| General Fiction posted September 2, 2020 | Chapters: |
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Blue Grass
A chapter in the book Attack of the Fifty States
Attack of the 50 States:Kentucky
by Bill Schott
I spent some time in Kentucky a few years back when I was best man at a fellow Devil Dog's wedding. My friend, Hank, invited me to his parents house in Covington, a stone's throw away from the Ohio River to the north, and a river width away from Cincinnati, Ohio.
We were the only Jarheads there, but, as I recall, there were local reservists and recruiters from nearby who wore their uniforms and formed a sword bridge (some call it a tunnel, and others, a gauntlet) for the couple to march away under. As the final arch, I did manage to swat the newly betrothed Mrs. Arnett on her derriere with my NCO sword as they passed, to welcome her to the Corps. Everyone enjoyed that, though I believe she had mixed feelings. Good times.
This Blue Grass State is also known for horse racing. The first leg of the Triple Crown of Horse Racing is run at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The other two, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, are run in Maryland and New York, respectively.
Blue Grass, by the way, is a type of grass that grows thick and tall. It's plentiful in the South. Blue Grass music is a popular banjo and fiddle grouping which is very popular in the states, especially below the Mason-Dixon line. I might note that the "Dueling Banjos" scene from the film Deliverance, would be an example of this genre.
Bourbon is distilled only in America and is stored in new, charred oaken barrels. It's roots are traced back to Scottish still runners in Kentucky, in the colonial days. Jim Beam is considered the biggest producer of this type of whiskey in the world.
Moonshine is STILL popular here, and the source of many a wild tale of rum-runners, revenuers, and rehab. It's an un-taxed, illegal, and practically pure alcohol. Many have literally gone blind drinking it. Everclear is a brand of legal moonshine that is sold in package stores. It is 190 proof.
Kentucky is one of the largest producers of coal in the United States. Eighty-six percent of their coal goes to in-state electrical power plants, and much of it is shipped abroad. Recent energy source concerns, including clean, renewable methods, have led to mine closures.
Mammoth Cave National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It has the longest cave system in the world. There are a thousand miles of extended caves, with more than half still unexplored. Mammoth Cave itself is accessible and both guided and self-paced tours explore it daily.
Tobacco is still a big cash crop in the southeastern states, but Kentucky is limited to fire-cured products like snuff and chewing tobacco.
Aristocratic Kentuckians are sometimes given the ceremonial title of Colonel. Somewhat like a knighthood, the title is an indication of an individual's contributions to the state. Probably the most famous one I can think of is Colonel Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. He's long gone, but KFC lives on.
Daniel Boone lived in Kentucky, founding Boonesboro. As a pioneering explorer, he discovered the Cumberland Gap, which became a key passageway through the Appalachian Mountains.
Before I wander out of Kentucky and end up in Louisiana, via the Fanstory Gap, I want to apologize to any Kentuckians, or others who feel I have given short shrift to the state. I promise that I have under-investigated all states equally, and that nothing has been taken seriously.
I spent some time in Kentucky a few years back when I was best man at a fellow Devil Dog's wedding. My friend, Hank, invited me to his parents house in Covington, a stone's throw away from the Ohio River to the north, and a river width away from Cincinnati, Ohio.
We were the only Jarheads there, but, as I recall, there were local reservists and recruiters from nearby who wore their uniforms and formed a sword bridge (some call it a tunnel, and others, a gauntlet) for the couple to march away under. As the final arch, I did manage to swat the newly betrothed Mrs. Arnett on her derriere with my NCO sword as they passed, to welcome her to the Corps. Everyone enjoyed that, though I believe she had mixed feelings. Good times.
This Blue Grass State is also known for horse racing. The first leg of the Triple Crown of Horse Racing is run at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The other two, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, are run in Maryland and New York, respectively.
Blue Grass, by the way, is a type of grass that grows thick and tall. It's plentiful in the South. Blue Grass music is a popular banjo and fiddle grouping which is very popular in the states, especially below the Mason-Dixon line. I might note that the "Dueling Banjos" scene from the film Deliverance, would be an example of this genre.
