Faces To Places

Join me at the York Country Store in Pall Mall Tennessee as I talk with Jim Buck to learn all about the 24th annual "World Pig Championship". In this case Pig is not what you might think. Pig is a card game that originated in Fentress County and Jim is the organizer of the World Pig Championship. During our conversation he explains the rules, how the game is played and helping get the Pig chapter started in Liverpool England after the BBC ran a special on the World Pig Championship. Jim is fine feller and never seems to be at a lose for words as he talks passionately about the days event. The fellowship, food and excitement was obviously a buzz as you will hear so come on and listen in!

Join me just outside of Jamestown Tennessee as I have a conversation with Brandon Brant who is the owner/operator of Bar MB Mobile Welding and Fabrication. Brandon is a Marine Veteran, welder, fabricator, artist and a pretty darn good chili cook. Listen in as Brandon tells us about his time served in the military and what the life of a welder was like while traveling all across our our country working on oil and gas pipelines. Out in the shop we also talk about his mobile welding service and a little about life and find out how Brandon and his wife avoided a serious confrontation with mountain lions while backpacking out west.

This episode I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and have a great conversation with Mrs. Clara Hinds who just happens to be 100 years old. Join us at her kitchen table as she talks about living through the Great Depression and what is was like at her mountain home during World War 2 ,her trip out west, driving at 99 years old and more. As always thanks for listening!

This episode I travel 117 miles south of Jamestown to Steve Ray's Midnite Oil full service automotive center. The Midnite Oil is just an ole gas station as Steve calls it but it's a throwback to the golden days of Route 66 and when roadside attractions were popular in America. The days when you could actually get your vehicle repaired at the gas station. The Midnite Oil is definitely an old time full service gas station but there is something that is very unique about it as well. Listen in to find out just exactly what it is as I talk with Steve about buisness, life and barbecue!

It's not very often you get the opportunity to set down with a President of The United States of America but I sure did! I had the privilege of setting across the table and having a conversation with President Abraham Lincoln right here in the Recording Bunker at Faces To Places Headquarters! Actually it was Dennis Boggs who has been telling the story of Abe Lincoln for over 20 years and he has a great story about how he got into local theatre and the role it played in helping him to become one of the best Abraham Lincoln presenters in the country. Dennis also tells about the time he gave a presentation of President Lincoln on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. When Dennis was sitting across the table I couldn't believe how much he looked like Abe Lincoln so you just got to go to Faces To Places FB page to see for yourself. Just Amazing!

This episode I travel south to the Jack Daniel Distillery where I have a great conversation with Jed Lirette who is the Senior Brand Ambassador for Jack Daniel's Whiskey. Jed knows all there is to know about Jack Daniel's Whiskey and the day to day operation at the Distillery. We talk a little about everything from what it was like for Jed growing up in Lynchburg to to the distilling process and the legacy of the families that work there at the distillery. After our conversation Jed takes us on a guided tour of the facility and shows us that Jack Daniel's Whiskey is still made the exact same way using the same spring water and at the same location as it has been made from the very beginning when Jack Daniel was making it himself.

This episode takes us to the Mississippi River bottoms lands of West Tennessee to one of the most unique American restaurants I know. Its the Chisolm Lake Store Restaurant! The drive to this uniquely original steak house is all part of its attraction as you wind your way down the bluff just outside the town of Ripley and over the bridge past Cucklebur Slew. While there I sit down with Bubba Humphreys who is the Owner/Operator as he talks about how the restaurant survives and continues to operate when the mighty Mississippi River floods the bottom lands. He also tells us about the food, history of the restaurant and the people that make the Chisolm Lake Store Restaurant a true slice of Americana pie!

In this episode I go to the rural community of Bruceville, Tennessee to talk with Reta Spry. Reta is a West Tennessee farmer and her hobby is tractor pulling. Hang out with us in Reta’s back yard surrounded by corn fields as we talk about her experience with tractor pulling and winning in a motorsport mostly dominated by men except when she's around and very often lands in the winners circle. We also talk a little about life and Reta has a couple of doughnut eating pets that you just got to listen to this episode to find out what they are! Come on and join us and learn why Reta is the 12 MPH United States if America Pullers Association https://www.facebook.com/usapullers/

In this episode you'll hear about a kids hair-raising experience with outhouse critters and how Big Daddy used good ole country ingenuity to get a clear picture on the television broadcast all the way from Jackson, TN using a pair of vise grips. We also talk about Momma Rodgers favorite country artist, her trip to the Grand Ole Opry and you will discover how the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville got it's name. I also visit the train shop at The Tennessee Central Railway Museum and have a great conversation with the President of The Nashville Steam Preservation Society, Shane Meador, and Joey Bryan who is the Board Secretary and Communications Manager of Nashville Steam to find out the history, resurrection and preservation of the historic steam locomotive train 576.

