Voice in the Mountains
Been my week to meet new friends and hear from others around the world. Talked with Dennis Jackson as I was outside enjoying the warm sun at Wal-Mart. He had on an Ohio State football jacket. We both think that Ohio State will beat Florida by 30 points. Dennis recognized me by my picture by my column in the Voice. Being raised in Breathitt County by the Deatons he now lives on Lakeside here in Jackson. You could tell the man had been in the service as he was a straight talking guy. I really enjoyed meeting him.
Terry Bradshaw gets on my nerves. I know he was the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers many years ago and won a couple Super Bowls, but still he should not be putting the Bengals down all the time. Take my word for it, the Bengals are going to the playoffs and the Super Bowl this year. Everyone seems to put them down and usually they have bad luck, but this is the year folks for the Bengals. Cannot say the same thing for Tubby Smith and the Kentucky Wildcats. I have a song Number One at http://soundclick.com/ohnapier with the name of “Tubby Is a Loser” My first song, Tubby Final Four or Hit the Door is coming true as I wrote that song months ago and it is fulfilling like a prophesy.
I felt so good last Sat. morning I about got run over in the Jackson Post office parking lot after looking at my mail. Yep it was that time of year again that I can get to talk to Jack Carper. I sure always just loved talking to that man until Browneyes saw him and now she takes care of the mail. Still this time I get to see Jack as my rent is due at the post office box. Seriously I love all the people at the Jackson Post office and they do a great job.
Boys it is getting a little cold as I saw the first snow flakes of the winter coming down on the hills and roads this Monday morning as I sat by my window waiting on Jackie Fletcher to come by. About time we had a little cold spell as really cold weather is a good thing to happen early as it will kill the flu germs and such. Never will forget my buddy Eugene Sebastian as he said we need a deep freeze to kill all the garden insects. He was really a great man and glad he was my teacher at Lees and also Breathitt County Superintendent while I was in High School. I think Arch Turner a homegrown man is doing a great job with our schools these days and want to tell him that. The best superintendents we ever had where from right here in Breathitt County as I could never figure out why a school board would want to bring in someone from not around here to do the job. Thanks Arch for the fine job you are doing.
I want to mention Calvin Saum for the way the Breathitt County roads are looking. He has done an extremely good job helping clean up Breathitt County. Calvin is the kind of man who has drive and has made a big difference in Breathitt County since he has been at his job. Hopefully this spring if my health allows, I am going to pitch in and help clean up the county and I hope many of my friends will do the same. Our biggest problem is our creek banks, but that is hard because as soon as we clean Troublesome Creek then what is upriver it is going to wash right back down into it. So folks let’s do our part to help.
Halloween is the greatest holiday of all especially for the kids. Don’t we all remember waiting on the night that we could go out in the neighborhood with our sacks and dressed up as ghosts to scare the people and get all that free candy. Some of us boys went a little too far with doing pranks, but I am glad to see these bad things are slowing down these days as Halloween is a time for kids and adults to share with one another. It is a great time to express love to all the children by spending a little money on them to buy candy.
Had me a good happy birthday on Oct. 23 as I turned 51 yrs old. Yes I am happy to be alive and in pretty good health for the things I have been through. Worst thing was staying in a coma when I was 20 yrs old for two weeks. This was when I hit a large truck with a big steel bumper in front of it as I met it head on as I was riding my motorcycle about 90 mph. The late Darrell Tolson (KSP) told me later that he sure thought I was dead as he come to the wreck. I don’t remember the accident but I remember waking up as I was being held in front of the mirror in the hospital room. I must have been startled out of it as I sure was scary looking as most of my body had been burned from sliding up the highway. Only thing saved me was at the impact it throwed me over top the truck as I rolled up the highway 120 feet until I stopped. Yep that was sure a ride and the older I get the more my bones hurt but we all have had our own rides through live and just lucky to be here. So what I am saying is I made it to 51 and I climbed the hill and now rolling back down the other side. I think I can make to at least 90 and still be able to be in contacted with life.
Glad to hear our buddy Mike Clemon’s pet dog is ok. Been missing hearing him come to the back door wanting his hamburger. Always have loved animals myself as you all have read many stories about me and my dogs. I use to ride them around with me everywhere I went. Stayed many nights out in the cold as we even slept in our car together. Many people thought I was crazy but a big dog feels pretty warm in the winter especially if the car is low on gas and the heater ain’t working. I can almost say with it being true that sometimes my dog has saved my life.
Man I saw a good looking woman coming out of the Skill Center but I never got a chance to speak with her. I remember Laura Thomas when she worked at True Value. She sure is a good person. Jackson is full of great woman as I saw my buddy Mildred Rogers on the channel 9 tv station ands she sure is a friend. Jackson sure is a lot better looking these days with the new sidewalks, streets and these big new building. Even the bath rooms in the court house have them automatic flushers and I will always remember trying to make the first one I ever seen flushed and could not because I was standing right in front of of it. As soon as I moved it flushed itself and I thought that was a modern day miricle which it is.
It actually hurt me so bad in the Breathitt County Court House having to go in front of the judge and hearing what was said about me. I told Browneyes we were leaving this county. So I called up my buddy Beckham Ritchie and told him I would be down to see him the next day. I don’t think he believed me but the next day we took out. I mean just going to Winchester is not much of a trip, but for me it is. We had a good drive and drove for miles in the beautiful scenery in the backwoods of Winchester. We stayed all day and it felt great leaving Breathitt County if it was just for one day. I was going to take a lot of pictures of Beckham’s pond but I used up the batteries on all the hound dog pups he has. Sure was good to see Beckham and Hazel. Browneyes loved the trip and she loved the country settings as it was so quiet down there. I am beginning to feel Breathitt County ain’t the place for me anymore. Browneyes wants to go back to Indiana and I might just go with her. I will never understand why such things were said in this county about me. I mean people around here have known me all their life and I would like for one person to tell me what I ever done wrong to them. I am just sick of it. I quit drinking for one year and have been talked about worser than I ever was before. Most people in Breathitt County don’t want no one to do any better for themselves and I am living proof of that