Bourbon is distilled only in America and is stored in new, charred oaken barrels. It's roots are traced back to Scottish still runners in Kentucky, in the colonial days. Jim Beam is considered the biggest producer of this type of whiskey in the world.
Moonshine is STILL popular here, and the source of many a wild tale of rum-runners, revenuers, and rehab. It's an un-taxed, illegal, and practically pure alcohol. Many have literally gone blind drinking it. Everclear is a brand of legal moonshine that is sold in package stores. It is 190 proof.
Kentucky is one of the largest producers of coal in the United States. Eighty-six percent of their coal goes to in-state electrical power plants, and much of it is shipped abroad. Recent energy source concerns, including clean, renewable methods, have led to mine closures.
Mammoth Cave National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It has the longest cave system in the world. There are a thousand miles of extended caves, with more than half still unexplored. Mammoth Cave itself is accessible and both guided and self-paced tours explore it daily.
Tobacco is still a big cash crop in the southeastern states, but Kentucky is limited to fire-cured products like snuff and chewing tobacco.
Aristocratic Kentuckians are sometimes given the ceremonial title of Colonel. Somewhat like a knighthood, the title is an indication of an individual's contributions to the state. Probably the most famous one I can think of is Colonel Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. He's long gone, but KFC lives on.
Daniel Boone lived in Kentucky, founding Boonesboro. As a pioneering explorer, he discovered the Cumberland Gap, which became a key passageway through the Appalachian Mountains.
Before I wander out of Kentucky and end up in Louisiana, via the Fanstory Gap, I want to apologize to any Kentuckians, or others who feel I have given short shrift to the state. I promise that I have under-investigated all states equally, and that nothing has been taken seriously.
We were the only Jarheads there, but, as I recall, there were local reservists and recruiters from nearby who wore their uniforms and formed a sword bridge (some call it a tunnel, and others, a gauntlet) for the couple to march away under. As the final arch, I did manage to swat the newly betrothed Mrs. Arnett on her derriere with my NCO sword as they passed, to welcome her to the Corps. Everyone enjoyed that, though I believe she had mixed feelings. Good times.
This Blue Grass State is also known for horse racing. The first leg of the Triple Crown of Horse Racing is run at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The other two, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, are run in Maryland and New York, respectively.
Blue Grass, by the way, is a type of grass that grows thick and tall. It's plentiful in the South. Blue Grass music is a popular banjo and fiddle grouping which is very popular in the states, especially below the Mason-Dixon line. I might note that the "Dueling Banjos" scene from the film Deliverance, would be an example of this genre.
Bourbon is distilled only in America and is stored in new, charred oaken barrels. It's roots are traced back to Scottish still runners in Kentucky, in the colonial days. Jim Beam is considered the biggest producer of this type of whiskey in the world.
Moonshine is STILL popular here, and the source of many a wild tale of rum-runners, revenuers, and rehab. It's an un-taxed, illegal, and practically pure alcohol. Many have literally gone blind drinking it. Everclear is a brand of legal moonshine that is sold in package stores. It is 190 proof.
Kentucky is one of the largest producers of coal in the United States. Eighty-six percent of their coal goes to in-state electrical power plants, and much of it is shipped abroad. Recent energy source concerns, including clean, renewable methods, have led to mine closures.
Mammoth Cave National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It has the longest cave system in the world. There are a thousand miles of extended caves, with more than half still unexplored. Mammoth Cave itself is accessible and both guided and self-paced tours explore it daily.
Tobacco is still a big cash crop in the southeastern states, but Kentucky is limited to fire-cured products like snuff and chewing tobacco.
Aristocratic Kentuckians are sometimes given the ceremonial title of Colonel. Somewhat like a knighthood, the title is an indication of an individual's contributions to the state. Probably the most famous one I can think of is Colonel Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. He's long gone, but KFC lives on.
Daniel Boone lived in Kentucky, founding Boonesboro. As a pioneering explorer, he discovered the Cumberland Gap, which became a key passageway through the Appalachian Mountains.
Before I wander out of Kentucky and end up in Louisiana, via the Fanstory Gap, I want to apologize to any Kentuckians, or others who feel I have given short shrift to the state. I promise that I have under-investigated all states equally, and that nothing has been taken seriously.
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