Spring 2013 - Day 8 - Indianapolis, Indiana

Inquiring minds may wonder - what do we talk about while driving along the highways and byways?

Well, today we were wondering:
     - what kind of fish is a crappie?
     - why are so many barns red?
     - what does the term "Hoosier" mean?

A crappie is a member of the sunfish family.   This is the type fish caught at Rend Lake, Whittington, Illinois.  The name is derived from the French Canadian term crapet referring to many species of sunfish.  How does a French Canadian term come into common usage in Illinois?  One of life's little mysteries.

Red Barns originated in Europe.  Barns used to be sealed with linseed oil.  Well off farmers who had animals to butcher, added the blood to the oil.  It dried  to a dull red finish.  Later farmers added rust to the oil thereby turning it red.  Rust inhibits mold and mildew.  Who knew?  And even later, when paints were first made from chemicals, red was the most inexpensive colour to manufacture.

Hoosier refers to people native to the state of Indiana.  The origin of the term is not clear.  It could refer to people who pack bales of cotton into ships, hicks or rough country people.  I think, today, the term is mostly a humorous one kind of like "newfie".

Everyday a new learning experience.

Tonight we are at Lake Haven Resort in Indianapolis, Indiana.  We are staying for 2 nights.  Our site is very level again tonight.  I have come to think that a good well packed gravel site is better that a cement pad.  We have a nice view of a small fishing pond from our site.

Kathy, we tried to go to a Carrabba's for supper.  We were starving as we hadn't stopped for lunch.  Guess what?  It didn't open until 4pm.  So no Carrabba's - only Wendy's.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Something I have meant to mention since Texas.  We keep seeing lots and lots of all styles of RVs on the road heading to dealers across the country.  Just today, Wayne counted 16, yesterday was 24.

Indiana has had the worst roads of our trip yet.  Wayne thinks they spent the whole budget on orange cones.  We passed hundreds of cones but very little actual construction.  Lots of pot holes and heaving pavement.

Blessings to all