Rockville — “Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one,” Ray Wolve said inside the Billie Creek Village General Store, strumming on a hand-made dulcimer he was ready to sell or keep, whatever Sunday afternoon might bring.
And uncertain as the future might be, yesterday was free all afternoon at the 19th-century village off U.S. 36 in Rockville.
Sue Cooper stood between a table and large wall mirror in one of the village buildings converted for the day to host its ice cream social. Platters full of chocolate brownies, cookies and cake lined one end as Cooper scooped up vanilla ice cream at no charge for anyone stopping by.
“You know, we don’t know,” she said about noon when asked what kind of turnout the ice cream social might yield. “It depends on the weather how many show, I guess.”
Sunday afternoon’s sky wore a thick gray coat of clouds as temperatures hung in the cool, lower 70s. Heavy rains from the Fourth of July dampened the air.
Cooper, who works in the General Store about every day, said attendance fluctuates at the village widely, with large crowds some days and not so many on others. “Some days they just drift in and out of here,” she said, noting the number of adults who come, recalling an elementary school field trip they’d been on years ago. “We’re still here.”
Her husband, Charles, explained that their family became involved in Billie Creek Village about two years ago.
Once a two-term Parke County Sheriff and retired bank president, Charles is now president of the not-for-profit holding corporation which maintains the village, and he said he hopes to see more young people get involved in the programs.
“I think there’s a lot of possibilities out there,” he said.
Sitting on the front porch of a small shack, two shacks south of the Baptist Church, Tom Makosky considered those possibilities into a block of wood.
Once an employee at Clabber Girl, the retiree said he spends his days at the village running his wood carving business, chiseling out plaques, jewelry boxes and other works by hand.
“I got a book out of the library,” he said, describing his craft as “chip carving.” On slower days he carves children’s initials into wood for them, offering demonstrations while selling his work for prices ranging from $5 to $500.
Among the numerous works lining the walls include his “dog house keys.”
Holding a stained plaque with the word “Love” carved into the center, Makosky explained that if a man “gets in the doghouse,” buying one of the plaques is the key to getting out.
Meanwhile, across town in the General Store, Wolve was taking it easy, strumming one of several hand-crafted dulcimers he had on display.
“Primarily, I’m a vocalist and singer,” the retired truck driver from Chicago said proudly, belting out lines from an opera in tenor as he strummed along.
The dulcimer is a flat, stringed instrument which vaguely resembles a steel guitar. Played on a table or lap, the “mountain dulcimers” made by Wolve vary in shape and size from hourglass to barrel, producing a harp-like sound when picked or strummed.
Wolve held a pick in his right hand and a wooden “noter” in his left. The noter is a round, wooden peg slid up and down the dulcimer’s neck, across the frets to produce different notes or chords. One of the instruments on display had numbers on the frets and visitors could play “Mary Had A Little Lamb” one note at a time.
“I really don’t make money doing it,” the former trucker in his 13th year of retirement said. Instruments for sale range from $60 to $175. “But it keeps me busy.”
Wolve cuts each piece of the instrument out with a jigsaw before assembling, and he explained the intricacies of violin and other instrument production, each varying with different types and cuts of wood. “The wood absorbs the sound,” he said.
And back at ice cream headquarters, Beth Brown and her kids helped her mother, Sue Cooper, with the refreshments.
Brown and her family now live in Natchez, Miss., and said they were back for the weekend to visit and decided to help out at Billie Creek Village.
Makosky carved away at his station, waiting for more people to come. “The more the better. There’s a lot out here to see.”
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Serving up Fourth of July spirit at Billie Creek Village, one scoop at a time
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Patriotism & Honor
From his vantage point, Sonner Faught could see almost every volunteer in the cemetery.
-
Graduation turns to mourning in Clinton
Jeana Lunsford’s graduation from South Vermillion High School Saturday should have been a time of celebration.
-
School choice proponents foresee growth of vouchers
Twenty-seven Vigo County students benefited from tax-supported vouchers during the first year of the Choice Scholarship Program, and that number is expected to grow for 2012-13, say Indiana school choice leaders who visited Terre Haute Thursday.
-
Tales of obstruction meet first takeover attempts
A decade after Indiana legislators gave the state the power to take over chronically failing schools, the first implementation of the law is meeting with resistance, skepticism and questions about its costs.
-
THE OFF SEASON: Raising a flag for my father, veteran or not
My daughter, Ellen, and I stood at my parents’ graves on Mother’s Day a few weeks back and talked about how it couldn’t possibly have been so long since we lost them. My dad, for instance, has been gone for 16 years, and that is nearly unimaginable
-
3 rescued from burning residence
Quick action on the part of some first-responders is credited with saving the lives of three people in a Vermillion County fire early Saturday morning, according to the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department.
-
He never forgot a name: Friends remember victim of fire at Garfield Towers
When Freddie Poore met you, he never forgot you.
