Saturday, August 29, 2009

Ernest Angley Makes Me Sick

4642 - 4942

Sorry my adventures for Friday, August 28 are a bit late. Last night I called in to Seattle to join the annual draft for my Fantasy Football League. Three hour difference made for a late night. I do believe I have a decent team for once. Good luck, fellow KeMuLu Leaguers!

Yesterday I did a bit of blue highwaying through Ohio, leaving Cincinnati and ending up in Cleveland. First stop was the Chateau LaRoche, or Loveland Castle, in Loveland, Ohio, right on the Little Miami River. This place is cool, especially if you enjoy castles as I do. Harry Andrews built this imposing European-style castle pretty much by himself. Harry also enjoyed the company of young men. Starting as a scout troop, he called his group the Knights of the Golden Trail and vowed to build them a castle. That was in 1929. Harry was still building it when those boys were grandfathers, when he died 52 years later at age 91.

This photo is of Larry, who gave me a few insights on a slow day (though when I took this photo he was with other visitors). He is a volunteer ("I have no life") and his passion is for this castle as a member of the Knights of the Golden Trail, who continue to maintain the place. There were several men working the grounds yesterday. Larry further proved that you are happiest when you do what you love.

A lovely country drive along the Little Miami River brought me to Freedom Worship Baptist Church in Blanchester, Ohio. and the World's Largest Horseshoe Crab. Might seem a bit odd that a creationist church has a horshoe crab, but apparently they believe the horseshoe crab never evolved, so creationism is maintained. They also have a dinosaur out back in a play area. Whatever gets them in the door.

After a delay near Columbus due to thunderstorms (we were going 20 on I-71), I arrived at Biblewalk in Mansfield, Ohio. It consists of wax figures in religious scenes, all built by the congregates of the adjacent nondenominational Diamond Hill Cathedral. I asked if the dummies were modeled after congregates, but I was told they were purchased cheap from a defunct wax museum. Now that I think about it, I recall repurposed celebrities in the crowd scenes, like maybe Clark Gable or Elizabeth Taylor.

I did "Flip a Hummer" in the parking lot at Biblewalk (which seems sacreligious in a variety of ways).




Final stop was at Earnest Angley's Cathedral Buffet and Life of Christ Display (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio). This is part of Earnest Angley's Televagalism complex -- I am told that viewers are sometimes asked to press slices of bread on their screens for a blessing. I wondered if the bread in this institutional buffet was holy (or the salad bar for that matter).

I went primarily to compare their similar Life of Christ Display to Biblewalk, but alas, the Display closed at 4:30. I did dine, however, surrounded by folks that looked like they came from a Jim Stafford concert (see earlier entry for Branson). I can assure you the food is not blessed, as proven late last night. In the spirit of the place, see Proverbs 23:8.

After a night in Cleveland (I had hoped to see niece Eleanor at Case Western Reserve, but she was in Louisville after competing in the finals of the World's Championship horse show), I am off to the Buffalo area to see cousins on my father's side that I have not seen in eons.

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