in my car, got Malady from the house, and went back to Charlestown State Park.

This time we went out on Trail 6, which is the newest trail in the park. It starts at the parking lot for the boat dock for the Ohio River, climbs up the bluff, and follows the river to Fourteenmile Creek, where it descends to the Ohio River. From here you follow an old service road back to the parking lot.  I really like this trail – it isn’t too long (around 2.5 miles), or too rugged, but there is a lot to see and a lot to do.

I’m able to take Malady on day-long hikes – she enjoys them, doesn’t run out of energy, and we have fun.

Piper, on the other hand, throws up after being in the car for more than 5 minutes. She has short legs, has to take frequent breaks, and falls asleep as soon as we get in to the car to go home. That being said, I feel guilty taking Malady places and leaving Piper at home, so the day after I took Malady to the Charlestown State Park I took Piper for a stroll around the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

The Falls of the Ohio State Park is another newer state park in Indiana (newer as in the last 20 years), though its beginnings are 386-million years old. It sits on the banks of the Ohio River, along with Clarksville’s Ashland Park, directly across from Louisville (99% of the Louisville skyline photos you see are from here).

I woke up this morning with the birds chirping, the day off of work, and the need to get out. It was still in the 20′s outside, but I knew that the high was supposed to be around 50, and the sun was shining, plus I still haven’t really been able to really try out my new camera, so I decided that I was going to spend my day at Charlestown State Park.

Charlestown State Park is special to me. I took a summer school gym class in high school (I didn’t take it during the school year because of scheduling conflicts.) and we went to the park on a field trip. I had an interest in the outdoors as a child, but I lost it in middle + high school. I reconnected with nature that day – the park was so calm, so beautiful. I’ve returned to that park every summer since, probably 20 times a year in the last 7 years even. Last spring they opened 2 new trails, and they have plans for more in the future.

Today I took Malady on Trail 3, which runs down an old service road, descends to the Ohio River and goes along the Fourteenmile Creek valley, and then returns to the service road.

One of my favorite things about Charlestown State Park is it’s past. The land was once part of the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, where tens of thousands of people made smokeless gunpowder for the military starting in the 1940′s. the plant (over 10,000 acres) continued manufacturing goods until 1992. Some of the land was turned over to the State of Indiana in 1995 & 1996, when they developed it in to a state park.

The main part of the park has 6 trails, a campground, a boat dock, picnic areas, and a playground. There are still several gated areas with roads dating back to it’s former use – many of these areas have “Do Not Enter’ or “No Trespassing” signs, but some don’t. There are several abandoned warehouses scattered throughout the gated areas, as well as railroad tracks & cars.

Eleven Seeking Mayor’s Office

Gabe Bullard January 26, 2010, 5:47 pm | Email this to a friend

Eleven major party candidates will seek the Louisville mayor’s office this year. The deadline to file for the May primary was Tuesday.

For the Democrats, Metro Councilman Jim King and businessman Greg Fischer lead in fundraising. Behind them are Councilman David Tandy, businessmen Tyler Allen, and Burrell Farnsley, businesswoman Shannon White, resident Connie Marshall and recent entrant Lisa Moxley.

For the GOP, Councilman Hal Heiner leads in fundraising, but he hasn’t raised as much money as King or Fischer. Also on the ballot is businessman Chris Thieneman. Jonathan Robertson entered the race on Tuesday afternoon.

Two of the eleven current candidates will remain after the May 18^th primaries. They will likely face at least two independent candidates who have declared their intentions to run. The filing deadline for independents is in August.

The candidates are all vying to replace outgoing mayor Jerry Abramson, who will run for Lieutenant Governor next year.

Maybe I started paying attention too early, but I’m already tired of the race for the next Louisville Mayor. There are only a few of the candidates that have given actual ideas of what they want for the city. We’re all probably in agreement that its time for Jerry Abramson to move on – the city needs someone new, but what we really need to hear between now and the May primary are the ideas that these candidates have, what they love about Louisville, what they want to change about Louisville. Several have submitted a short post on Consuming Louisville about “One Thing I Love About Louisville”, but they mostly don’t seem heart-felt.