Packs of Cows

Life in Christian County, Kentucky...

I talked to my elderly neighbor on the telephone this afternoon. For Isaac's Eagle Scout project, the Boy Scouts will be cleaning the old cemetery where her grandparents are buried. The first workday will be next Saturday, and we were talking about where the Scouts might camp that night.

Ms. M. explained that it wouldn't be a good idea for them to camp on her farm. She's seen so many copperhead snakes there over the years that she's afraid someone might get bit, and her son who lives on the place says that the cows have started to run in packs. She doesn't know if they would attack anyone or not, but she doesn't want to take a chance.

When I hung up, I told Dennis that Ms. M. had cows on the farm now and that they were running in packs. He gave me a funny look and commented that usually groups of cows were called "herds", not "packs."

Later in the evening, I went over to Ms. M.'s house to get a package she had for me, and she wanted to talk some more about the Scouts' camp-out. She said it made her mad that the wildlife people had ever released those cows here -- and finally, I understood.

It's not cows that are running in packs on her farm. It's cowts! Coyotes, that is. (I'm relieved!)

Actually, Ms. M. was pronouncing the word as I do (kī'ōt') but with the accent of this area. I just wasn't listening carefully!

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Nearest Book Meme

Blogs and Blogging...

This is from Sarabeth's blog:

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!

(Quoted from I once was HP)

The nearest book for me was Roget's Thesaurus, and it has no sentences on page 123, so I've disqualified it.

The second nearest book was Huckleberry Finn. I'm not reading it, but I guess Isaac must be.

"I ain't undisposed. What's your line -- mainly?"

"Jour printer, by trade; do a little in patent medicines; theatre-actor -- tragedy, you know; take a turn at mesmerism and phrenology when there's a chance; teach singing; geography school for a change; sling a lecture, sometimes -- oh I do lots of things -- most anything that comes handy, so it ain't work. What's your lay?"

(Four sentences from page 123 of a paperback edition of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)

This was entertaining to do. What's your nearest book?

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Pennyrile Politics

Life in Christian County, KY...

All of the voters hereabouts are pretty fired up about the election next Tuesday. Campaign yard-signs are everywhere. A particularly complete set of Republican yard-signs can be seen on the front lawn of the Christian County Republican Party headquarters (above photo.)

Once upon a time not so very long ago, this county was completely Democrat, and most local races were settled in the primaries within a field of Democratic candidates. Within the 15 years that we've lived here, the Republican Party has made huge growth within the county, and in the current election, many races have both Republican and Democratic candidates. That's a good thing -- it encourages us not to get stuck in a rut!

As for Isaac, he gets a day off from school because some schools are used as polling places. Next year, he'll be old enough to vote.

The word "Pennyrile" in this post's heading is a localism. This area of Kentucky is known as the Pennyroyal region because the herb pennyroyal grows here in abundance.

In local dialect, pennyroyal was/is "pennyrile" and both forms of the word are seen and heard throughout the area. We have both the "Pennyrile Rural Electric" and the "Pennyroyal Area Museum" in Hopkinsville, as well as scores of other businesses, etc. that have some form of the p-word in their name.

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Hopkinsville Football Stadium

Life in Christian County, Kentucky... Life in The Upper South... More About Trees and Plants...

The Bradford pears around the high school sports fields in Hopkinsville are gorgeous in their fall color right now. This tree species is widely planted through the Upper South, due to its quick growth, attractive shape, long season in full leaf, and beautiful blossoms and color.

Unfortunately, the Bradford pear has a very short lifespan. Because its branches are spindly and weak with a dense distribution, they break easily in any weather event. (This is a weakness of most pears.) These trees are probably a decade or less in age, but they're at their prime. They'll be breaking up soon.

The football stadium was built about 1992, I think. This photo shows just the home side. There's a similar, but smaller, set of seats on the visitor's side.

Like many towns across the south, Hopkinsville greatly enjoys its high school football teams. When I first saw this stadium when we moved here, I thought its size was excessive. It looked big enough to be a college stadium. However, I have seen it filled to capacity during the annual match between Christian County's two high schools.

The stadium is used by both high schools. One high school plays at home each weekend, while the other high school goes on the road.

I'm still a little in awe that this is a high school stadium. In the county in northern Nebraska where I grew up, there was a set of wooden bleachers just big enough for our small high school band. The spectators sat on bales of hay or stood around the edge of the field. Actually, it was usually cold enough that moving up and down the field with the teams helped to prevent frostbite.

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Three Sisters

Life in Christian County, Kentucky... More About Trees and Plants...

Three sisters

These three trees have been growing side by side for a while. Perhaps they've been together fifty or a hundred years already. At first they existed separately, but now their height and breadth have increased and their branches and roots are intertwined. The trees have not grown as large or as evenly as they might have in isolation. The one in the middle has been most affected.

Human history has not touched these trees as they stand on their hill by the road. In their slow, simple lives, their sap ebbs and flows; the sun, rain, and soil feed them. Their leaves mature and and fall. Winter comes and spring follows. In some years they flourish, and in others they simply endure.

They have grown side by side long enough that they've become dependent upon their combined structure. While they are three, they are strong against the wind and weather, but if one falls, the others will be more vulnerable.

This phenomenon is seen when forested areas are cleared to build houses. When a few "lawn specimens" are left standing, those suddenly isolated trees are prone to weather damage. Their roots were torn and trampled when their mates were ripped away, and the branches and trunks that were strong in the group are not robust enough to stand alone.

"God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools." ~John Muir

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