The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Gardens and lawns receive much needed rain

Cowan Creek


It was good to see the rain last week. The gardens and lawns needed it.

Are you ready for that good hot weather now? I sure am. Sweet summertime, summertime. Got to love it.

Congratulations to all the kids that participated in the Letcher County Central archery team which finished in eighth place at the World Championship in Wisconsin.

I am so glad our young people have different choices to join in various sports. Back in the day we didn’t have the opportunities like soccer, golf or wrestling.

Young people need to stay focused this day and time or you will find out. Life passes by quickly!

Congratulations to Cassie Harris of Lexington for passing her finals. She is now a CNA. She is the daughter of Mike and Laura Harris of Lexington.

Prayers for the aunt of Frieda Boggs Johnson, Aunt Gipsy. She is very sick. Also prayers for Ella Preston, she is not doing too well.

July 2, Michael Campbell posted two more posts up, in which he crosses into Vermont and hit the 1600- mile marker. God bless our cousin as he is walking off the war. Keep him safe and out of harm’s way. Visit him at www.walkingoffthewar. blogspot.com. Donate if you can.

God bless our troops. The way the news is looking, God is coming soon.

I went fishing with a friend on Friday the 11th. He caught two small catfish and a baby soft-shell turtle. Guess what I caught? Weeds.

I ended up roasting the little Smokies (bait), and ate a few. Also had shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers.

The evening was so nice and when the big full moon came over the top of the mountain, I was a happy girl. Love hanging out with friends. Life is too short to sit in front of a TV. Dessert was Moon Pies.

Free puppies soon here on the creek. My daughter’s dog had five. Small breed. Help us out in about four weeks. She is hoping to find them a good home.

Sad to hear Goose Creek Symphony is not on tour this year. I guess the Goose is loose.

This article about Middle Cowan was written by Sue Banks:

“ I remember the first Middle Cowan School. It was made of wood. My mother went to that school. It lasted for many a year until a twister took it down to kindling wood when I was in the first or second grade.

“Then we got an army building, a Quonset hut. I may be spelling it wrong but you get the picture. It had long seats for the lower grades and a few single seats for the upper grades. In the summer you cooked and in the winter when the potbelly stove was heated up you steamed or broiled. Every seat was pushed to the other end and crowded together so that you had to climb over each other to keep from roasting.

“That building lasted a very short few years due to three boys — others I’m sure of too, but three I know of — that brought it down, my brother Paul Flanary, my cousin Bob Kelly and my brother Glenn Flanary.

“All boys, even the teacher, carried pocketknives (that is probably the reason you can’t today). Each day these boys would take out a screw and by the end of the week a piece of paneling would be down when we came back on Monday.

“Needless to say, only a short few years this building stayed up.

“Then we got our new block building, one they couldn’t take apart. It lasted until the new consolidated school at Little Cowan was built.

“While our new block building was still new, the school board had us a ball court fixed and, oh, the fresh new dirt that was piled up really high just called our names at recess. Every girl except our cousin Berta Lou Kelly got spanked for sliding off so much it wore the ground down to where they started.

“I know I wore my cutoff jeans out on my behind so much you could see my underwear.

“I got another spanking when I got home. They had to redo the ball court.

“ Berta Lou Kelly was my personal hero. She had all the answers for a young girl who had just lost her mother.

“Our cousins, Serena Day, Smith Tom Day, Pryor Day, Charles Day, Berta Lou, Bob, Jr. and Baby Jerry Kelly, were more like our brothers and sisters than our cousins. We were all for one and one for all.

“I remember Serena and I could just look at each other and cry. The kids would pay us 5 cents just to sit opposite each other with a straight face and cry for no other reason than we could do it.

“All our good friends who went to school at Middle Cowan, please put it on your datebook for Oct. 4 at 10 am. at the Cowan Center for a fun day of stories, good food, and remembering those who aren’t with us anymore. We are losing too many friends and family. So let’s make this second reunion a good one again this year. Bring pictures, stories, a covered dish and drinks. Come early and stay late.

“We love you all!”

Until next time, peace be with you as old Charlie Gearheart would say!



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