-
Hometown boy embraces ‘Promise I Made’: Clinton native Ken Kercheval takes role in Dreams Come True production
Thanks to some help from a hometown boy in Hollywood, “This Promise I Made” is still on track to be kept in Clinton.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Many say they don’t vote in primary because of tag that comes with it
A couple of columns ago, I posed a question about why most Indiana polling places on primary election day had so few customers.
-
Police looking for convenience store robber
Police are seeking a robbery suspect following a Saturday morning armed robbery at the Jiffy MiniMart at 25th Street and Eighth Avenue.
-
Graduation ‘responsibility’: Rose-Hulman stages 134th commencement exercises
Inventor Dean Kamen gave a first-hand demonstration Saturday of how to be an innovator.
-
THE OFF SEASON: To the seniors, one last lecture before you go …
It dawned on me one day last week, as I sat at my desk in my teacher clothes and shoes, a stack of ungraded essays calling to me from a rather tall and depressing pile, that I hadn’t missed a high school graduation in 33 years.
-
Water rescuers
Emergency personnel wheel a man who was removed from a vehicle that had been driven into the water at Crystal Lake on Boston Avenue near 14th Street at about 9 p.m. Friday.
-
For many, camping outdoors is the way to beat the heat, enjoy nature
Stringing up fishing poles in the shade of American flags, households full of Hoosiers are packing into parks across the state this weekend.
-
Towns along National Road readying for next week’s miles-long yard sale
Stretching 824 miles from Baltimore to St. Louis, the National Road — known as U.S. 40 through Indiana — will soon be the host site for perhaps the longest bargain market in the country.
-
Rose grads honoring late president Branam at commencement today
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Class of 2012 will honor the memory of Matt Branam during today’s commencement ceremony by wearing special pins with the phrase “Make It Happen; Make It Fun,” a favorite saying of the former Rose-Hulman president, who died unexpectedly on April 20.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 26, 2012
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Thursday and Friday, based on jail records. Charges are recommended by arresting officers but are not final until the Vigo County prosecutor reviews the case and files official charges.
-
A fallen soldier returns home
An Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Spc. Arronn D. Fields early Thursday morning at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
-
Official touts trade with northern neighbor
A top Canadian diplomat told a Terre Haute audience Thursday his country was “disappointed” when President Obama at least temporarily rejected a proposed transcontinental oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas.
-
Caution urged for summer’s kickoff
Lane restrictions in construction zones on Interstate 70 and other highways around the state will be lifted to accommodate holiday travel for the Memorial Day Weekend.
-
Letters delivered
Several positions will be eliminated this summer at the Terre Haute mail processing facility as the U.S. Postal Service begins moving the operation to Indianapolis, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman has confirmed.
-
Companies seek Vigo tax abatements
Two Vigo County companies are seeking tax abatements for expansion projects, one of which is included as part of a county incentive package.
-
High-speed chase suspect caught in West Virginia
The suspect in a cross-country, high-speed chase originating in Terre Haute last week was reportedly in federal custody Thursday evening.
-
Second victim of deadly I-70 semi-trailer crash identified
The Vigo County Coroner’s Office has identified the passenger of a semi-tractor crash on May 16 in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the 12-mile marker.
- VIGO COUNTY JAIL LOG: May 22-24, 2012
-
Burn ban in effect for Vigo County through holiday weekend
Vigo County officials have issued a burn ban effective Thursday and remains in effect until 8 a.m. Tuesday.
-
Brazil remembers a Fallen Son
A small town seemed sadly quiet Wednesday, waiting to honor a local fallen warrior.
-
ISU OKs four-year degree guarantee
Indiana State University has announced a four-year “graduation guarantee” for students enrolling this fall and beyond.
-
Dems tout good side of compromise
Indiana Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, chosen to run as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor with gubernatorial candidate John Gregg, said during a stop Wednesday in Terre Haute that bipartisan experience is a key factor in creating jobs and legislation to help Hoosiers statewide.
-
Motorcyclist dies, motorist charged after accident
A Terre Haute man has died of injuries he sustained in a two-motorcycle, one-car crash that also injured another motorcyclist late Tuesday. The incident has led to the arrest of the car’s driver.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Obama Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington Cemetery
Raw Video: National Mall Concert Shut Down
Raw Video: Cop Shoots Man Eating Another's Face
Beryl Threatens Rain, Winds on Southeast Coast
Tropical Storm Beryl Strengthens, Nears US Coast
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Shell Readies Arctic Drill Ship
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Today in History
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Astronauts Enter World's 1st Private Supply Ship
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Raw Video: Obama Lays Wreath on Memorial Day
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
Woman, 80, Falls Out of Skydive Harness Mid-Jump
Dog runs alonside cyclists for 1,100 miles
Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesian Show After Threats
Long Story Short: Beyonce back on stage
Raw Video: Man Rescued From River in China
Celtics crush Sixers in Game 7
Alleged Lego Thief Faces Felony Charges
Has Snooki Named Her Baby?
Heat Wave Warms Holiday Weekend
Beyonce Entertains the First Family
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
