Top 10 Reasons I LOVE KENTUCKY

1. Spring arrives in March--just as predicted by the calendar.

2. People are polite enough to take social hints, and never make you say something out loud that would make anyone uncomfortable.

3. Food tastes good (country ham, biscuits, cornbread, bacon in the green beans...)

4. Trees!!! (Big, leafy ones like oaks, walnuts, elms, poplars, dogwoods...)

5. One beautiful rolling hill after another of emerald green.

6. People acknowledge your existence by giving you a nod, smile, and hello in passing, even if they've never seen you before and never will again.

7. Winter lasts 3 months (just as specified by the calendar.)

8. Old historic things are truly old and historic (more than 150 years.)

9. Flowers!!! And a long enough growing season to enjoy them. (Daffodils, irises, tulips, then Indian paintbrushes, roses, marigolds, geraniums, mums...)

10. It's where I come from--It's home. :)

Now, for your education and/or enjoyment: Kentucky's state song performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band, which is really quite lovely:

My Old Kentucky Home by Stephen Foster, 1850
(Windows Media Player file)
The Lyrics:

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom
While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright;
By'n by hard times comes a knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, Good-night!

Weep no more my lady.
Oh! Weep no more today!
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home
For the old Kentucky home, far away