476. Highways, One Hundred Days, Derby Days

Whenever I have nothing in particular to write about, and today is one of those days, I can usually rely on using the entry number as it relates to one of Kentucky's highway numbers.

Today, for entry number 476, I could mention KY476, a run of a highway of which part used to be part of KY80, Kentucky's state-crossing southern corridor, which probably more than any other state highway, has been rerouted here, rebuiilt there, and renumbered all over more than any other road.

KY476 gets its start in Perry and later ends Breathitt County, Kentucky. North Main Street in Hazard, headed north, leads KY476 out of Hazard, following along the side of the North Fork of the Kentucky River toward the intersection known as Darfork, shown in the picture at right which is copied from H. B. Elkins' website, www.millenniumhwy.net which is one of my favorites websites. All I can tell you about Darfork, is that I've driven across the bridge in the picture, and turned right onto 476, which would be south on North Main Street. But, turning the other way, 476 follows the creekbed and the railroad, as is the case in most eastern Kentucky towns, from one village to the next, the next one being at the Mouth of Lotts Creek. The next town in Bulan and a few miles later 476 comes to where the Engel Fork Road breaks off at Dwarf.

Past Dwarf the road meanders along side the river passing through severla small places in the road - Ary, Stacy, Hardshale, Clayhole, and Flintville, ending in the Breathitt County commnuity of Lost Creek, which is home to the Breathitt County Third District Magistate Jeff Noble, of no relation to my knowledge, although I did meet his mother on my way back from Hillbilly Days in 2007.

That's the long and short of KY476.

Another waymarker for today is the One Hundred Days mark of the administration of America's 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. Every media outlet (including those in the blogosphere) seems to marking it with their own grade. As a supporter and admirer of the president, I give him very high marks. I needn't go into why - I'll just say that I have been very pleased with the outcome of my vote and that is not the usual situation. I'm still in awe that he was elected and I think things will improve once we get past the Republican-created economic quagmire which won't be easy but will be done.

Finally, here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606, it is Kentucky Derby Week, marking the 135th running of America's oldest continuously ran sporting event, the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in South Louisville. As a note, the Kentucky Oaks could also hold that title. Not much gets accomplished this week, and that will likely include any more entries from me until Sunday.


This picture shows Churchill Downs, at center-right on the picture, on January 27, 1937, during the Great Flood of '37.

Happy Great Steamboat Race Day.
Happy Pegasus Parade Day.
Happy Kentucky Oaks Day.
Happy Kentucky Derby Day.