Saturday, July 24, 2004, and beyond...

We've been gone a week, and it's time to finaly wend our way south. In Peru, Indiana, "Circus Capital of the World," we wanted to stop and look around. But as perhaps we should have expected, they were actually having a circus today, and it was just way too busy and crowded to stop.

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Peru, Indiana

Our next oddity was found outside of Franklin, Indiana, a grave in the middle of the road. Seriously, it's right smack in the middle of it. Originally the site of a graveyard, the county decided the spot was better suited for a road. But when the guys came to move the graves, the son of Nancy Barnett made clear with his shotgun that his mama wasn't going anywhere, and there the grave sits to this day.

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Bet you've never seen a sign like this before

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Final resting place of Nancy Barnett

Decatur County, Indiana, county seat Greensburg, "Indiana's Tower Tree City," has had trees growing out of the courthouse roof since the early 1870s. They have been removed, only to reappear. No one knows how they germinate in this odd location, especially since the trees are of the large-tooth aspen variety, which aren't ususally found in this part of the country.

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Decatur County Courthouse, Greensburg, Indiana

Completly by chance we discovered the charming town of Oldenburg, Indiana, "The Village of Spires." Settled by German immigrants beginning in 1817, the town proudly preserves its heritage, as evidenced by the striking stone and brick architecture and the German street and shop signs.

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The spires of Oldenburg, Indiana

Last stop, Whitewater Memorial State Park in Southeastern Indiana, site of the 2004 Brown family reunion and Tom's grandfather's 90th Birthday Bash. We stayed two nights in luxury accommodations graciously extended to us by Tom's Aunt Alice and Uncle Joe in the form of their plush RV.

On Monday the 26th we raced home 300 miles through thunderstorms and arrived with only 15 minutes to spare to pick up Spike the dog from the kennel. Hooray! When we got home, we found that Carlos the cat, it being his first time home alone for an extended period, had gotten bored and trashed the house, but we were still glad to see him - mostly!

THE END.

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