Sabbatical -- Day 59: Diversions

August 23

I was not in a frame of mind to continue ripping down fence today though the weather would have been supportive. During the night I dreamed of fishing. So, Parkette for lunch and back to the Kentucky Horse Park for some fishing.

Parkette is a Lexington treasure, institution, must. Is the food good for me? You know the answer to that. Is it fun to go every once in a while? You know the answer to that, too.

Joe Smiley was the founder of the Parkette Drive In which opened at its current location on New Circle Road in 1951. Back then, New Circle Road was still a dirt road. Mr. Smiley made the Parkette famous with his Fried Chicken and the Kentucky Poor Boy.

The Original Parkette Drive In

The Parkette has been featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and was on their Top Ten Hamburger spots. Inside the expanded eating area the vibe is 1950's diner.

Interior takes you back to 1950's Diner

That sign, though!

Iconic Lexington

I decided to eat in the car and have the car hop deliver the food to me. The menu board and call in speaker seem unchanged from the 1950's though the menu is updated. When the Kaplan Brothers bought the Drive In they added Kosher hot dogs to the menu and a Premium hamburger patty from Angus beef.

Menu Board at Parkette

I decided to live it up and ordered the Premium Poor Boy with Onion Rings and a Pepsi. Those of you that know me well know that I am not a Pepsi person. I prefer Coke. While Parkette serves delicious hand mixed shakes and malts I knew that would just be too much, especially since I was headed out into the sun to fish. Pepsi it was.

My very pleasant server arrived promptly with my meal. Strapped to her side was not a change maker, but a Bluetooth card reader and printer. 50's vibe, 21st century technology.

Caption Not Needed

It was more food than I should have had, but yeah, I ate it all and licked the crumbs out of the paper container. Maybe that's too much information, but it's Parkette.

Bloated, I made my way out to the Horse Park. There was no one else fishing. It was a pretty day. Plenty warm. Plenty of sun. A tiny breeze. No fish bites. Hour after hour. No fish. I tried shrimp, night crawlers and meal worms. Nothing. The previous two times I had caught plenty of fish. Not so today.

However, across the pond in the Rolex Arena there was a Jumping Event going on, and while watching my bobber I could also watch the riders and their horses clearing jumps, hear the sounds of the hooves on the dirt and also the sound of when a gate was struck and fell. It made the day even better. When the event ended they announced that there would be another group starting at 5pm and I resolved to stay so I could see them. Waiting was no issue. Two lines in the water, but no action.

At 5pm here came the next class of Jumpers. I am amazed at the agility of the horses; the training that must be required, the communication between rider and horse. Just really fun to watch them.

If you go full screen with the video you can see the horse and rider jumping.

Fishing the pond next to Rolex Arean

About 6pm I headed home. Poured the remaining worms into the rose bed. Sabbatical is nearing an end and I won't be fishing again anytime soon. Freeing the worms felt like the right thing to do. Two hours later the worms were still in the same place. I guess when you have been captive for so long you might be unsure what to do when you are finally free. This morning they have gone to wherever they chose, for once.

"¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear," Romans 8: 15. 

I think there's a lesson there for when I am off sabbatical and back to work. 

I was glad for the diversions of the day. I was glad for the day itself. Each day of this sabbatical has held its own unique gifts and diversions. I am grateful for each one.

Peace and Love,
Jerry