On this episode just in time and in celebration of Leon Day (June 25th) and or Annual Summer Solstice Ice Cream Social (June 21st) I'll be talking about holiday foods at our house and the quirky Thanksgiving traditon that our family calls Scrap Day. I will also tell y'all about how a fantastic podcast called Christmas Clatter hosted by Todd Killian has helped me to overcome the post holiday blues that gets me every year. If you haven't liked and subscribed to Christmas Clatter I highly recommend you do so right after this episode to get your year round holiday feel goods and spirit. As a bonus I have remastered the very first episode of Faces To Places in hopes it will be a little easier on the ears. So we will be talking with friends and neighbors about their favorite flavors and memories from our Annual Summer Solstice Ice Cream Social on the longest day of the year. As always thanks for listening!

In this episode I get have a great conversation with Johnny Phelps who is the owner of The Soda Pop Junction in the beautiful small rural town of Lynnville Tennessee. Johnny tells us about what Lynnville was like and how it became the beautiful picturesque "All American" town it is today. We'll also learn about The Soda Pop Junction's famous Johnny Burger that was voted best hamburger in the state. The Soda Pop Junction is also home of the 2nd best milkshake in the state but listen in and hear why Johnny thinks they may now have the number one milkshake.

I recently got to hangout with Art Vincent in his custom leather shop right here in Nashville. Take a seat with us as Art talks about his journey of how he became one the best high end custom leather workers in the country. Arts custom leather work has been featured on the front page of several magazines and he has written how to articles and were published in Leather Crafter and Saddlers Journal. In this episode Art also talks about marathon canoe racing, competitive archery and how he had a career change from working in the financial community to becoming a painter and eventually a custom leather worker that has customers world wide.

Come and join me as I visit with Andy Lang, owner and head distiller at Leatherwood Distillery in Pleasant View Tennessee. Andy is a retired 26 year Army veteran and a Special Forces Green Beret that tells us about making moonshine in the mountains of Afghanistan and how he once made wine out of a MRE while overseas. While sitting across the table Andy also talks about the very fine hand crafted rums, bourbons, rye whiskey and moonshines he makes there at Leatherwood Distillery. I also go on a behind the scenes tour of the distillery and as a bonus I get to sit down and have a conversation with Masoud Rezai who was an Interpreter for the Army Special Forces in Afghanistan. It was truely an honor to have the opportunity to do an episode on Andy, Masoud and the Leatherwood Distillery.

RM Brooks General Store in Rugby TN was built in the 1920's and is a beautiful example of old time general stores that was once plentiful across our country. Fourth generation owner/operator Tiffany Terry was kind enough to sit down with me in her store and tell us all about the history and day to day happenings at RM Brooks. Tiffany also talks about her award winning fried bologna sandwiches as well as her hamburgers and how she came about the recipe for her awesome fried pies.

RM Brooks General Store in Rugby TN was built in the 1920's and is a beautiful example of old time general stores that was once plentiful across our country. Fourth generation owner/operator Tiffany Terry was kind enough to take a seat in her store and tell us all about the history and the day to day happenings at RM Brooks. Tiffany also talks about her award winning fried bologna sandwiches and hamburgers as well as how she came about the recipe for her awesome fried pies.

Come listen in as I talk with some of the best giant pumpkin growers in the country as there competing at the Great Pumpkin Festival and Weigh Off in Allardt TN. Find out if this is the year one of these Giant Vegetable growers sets a new state or world record for the largest pumpkin or vegetable!

In this episode of Faces To Places find out how an old pocket knife was used as a guide through life and how a very talented young man went about the process of learning the art of bladesmithing while preserving pieces of American industrial history.

Zach Parker is a second generation owner and pitmaster at B.E. Scott's in Lexington, Tennessee. Zach shares his knowledge of cooking old time, whole hog bbq and we find out what his day is like running one of the best whole hog bbq restaurants in the south. Also in this episode Zach tells us how cooking whole hog bbq took he and his family to another country!

Find out how a summers night of homemade ice cream under a shade tree in our front yard turned into an annual event enjoyed by friends, neighbors and families.