I have to say, October made me feel so good I didn't realize it ended. I still feel good.
A few circles were closed in good ways. So I'm going to make like a mirror and reflect.
The Russell Fork Rendezvous's return was just the capper on a month full of great things to do in and around Elkhorn. The whitewater community weren't the only ones happy to be in town. The ElktoberFest and other events were blessed with great weather and enthusiastic crowds. Kayakers, bikers and ATV riders filled restaurants every weekend.
These things don't happen without city hall working to grow economic opportunity. All months can't be October, but four or five more can. Hats off to the Epling family for the good work on Carson Island to get ready for the horde of boaters and to everyone who contributed to the many good things happening in Elkhorn last month.
In such a beautiful month, kind of ironic the most consequential event of the month was on the only rainy day. For the home team, the biggest thing in October was the opening of the new 460. For my family, it's a big circle closing.
In late 1966, my grandfather bought a large parcel of land on the side of Pine Mountain just outside Elkhorn for a limestone quarry. It would provide the base materials for the new highway 460. Because my dad would be in charge, he was sent from Georgia in early spring to get the business going.
In summer of '67, my dad moved my mom, brother and I to Elkhorn City. I was starting the 4th grade in my 4th new school. It was the sixth different place I'd lived and I was 8. I remember asking my dad how long we'd be there.
He said, "Son, at least until there's a 4 lane to Elkhorn City. That might take 10 years."
For those of you without a calculator, that was 58 years ago. Kentucky elected its first Republican governor in nearly a century in 1967, Louie Nunn. His administration, around 1970, moved the Pikeville to Elkhorn part of the project from the 5 year plan to the circular file plan. My grandfather sold Elkhorn Stone in 1975.
Now my family had nothing to do with that beautiful new 4 lane from Pikeville to Elkhorn, so don't misunderstand. Besides the politicians who get the money, the credit for shepherding that road from design to completion is my old Sunday School classmate. Thanks for closing that big circle John Michael!
A smaller circle hasn't closed but it looks like it's getting there. In my wackamole journey with cancer, October was a good month. The thing you want to read on a Petscan report is nothing there.
I didn't read that. My latest pet scan said nothing NEW there, which frankly is the second best thing you can read. Especially when you haven't seen those words in your previous reports.
Seems like there's a lot more to be happy about October, but turns out election day is in November. But like I said before, I still feel good.