Welcome to Kentucky

As I set up camp tonight in Shelbysville KY, I was approached by a young man out riding his motorbike. He stared at our license plates and asked “Y'all from Oregon?” I answered yes, and that we were a long way from home. He pointed to the house down the road and let me know he lived "over yonder” and then wondered “So, did you hear that us people from Kentucky don’t wear no shoes and stuff?” I told him we have been traveling all over the country and that people are just people and we don’t pay much mind to what other people say about them. “Uh-huh, I ain’t never been outside of Kentucky” he mumbled hanging his head down ever so slightly. “They’s hickory nuts in them trees next to your trailer if you wan’ em, and we go fishing down in the lake most every day. Not today though, I got band practice, I’m learning to play guitar” “Good for you, keep it up” I encouraged him.

“My name’s John by the way” I offered. “Ronnie” he said and looked back toward his house where a pickup truck was pulling in as the sun settled over the lake behind us. “That’s my Pa, I gotta’ go. How long you gonna be here?” he asked. “Until Friday, see ya around?” “Yea, see ya” he said as he kicked over the reluctant motor on his bike and searched for first gear. “Can’t never find first” he complained and drove off down the road. I suspect I might see a little more of Ronnie over the next few days. Maybe he will take me fishing, and maybe I can teach him about solar power.