WALL OF GUM!!!
Greenville, Ohio is about 20 miles Northwest of Dayton, right along the Indiana border. In addition to being the original home of the KitchenAid corporation and the namesake of the Treaty of Greenville (which opened much of this area to exploration 250 years ago)... it is Annie Oakley's Birthplace.
Now, town residents for the past hundred years or so have been celebrating Ms. Oakley by forcing their tween daughters to dress up in western wear at the end of July and forcing them to, you know, shoot BB guns at stuff. The "winner" of this event is crowned Miss Annie Oakley, and there is a parade, etc. And, of course, all the glory of being MAO.
I've never been to the parade. But for a few inexplicable reasons, I REALLY like going to this festival. It's part county fair, part cheezy historical re-enactment, part flea market, part circus.
Oh, and there's one other thing.
Mkay this was the whip demonstration. Notice the painted scenery in the back, which provides the backdrop to most of the historical re-enacting. Anyway, this was the "break the straw in half with a whip," thing, which, actually, was pretty cool.
Okay and this is a farm animal of some sort.
Anyway. Here is the other reason I try to hit Annie Oakley Days every year. The Maid-Rite Sandwich shop. Yes. That stuff on the building really is what you think it is.
The shop has been selling loose-meat sandwiches out of its downtown location for a LONG time now. 70+ years? Local tradition dictates that you remove your gum when entering the establishment and place it on the building's exterior. Someone told me that the health department folks placed a moratorium on this practice recently, but it doesn't seem to be very effective.
Anyway, Sara and I stopped for ice cream on the way back at this roadside Ice Cream Parlor a few minutes north of I70.
There are not many pictures of me I like. But I can live with this one.
I offer this final picture as verification that I am, in fact, a funny dude.
What a great day. :D
Now, town residents for the past hundred years or so have been celebrating Ms. Oakley by forcing their tween daughters to dress up in western wear at the end of July and forcing them to, you know, shoot BB guns at stuff. The "winner" of this event is crowned Miss Annie Oakley, and there is a parade, etc. And, of course, all the glory of being MAO.
I've never been to the parade. But for a few inexplicable reasons, I REALLY like going to this festival. It's part county fair, part cheezy historical re-enactment, part flea market, part circus.
Oh, and there's one other thing.
Mkay this was the whip demonstration. Notice the painted scenery in the back, which provides the backdrop to most of the historical re-enacting. Anyway, this was the "break the straw in half with a whip," thing, which, actually, was pretty cool.
Okay and this is a farm animal of some sort.
Anyway. Here is the other reason I try to hit Annie Oakley Days every year. The Maid-Rite Sandwich shop. Yes. That stuff on the building really is what you think it is.
The shop has been selling loose-meat sandwiches out of its downtown location for a LONG time now. 70+ years? Local tradition dictates that you remove your gum when entering the establishment and place it on the building's exterior. Someone told me that the health department folks placed a moratorium on this practice recently, but it doesn't seem to be very effective.
Anyway, Sara and I stopped for ice cream on the way back at this roadside Ice Cream Parlor a few minutes north of I70.
There are not many pictures of me I like. But I can live with this one.
I offer this final picture as verification that I am, in fact, a funny dude.
What a great day. :D