One of the things we Kentuckians are most proud of is celebrated in the slideshow above – our beautiful horses.  Enjoy the beauty of  an adorable colt at the beginning of the slideshow, followed by horses grazing on beautiful horse farms from Frankfort Pike and Paris, Kentucky.  Then the slideshow moves on to the greatest horse race in the world, The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs!  Finally, we appropriately end on a statue of the legendary Man O’ War, born at the Nursery Stud in Lexington, Kentucky, shortly before midnight on March 29, 1917.

Maybe the little beauty at the start of the slideshow is dreaming of becoming the next great legend!

The gorgeous, gorgeous pictures used in this slideshow are courtesy of Kentucky Tourism.com.

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I just added a new category here on Genuine Kentucky: Downtown Kentucky.  What can I say?  I’ve fallen head over heels in love with downtowns!

Downtowns are like comfort food, warm blankets, It’s a Wonderful Life, and coffee in your favorite mug.  They’re a beautiful reminder of a simpler time. When grandparents strolled along, hand in hand, with their grandchildren, headed for the best ice cream cone in town.  When young ladies stared into store windows picturing themselves in the bridal gowns on display.  Where boys, of all ages, steamed up the glass of toy store windows!

When I visit a great downtown, I feel like Natalie Wood’s character in Miracle on 34th Street as she watched the Christmas parade – it’s complete rapture.

Our beautiful state of Kentucky features some remarkable downtowns and we plan to visit as many as possible.  We’ll provide pictures, reviews, videos, and all the information you’ll need.  We’ve added a few videos featuring downtown Paducah, Kentucky and I’m working on a video featuring Owensboro, Kentucky’s downtown – home sweet home.  One of the crown jewels of our downtown, The Executive Inn, no longer shines brightly.  It’s actually pretty sad to most of us, but make no mistake about it:  There’s still plenty to love in downtown Owensboro, Kentucky!

If you know of a special downtown in Kentucky or would like to recommend a specific  coffehouse, diner, shop, bakery, etc. that’s located downtown – please e-mail me at joisigers@aim.com.  I absolutely love getting e-mails from all of you and appreciate the information you share.

I look forward to you joining us as we go downtown!

* The beautiful guy at the top of the post is my buddy, a gorgeous Bison statue (Into the Wind) near downtown Owensboro, Kentucky.  The bison is one of my favorite animals, I think they are simply majestic and beautiful.  I actually collect stuffed bison and bison figurines.  As of now, the husband and our cats frown on the prospect of live bison in our yard.  Eh, party poopers.

*  The beauty below is Love Song.  This amazing work of art graces Second Street in Owensboro, Kentucky.  I drive out of my way when I’m in this area just to see Love Song – it’s just remarkable.  It’s not a bison, but it’s remarkalbe nonetheless.

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Grand Rivers, Kentucky has a lot going on in the upcoming weeks, so maybe we’d better take this one at a time.

KWW Labor Day Weekend Arts and Crafts Festival

When? September 5 (Saturday) through September 7 (Monday)
Where? Downtown Grand Rivers.
What? Handmade jewelry, furniture, baskets, quilts, pottery, lace, clothing, belts and wooden decorative items are featured along with stained glass designs, and paintings. Over 100 different artisan and craftsman booths.
Who? Call Kentucky’s Western Waterlands for more information at 270-928-4411.

Grand Rivers Southern Storytelling Event

When? September 11 (Saturday) and September 12 (Sunday)   7:00 pm
Where? Badgett Playhouse Theater – Grand Rivers, Kentucky
What? Michael Reno Harrel,Kim Weitkamp, and Mitch Capel will transport you to a simpler time when good old fashioned stories were the best kind of entertainment.  Truth be told, stories are still pretty hard to beat.

Get to know the storytellers better courtesy of the Grand Rivers, Kentucky newsletter:

Back for a second year by popular demand, Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer.

• Kim Weitkamp

A commanding presence, beautiful singing voice, impeccable comedic timing, and perfectly woven stories makes Kim a must see.

• Mitch Capel

Mitch Capel is a storyteller, recording artist, poet, actor and author who has been bringing stories to life and delighting audiences with his warmth, wit and compelling storytelling style since 1985.

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How could I not be wrapped up in President Abraham Lincoln – he was one of us!

