Kentucky Life

Host Dave Shuffett visits the Farm House Inn, a McCreary County bed-and-breakfast with hiking trails, waterfalls, rock formations, and other natural wonders right on the property; the Beaver Dam Café in Ohio County; and the Ballard Wildlife Management Area, a stopover spot for eagles and huge flocks of migrating waterfowl.

Photographer Dean Hill of Morgan County, who left Kentucky to join the Peace Corps, toured Asia, spent time in Alaska, and eventually returned to his roots; a visit to the Sally Brown Nature Preserve with Jim Aldrich, director of the Kentucky chapter of the Nature Conservancy; and renowned Kentucky stained glass artist Guy Kemper from Woodford County and his international art.

Former students' memories of the Science Hill Female Academy in Shelby County, which closed in 1939 after 114 years of operation; Shelbyville artist Julie May's intricate works based on natural forms, created with the unusual process known as vitreography; and Apple Patch in Oldham County, a residential community founded by parents where their children with Down Syndrome can live and work safely.

A look at Kentucky's large population of dragonflies and damselflies, drum makers Chad and Carrie Schott of Calloway County, and a teenager from Campbellsville who sings a unique version of bluegrass reflecting her Filipino heritage.

Host Dave Shuffett tours Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and learns that there is much more to the Shakers than chairs and lemon pie. The Koenig Farm in Springfield turns out amazingly soft mohair yarns in rich colors. And the National Underground Railroad Museum in Maysville chronicles the lives of fugitive slaves seeking freedom.

The Nature Conservancy's Conservation Buyer program, which preserves unique natural areas through partnerships with local landowners; a whirlwind tour of General Butler State Resort Park; and legendary Western Kentucky University basketball coach "Uncle Ed" Diddle, known for both great coaching and a unique approach to the English language.

At the Lincoln Homestead Park in Springfield, a reenactment of the wedding of Abraham Lincoln's parents kicks off the three-year Lincoln Bicentennial celebration sponsored by the Kentucky Historical Society.

An exhibition of classic and antique cars in Elizabethtown; "retriever school" for Charlie at Lodi Kennels in Paducah; and an interview with singer-songwriter and Eastern Kentucky native Dwight Yoakam and his mother, Ruth.

The handmade goodies of Muth's Candy in downtown Louisville, plus stories from the generations of family members who have kept it operating; landscape poet and teacher Stephen Holt; and an annual basketmaking workshop put on by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service that draws artisans from all over the U.S.

A Bracken County family who started growing lavender to diversify their crops, art created by inmates at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, and the "Romance with the Landscape" exhibition of 19th-century French landscape paintings at the University of Kentucky Art Museum.

Host Dave Shuffett talks to Jerry Dalton, master distiller at Jim Beam, about the process of making bourbon; visits the family-owned Promotional Wood Products, which specializes in making advertising aids for distilleries; and introduces Kentucky Sassafras, a bluegrass band made up of teenagers—two of whom are the sons of PWP's founders.

Acclaimed woodcarver Troy Jones, whose pieces reflect nature and wildlife; Redwood, where children and adults with multiple or severe disabilities achieve greater independence; and husband-and-wife sculptors Erika Strecker and Tony Higdon of Lexington, who create art primarily from metal.

Classic quilt designs painted on barns throughout Eastern Kentucky and the equine-based therapy of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, where horses, medical personnel, and volunteers work to help people with disabilities achieve self-esteem, confidence, coordination, and a sense of achievement.

A Metcalfe County man participates in the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund to ensure that Dry Fork Gorge will stay protected. Dan Smith, a pastor in Hawesville, markets the tangy sauce he created to benefit Methodist children's homes. And the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen promotes traditional art forms around the state.

The highest point in Kentucky, Black Mountain is home to 28 species of plants, some of them found nowhere else. The Trixie Foundation has been rescuing and sheltering Appalachia's unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats for more than 15 years.

The Purple People Bridge in Northern Kentucky gives climbers a taste of adventure as well as great views of the area. Maki Takahashi carries on the traditions of Royal Thai fruit carving to create pieces of edible art. And Tennessee sculptor Russ Faxon captures his unique way of looking at the world in bronze.

Host Dave Shuffett canoes Murphy's Pond in Hickman County; tours the Clement Mineral Museum in Marion, which houses the largest and finest flourite collection in the world; and introduces 15-year-old Celtic harpist Deanna Tomlinson.

Scientists from the American Chestnut Foundation study a giant old chestnut in Adair County to learn how it survived the Asian blight that wiped out most members of its species. Teenage ballet star Will Geoghegan performs with the Kentucky Ballet Theatre and in national competitions, and Lexington photographer John Snell seeks out scenery and wildlife at the Red River Gorge.

Shape-note or Sacred Harp singing, a uniquely American tradition, brings communities together to sing four-part a cappella hymns and anthems. A look at some butterfly species of Kentucky includes the rare swamp metalmark, Baltimore checkerspot, Olympia marble, and Edwards hairstreak.

Director Mimi Pickering has been making documentaries at Appalshop, an arts organization in Whitesburg, since the early 1970s. The Regional Resource Center at the Bowling Green Community College of Western Kentucky University uses the popularity of the CSI shows to teach science to middle school kids, and the Lighthouse Restaurant in Sulphur Well serves up down-home comfort food.

The history of Berea College and a summer camp at Bowling Green Technical and Community College that teaches kids about cooking, cleaning, and nutrition.

Purple House Press in Cynthiana, which "rescues" out-of-print children's books; a reunion of the Carr Creek team that won the 1956 boys' state basketball championship; and the life of Louisville native Tod Browning, a pioneer of the horror movie genre who produced and directed the original Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and the cult classic Freaks.

Explores the story of the Harrodsburg Tankers, 66 men from Harrodsburg who joined the 192nd Tank Battalion and were sent to Bataan; German POW murals at Camp Breckinridge; and how a Pulaski County native became the model for Rosie the Riveter.

Host Dave Shuffett and author Roger Brucker retrace the path of Floyd Collins, who was trapped in an Edmonson County cave for two weeks in 1925 while people around the country followed the rescue efforts via newspapers and radio. Photographer John Stephen Hockensmith recalls his journey with Gypsies to a horse-trading fair, which resulted in his book Gypsy Horses and the Travelers' Way.

Dave visits Rough River state resort park and gets a tour from the park manager; silk artist and author Laverne Zabielski; Dovie's Restaurant in Tompkinsville has one-of-a-kind deep-fried hamburgers that have been made the same way since 1940; and more Paw Pals.

In Frankfort, host Dave Shuffett experiences the sights and sounds of Inauguration Day for Gov. Steve Beshear and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo and gets a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for the day-long festivities.

A fantastic Christmas light display at the home of Marion County's Paul Ruley; holiday music by the Heartland Dulcimer Club of Elizabethtown; and a tour of the Rosemary Clooney House in Augusta, home of the largest collection of White Christmas memorabilia in the world, led by curators Steve and Heather French Henry.