The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

News show reported only bad things in mountains

Southern Ohio



Hello again, everyone! Brrr! It is still cold in the Ohio Valley area! I hope everyone had a happy Valentine’s Day!

As far as myself it was a quiet one. We decided to stay home and watch a video my daughter, Kay Gray, gave me for Christmas. ‘Mama Mia’ is a very delightful movie. Kay saw it at the cinema, but I am too stingy to pay the price for a movie.

There’s a video I have been looking for called ‘Next Of Kin’ with Patrick Swayze. It is an older movie and was produced somewhere in eastern Kentucky. If some of you readers have this movie and would like to share it, I would sure enjoy it.

I finally had the pleasure of seeing the complete movie of ‘Fire Down Below,’ which was partly filmed on Ingrams Creek in Letcher County and surrounding areas. I have driven past the house many times while going to visit my brother Richie and Wanda Hall.

How many watched the documentary with Diane Sawyer on ABC Television? I have three people to thank for calling me to make sure I knew it was being shown. Richie called me, Betty Kelly from Franklin told me about it, and my daughter, Angie Wiederhold, called me from her job.

My little sidekick Bennie decided I wasn’t going to watch as he kept running around repeatedly saying, “Bob the Builder.”

I finally settled down to watch “Children of the Mountains”. I would really like to know why is it that everything is always featured in a bad sort of way about people in eastern Kentucky.

Why doesn’t a news reporter do a segment on someone who has struggled to survive, who hasn’t fallen in the depths of mire of drug abuse, nor booze, and include the beautiful mountains? Why is always something bad?

The small children had so many bad teeth. This was heartbreaking, and they said it was from the little ones drinking Mountain Dew. If this is such a poverty ridden place, where do the people get the money for all the Mountain Dew?

I have been away from eastern Kentucky close to 48 years, yet still the love of the mountains is fresh in my heart, probably more so today than when I left there. When you are young you don’t value things as much as when you are older!

The lessons I learned from watching our mother, Ora Hall, and grandma, Rosa Hall, have stayed with me all my life.

I listen to the news about people being without electricity for so long, and I dare say they will be telling their stories for a long time. How have they survived? It was hard for a few days during the summer when I was out of electricity for a few days.

Emma Engle, I am so thankful to have a friend like you. However, girl, we have seen enough of that beautiful white stuff for this year. I am really looking forward to seeing a tad bit of green in the trees and grass as all my

green is slowly slipping away from me. DIRECTV

I had propane gas delivered once again. When that big truck comes a’rolling in, it is not called ‘buy now pay later.’ It is cash on the barrel head. I really gave some consideration to trying to get through the next two months with electric heaters, but decided against it. I know I wouldn’t be able to stand the cold.

A late happy birthday to a friend of mine who celebrated a birthday Feb. 12. May you have many more.

I am enjoying listening to Big Willard Hall on WMMT. He is playing a song that I used to sing as a child called ‘Death of Cathy Fiscus.’ This is so strange; I can still recall Mommy singing this and I was only four years old.

I talked to Ann Calihan and everyone is getting along all right in her family. Ann’s eye is healing well from the cataract that she had removed.

Shirley Wells had her grandson come visit her overnight and they are planning fishing trips as quick as the weather turns warm.

I talked to Willa Mae Boggs, and she said Carl had to go to Lexington for some heart problems. He is doing fine. I am really glad to hear that. Carl, when I come back to the mountains Willa Mae invited me to stay overnight so you better catch up on your sleep as we might keep you awake all night talking. I am sorry to hear that Carl Boggs has a brother who isn’t doing too well.

Gwen Huff Farmer is finally getting out a little after being cooped up in the house from the cold weather, ice and snow!

Vickie Power and I took a ride down through Indiana and of course we had Bennie with us. Vickie had never been past Aurora and she enjoyed the drive.

Hello to Oma, Emma, and

Gladys who write for The

Eagle. I really enjoy your columns. Relon Hampton, you hang in there. You probably don’t remember me, I am Boyd and Charles Barton’s niece, and my grandmother, Betty Barton, lived in Woodrock, which is in Blackey. Relon, I really like your column as it brings back a lot of memories. I knew your brother, Lutrell Hampton, when we were kids.

I received a phone call from a woman from Johnson Fork in Premium, Juanita Hensley, who says she enjoys my column very much. Juanita is a cousin to Betty Bryant and half of Johnson Fork.

Juanita says every fourth Sunday in June there’s a family reunion for Caudills, Bryants and lots more at the cemetery in the head of Johnson Fork. This has been going on for over 100 years. I will mention this later this spring when it draws closer.

Well, my little sidekick Bennie is wanting my attention so I guess I will get this traveling on its way.

“Life is a journey: roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.”

Until next time: Rose Ballard, 9110 Lawrenceburg Road, Harrison, Ohio 45030, email: Bluegrassmama4 @aol.com, (513) 367-4682.


Leave a Reply