Got back from a fabulous weekend of dancing late last night. Once again we were off for a couple of days of hot and heavy contra dancing. This time we headed north and west to Cincinnati Ohio. The dance weekend is known as the 'Pig Town Fling', and featured the music of Perpetual e-Motion with the main calling duties going to Rick Mohr and Duggan Murphy.
   A slightly shorter commute there and back this weekend, only 7-8 hours of driving both ways this time. Not a bad drive really, both travel days were pretty sunny even though cold. There were some nice views along the way and it was fun to be a passenger for a change and actually be able to view some of the scenery.
    We arrived in time to check in at our hotel and go and get some dinner before the dance started on Friday night. Our hotel was right off the river front in Newport Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati and only a couple of miles from the dance venue. Our dining choice for the night was a small Japanese-Asian Cafe only a block from the dance. Rima had a wonderful stir fry ginger chicken concoction while I made do with a sauteed, lightly breaded flounder with appropriate veggies, all done in a light, slightly spicy black bean sauce. Yum!
   Music for the Friday night dance was provided by the band 'Eufor', four guys on various instruments all doing a very nice job of providing fun, danceable tunes. Seven full lines of dancers, somewhere around 450 people, all smiling and having a really good time. I danced hard for the first half of the dance, about an hour and forty five minutes worth, and then took it a little bit easier during the second half. Only doing one or two contras and finishing up with the final waltz. Not sure if it was just too much travel or too many people or what the problem was, but it was fine to sit out a bit and just watch all the twirling and dancing going on. It looked like butterflies from up above in the stands.
   Rima went to several of the classes on Saturday morning, and danced the advanced contra dances in the afternoon. It was raining, and sort of snowing by that time so I spent a pleasant time wandering around Home Depot looking at tools and buying grape vines to plant once the fence is finished back at Rimas place.
    We met up again late in the afternoon and tried to go over and tour the aquarium right next door to the hotel, but it seemed like most of the local residents had the same idea, so we settled for an early dinner at an Irish Pub where we ate scotch eggs, colcannon and fish and chips.
    Saturday evening was the main dance for the weekend and it was a hot, sweaty, raucous ride for the whole four hours. We were now up to a full eight lines with somewhere around 500 people dancing to the tunes of Perp. e-Motion. Such fun, it seemed to be over just after it had started. Lots of good dances, lots of fun partners, the music and calling were perfect and it was over way to soon, even if there had been a full four hours of fun.
    Considering all of the dancing the night before we were both up remarkably early yesterday morning. A late morning meal over at a local I-hop of all places. Eggs, sausage, pancakes.... just the fuel needed for yet another 3 hours of high energy dancing before leaving for home. Only slightly fewer people there for the last session, so back to only 7 full lines. By the time it was all over I was pretty much bushed.
    Another 7-8 hours of driving back to Floyd, but it was pleasant enough riding through the back country of Ohio just north of the river. Still it was after 11:00 when we finally pulled into the driveway last night. Cold, but very clear with plenty of stars shining out of the sky.
     A beautiful day here today finally. I am hoping that we have now seen the last of the snow, but only time will tell on that. For the moment though I need to finish up some paper work, put some dinner on to cook and then get outside for a few hours. But first; here are a few pictures from last weekends tour of the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic art in Memphis. There will be additional photo's to come as I find time to load and annotate them. Enjoy!

Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art in Memphis Tennessee Mar 2014

 

One of the first things you see when you enter is the Bridal Sedan made totally out of jade. What an amazing piece of art work.

Another view.

Within the collection were dozens of curved elephant and mammoth tusks. This is one of a matched pair carved to show a series of elephants. 

A close up of another carved tusk. Every piece of it is carved in this exquisite detail. 

One of my favorites. This close up shows a lady of high station being escorted by her entourage. 

Yet another carved tusk. This one is a mammoth tusk showing running horses along its length. I like the old ivory look and color that the old mammoth tusks have. 

Just one more close up showing the amazing detail in some of these carvings. It makes me think that it must of taken years for some of these sculptures to be carved. 

Another type of sculpture. This one showing a ivory dragon fish with 14 monkeys at play. I just find these works of art to be really beautiful.

A full sized tea kettle carved out of red jade.

A teak and other precious wood sitting platform flanked by two carved jade lamps.

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