The History Channel will launch a new series beginning Monday night,  Stealing Lincoln’s Body.

From their Website:

Before Lincoln finally came to rest in a steel-and-concrete-reinforced underground vault in Springfield, the president’s body was repeatedly exhumed and moved, his coffin frequently opened. In 1876, eleven years after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, a band of Chicago counterfeiters plotted to steal Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom. Their plan was to demand $200,000 and the release of the gang’s master engraver, who was in prison in Illinois. The Secret Service–recently formed to deal with the country’s ballooning counterfeiting problem–infiltrated the gang with an informer. It also set in motion a cringe-inducing chain of events in which a group of well-intentioned, self-appointed guardians took it upon themselves to protect Lincoln’s remains by any means necessary. This strange story of Lincoln at un-rest reveals how important this man was to so many, and our reluctance to let such a beloved and visionary leader go.

Mark your calendar, this should be interesting.

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Cat Playing with Goldenrod Photographic Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

I‘m one of those people who’s obsessed with all animals and birds: cats, polar bears, dogs, bison, moose, ducks, possum, raccoons, robins, hummingbirds, butterflies, dolphins, whales, stingrays, pelicans, herons, foxes, wolves…yep, love wolves.. etc. If it has fur and feathers, it melts my heart. A few without fur and feathers do the same – dolphins, whales, and stingrays get a pass to the heart even though they haven’t either.

So, this morning I was outside throwing bread crumbs and sunflower seeds to the birds and I started thinking about the birds (and butterflies) who are migrating south. I read a few days ago, in a column in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, about butterlies making their way to the warmer climates. The columnist (Tom Ford) wrote:

It seems the Lord has prepared for this trip by causing many plants to begin flowering at this time. We usually think of spring as the time flowers are most colorful, but stop and think for a moment. Have you noticed the robin egg blue that decorates many open fields? It is the flower known as mistflower (Eupatortium coelsestinum) Locally, it is better known simply as Ageratum.

An even more beautiful and useful flower is Kentucky’s state flower. Most schoolchildren know our floral symbol, but very few realize that within our state, 31 species may be found.

He, of course, was talking about goldenrod – and I had absolutely no idea that 31 species of goldenrod even existed. I love flowers and herbs almost as much as animals, and thought I’d done my homework, but I never knew there were that many.  I’ve always loved goldenrod.  When it covers a field, it looks just like a bright beautiful afghan or blanket spread out.

At any rate, I found that pretty fascinating, so I thought I’d round up a slew of other cool facts about our state symbols. After all, knowledge isn’t only “Power,” as they say – it’s fun!

Kentucky’s State Flower: The Goldenrod

• It’s hard to imagine that the Goldenrod wasn’t always our state flower, but before the goldenrod, there was bluegrass. 
•  The trumpet vine was assigned by the United States War Department as the official symbol for the Kentucky militia.
• The Goldenrod found a publicity team in 1921 in the form of the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs.  They argued that Goldenrod grew all over the state and that it was even put on the state flag in 1918.
• In the late 40s and early 50s the goldenrod’s distinction as state flower was threatened by the dogwood blossom and the redbud. The redbud was actually approved in the House but defeated in the Senate in 1953!
• Goldenrod does not cause hay fever.  Those of us who suffer from pollen allergies have ragweed to thank for that.
• Bees use the goldenrod’s nectar to make an autumn honey.

The Kentucky State Flag

• Our original state flag is preserved in Frankfort in the Kentucky History Museum.
• The Kentucky state flag is apparently longer than other state flags.

The Kentucky State Bird: Cardinal

• The Kentucky cardinal was officially selected as the state bird of Kentucky on February 26, 1926. This beautiful bird was given the honor because it is a Kentucky native.



• Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia have also named the cardinal as their state bird.  Kentucky was the first to do so (1926), followed by Illinois in 1929.
• The Cardinal is the most popular state bird (with 7 states), followed closely by the Western Meadowlark, with 6 states listing it as their state bird (Kansas, Oregon, North Dakota, Nebraska,  Montana, and Wyoming.)

State Song – My Old Kentucky Home

• “My Old Kentucky Home,” was written by Stephen Foster (words and music)

• It was adopted by the Kentucky Legislature as the Kentucky state song on March 19, 1928.

