"SKENNY CROSSING SULPHUR LICK"

-----(true story of a pair of Larue County Hawks)

Thinking about this "act of God" many of us are dealing with at the present moment, here in the good ole commonwealth of kentucky, I am taken back to a time in which i found myself rather hopeless, with car broke down, less than twenty dollars on me, and miles from home.
-----It was March the first 1997, and I'll never forget arriving into Bowling Green, on the fourlane, I think it was 231 scottsville road. Anyway, no sooner than passing a mall, maybe greentree mall, and heading into town, it broke down, just when a complete downpour began. On foot, I left the car, but took my priceless silver trumpet in its case, and a duffle bag, making my way downtown to the Barren River Bridge. By the time I reached the bridges, the two highway bridges were already partially submerged! And every street coming down from the College (WKU) was a mill race, as the town is laid atop bunch of steep hills (hence the hilltoppers). Given the obstacle of a furious white water torrent, carrying huge tree trunks over the 31-W, I saw that the L & N bridge was about ten feet above the floodwaters, so I made my way for the rusted Iron Span.
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After tiptoeing over the wooden ties, brown rage swirling beneath, and smelly spray splashing across periodically, but for the grace of God, I found myself delivered to the northern bank, and made a bee line for the corvette museum. A trucker was kind enough to take me from that exit at the I-65 up to the Sonora truck stop, inside my old home county of LaRue. Once I reached Sonora at hwy 84, I tried to call some friends up who might be able to get me home, as my family was trapped on all sides by flood water. The third person I called was an old close friend of mine and my best friend Bobby, named Jamie Curle. Despite the freak downpour of a rain, which was still absolutely coming down hard, he dropped what he was doing, and drove from Hodgenville all the way out to Sonora and picked me up. We then made our way together, in his SUV, across town and over to White CIty, turning off of 31-E and heading towards Marion County onto Highway 84.
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As soon as we descended deeply into the valley, when Howardstown bottom came into view, all of Nelson County was a lake, and the Rolling Fork was as wide as the Ohio above the falls. Between the two concrete bridges, near the Nelson County Line, the swelling river was overtopping the pavement nearly four inches deep, so much so we could hardly see the double yellow lines. But that would not nearly be the worst of it, and not even close. As it turns out, just past the mouth of New Gleanings Road, and just before reaching the Marion County Line, the highway dips very low across the Sulphur Lick Creek Bottom, and when Jamie and I reached that bridge, the high side walls were barely poking above, meaning the water had to be at least two feet deep.
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True to character, He stopped, prayed, and then drove on, with some speed but carefully. Halfway across, the waters began to push us sideways, but miraculously, we had enough momentum, thanks to his decision to back up and hit it at a decent speed, and we made it back to dry pavement. We immediately pulled over at the power-station by the New Hope Road crossroads, there at the Marion County line, in order to inspect his ride for any damage. The force of the water had actually bent the plastic skirt below the front bumper up and over in front of the bumper and grill, with leaves and branches hanging everywhere, and a mud line just below the bottom of all the windows! Well, across Marion we made our way without any further difficulty, and he dropped me off at our old apartment next to the Library in Leb'non, at 217 Main Street, and we said our goodbyes.
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What a friend, Jamie. Sadly, that would be the last time I ever saw him or spoke to him again, yet, how could I ever forget such a brilliant mind, talented athlete, beautiful person, and priceless friend that could always be counted on. Thinking of you Skenny! <3