You can get to Booneville from here, it’s coming back that can be difficult
As a guy known in some circles as “The Kentucky Traveler,” I regret that last Friday evening was my first time ever to be in Owsley County.
The purpose was to cover games between our boys and girls basketball teams and the Owsley Owls. Just being there was a real hoot for me.
I love rural communities and country folks, which I come by naturally because of how I was raised and where.
They say Owsley is the third poorest county in America, but after my brief time there, you’d have trouble convincing me that’s true.
Folks over there may not have a lot of money, but they sure seem to make up for it in friendliness, love of their community, and of each other.
When the band struck up the national anthem and the announcer asked everyone to turn and face the flag, the air was thick with respect.
There may have been a few people who didn’t place their hand over their hearts, but it was danged few.
The place was packed due to this being homecoming and senior night, and everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats to see which girl was going to be chosen queen, and offer up meaningful applause as each honor was handed out.
Fords and Chevys, a good many with old George Bush for president stickers attached to the bumpers, lined the parking lots.
You should have seen me out back at halftime, trying to scrap the Obama-Biden banner off the bumper of my old Nissan. Just kidding, sorta.
After hearing some of our fans saying the popcorn sold there was the best around, I joined the long line at the concession stand, introducing myself to the young man in front of me.
Said he was a life-long resident, and confirmed the popcorn “can’t be beat, if you like a ton of salt.”
Also said he is a nurse practitioner.
Interesting.
Needing to get back to I-75 after the game, and not too excited about traveling a roadway that was apparently designed by looking at a super model’s body, I asked a young police officer, also a native, how to go about getting to Richmond.
Took him a full 30 seconds to “think on it,” before saying….”You can’t get to Richmond from here.”
I thought he was kidding……but he didn’t smile.
Finally, he said going back through Irvine was the best route to Richmond.
So, I asked him the best way to do that, since I was here for the first time and hadn’t been paying a lot of attention when I pulled into Booneville.
Maybe he didn’t say it would be necessary to circle the courthouse twice, but it sure sounded like it.
So, just to be safe, I did.
I can’t wait to get back over there in daylight, search out some sort of Estill County connection and write a feature story for the Citizen Voice & Times.
Now that I know how to get out of town.