• In March, 1986, Representative Carl Hines (a Democrat from Louisville, who happened to be the only black member of the House, pointed out that the lyrics “convey connotations of racial descrimination that are not acceptable.”  He sponsored a bill that sought to change ‘Tis summer the darkies are gay to ‘Tis summer, the people are gay.”  The House, fortunately, passed the bill and our state song became one every Kentuckian can be proud of.

• My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown, Kentucky is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places you could ever hope to visit (the town also boasts a spectacular Golden Corral!).  If you’ve never attended the Stephen Foster Story, you should do that as soon as you possibly can.  As soon as I get my eyes and hands on their 2009 schedule, I’ll plaster it all over the website. The show runs in the summer months because it’s an outdoor production. I can’t say enough about the show they put on – the costumes, the singing, the dancing – it’s beyond gorgeous.

From Stephen Foster.com:

Breathtaking costumes, lively dance & the timeless music of America’s 1st great composer.

Nestled in My Old Kentucky Home State Park, where music fills the night air, go back in time to the 1850’s. Experience the sights and sounds of an era when America’s first great composer wrote timeless classics like “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Beautiful Dreamer” and “My Old Kentucky Home.”

We invite you and your family for an evening to remember outdoors on the grounds of the beautiful My Old Kentucky Home State Park, in our beautiful state-of-the-art amphitheatre.

A few more interesting State Symbols:
State Wild Animal Game Species – the gray squirrel
State Horse – Thoroughbred
State Fish – Kentucky Spotted Bass
State Rock – Kentucky Agate
State Music – Bluegrass Music
State Drink – Milk

Milk??? Not coffee? Are you serious? Kentucky, sigh, I don’t even know you anymore.

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Have you seen the newest issue of People Magazine on the stands? Angelina Jolie sort of jumps right out at you doesn’t she?! Then, too, there’s Nicole Richie looking more beautiful than ever with her adorable little girl, Harlow (she looks just like her daddy, Joel!).

Quite frankly, though, the real star is inside the magazine, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll be bigger than Nicole, Harlow, and Angelina put together. He’s Scotty, the adorable baby elephant at the Louisville Zoo – and he has a big beautiful picture and a write up. Whatcha got for that, Miss Jolie?!

“This is pretty exciting,” Louisville Zoo Elephant Area Supervisor Dave Campbell said. “We definitely think Scotty is a celebrity, and now the rest of the world will think so, too!”

Lousville Zoo’s Scotty the Elephant in People Magazine

Scotty is an 18 month old African elephant and he’s featured in a section about Zoo superstars. Click the picture above of Scotty and his lovely mother to read the article. They’re so cute!

Did You Know?

• The birth rate for an African elephant is 200-250 pounds!
• African elephants are the largest living land animal.
• Male African elephants can be agressive and often fight one another to the death.
• Ivory tusks are actually incisor teeth, which grow continuously.
• African elephants are Endangered  (I honestly didn’t realize that!)

The Did You Know’s are courtesy of Louisville Zoo’s website.  Click HERE to read more about this beautiful animal.

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To read more about the story and find all the links you’ll want to pur over, click HERE.

This calls for a UK sweatshirt AND a bit of a cockiness in our step. We’ve got those down, right?

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However, the race for the US Senate in Kentucky should be very interesting. Rember the early stages when no one gave Louisville’s Bruce Lunsford (Democrat) a snowball’s chance in Miami against Republican and Ky. household name Mitch McConnell?

Well, right about now, I’d say it’s a toss up. A brilliantly-crafted campaign by Mr. Lunsford coupled with the economy’s woes being plastered everywhere have given McConnell a black-eye. The economy is being a playground bully to all Republicans right now.

I think it’ll probably affect most voters. I believe that most people will buy enough of what the media’s selling to stand before their ballots and think, “Change.” What do you think? I’m not saying it’s right or wrong – I’m just saying that I think the economy will decide this election.

Problem is, there have been several “forces” that have affected the economy and one can’t say with absolute certainty that things would have played out any better or worse if a Democrat had been in the White House. A Democrat WAS when the September 11 attacks were planned. I also believe that we would have had a war if there had been a Democrat in the White House – the public, at the time, was demanding it.

The devastating hurricanes would have also hit without asking who was in the White House.

I’m not saying I’ve agreed 100 percent with everything ANY politician has ever done – not even Ronald Reagan, who personally I wish were in charge now. I don’t agree with everything our candidates right now do or say. Quite honestly, I’m no longer 100 percent loyal to either party. I like candidates from each party, which has never happened before. But I have made my own choices and I will let my voice be heard, so to speak, on November 4.

I hope Kentucky has a stronger voter turn out than ever before. I think that would reflect beautifully on our state.

Today is actually the deadline for voter registration in the general election on November 4. All mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked by Oct. 6.

Voter Registration Cards can be obtained at www.vote.ky.gov/register. You can also check your registration at this website, to find where you need to vote.

You can also call the Kentucky State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100 for more information. This should be interesting!

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I doth love Starbucks.  If it’s a guilty pleasure, I hope to never be innocent.  In Owensboro, we have three Starbucks.  Apparently the corporation realized where their #1 fan lived and decided to throw me a little love.  When we first moved to Owensboro, years ago, we didn’t even have one Starbucks (horrors!).  But soon after, they opened a Starbucks Coffee Shop/Store on Frederica Street.  Rain, sleet, hail, snow, heat waves – nothing got between me and that Starbucks.

Apparently the gurus of the coffee world appreciated my efforts, because a few years later, they opened one in my favorite grocery store.  Oh, yeah, I can grab a cup of sunshine on my way to my vehicle with my groceries – lovely.  Soon after, they opened on inside my favorite department store – the big, beautiful Target on Frederica.

It was in this particular Starbucks that I recently tried one of Starbucks newest wonders recently, The Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Delicious!!!  I ordered a cup of their regular hot chocolate and the sweetheart of a girl working behind the counter asked if I’d ever tried the new Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.  I told her I hadn’t, but that it sounded interesting.   When she called my order and I went to the counter, she handed me my hot chocolate and a big, beautiful sample of the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.

I thought it was very sweet of her to fix me a sample – she didn’t have anything to gain whatsoever by doing so.  This Starbucks doesn’t even have a tip jar on the counter.  She just went the extra mile for someone and I was impressed.  Her thoughtfulness was almost as lovely as her smile, which she never took off.

I’ve noticed something about the Starbucks in Target – every single worker is ridiculously friendly.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re the same way in the Kroger Starbucks, it’s just not quite as obvious.  I mean, there’s just something about the workers at the Starbucks in Target.  Workers often are a reflection of the person who hires them or manages them.  Apparently, a really cool person heads the Target Starbucks because each worker is someone special and makes you feel like you’re one of their family members who they are always delighted to see.

Most of the workers in the Kroger Starbucks are the same way.  There are a couple of young boys who are so sweet and friendly at that one that I wish I had more daughters to introduce them to! (The 3 I have all have boyfriends that I love to death.)  A couple of my favorite workers at this one (two young girls) recently went MIA.  I think they went away to college.  I miss their pretty faces.

Below are a few Starbucks locations in Kentucky:
Owensboro – I just gave them to you – and they’re all fabulous, but if you’re looking for the friendliest workers, go to Target or Kroger. To be fair, I don’t go to the main one very often. They’ve changed workers entirely. The first, second, and third crews they had were just like the ones in Target – so friendly you didn’t want to leave. Then, I dunno… I think maybe Oscar the Grouch started training the new crew – at least a few.

Paducah – Kentucky Oaks Mall and Lourdes Hospital (Now there’s a great idea. Coffee heals, you know. True story.)

Hopkinsville – US 41 & Clinic

Fort Campbell – Indiana Avenue

Danville – Danville Bypass

London – I-75 & 192 Bypass

Lexington – Boston & Man O` War, Fayette Mall, Nicholasville & New Circle, Winchester and I-75, Richmond Road, University of Kentucky – OVIDS Libr, Kroger -Beaumont Center Cir, Ashland High, U of KY/Lexington – Common`s Market, Virginia & Broadway, U of KY/Lexington – Clinic, Triangle Center, Versailles & Parkers Mill

Louisville – Louisville has 13 Starbucks locations! (Someone remind me again why I don’t live in Louisville.) – so if you find yourself in Louisville and have a strong urge for Starbucks, just turn around.

For other locations, use Starbucks Store Locator. I’d list more but I just thought of something I need from Target.

Read my review of the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate on my Recipe Blog.

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