My Life on the Big Sandy River

My Life on the Big Sandy River

I remember a story that my grandfather used to tell me. We had a hump in our backyard, a rather large hump where we had a nice strawberry patch. Papaw would tell me that is where the elephant is buried. “Wait, we had an elephant?” I asked him. He said, “No, we had TWO elephants!” And naturally I believed it. When my dad and his brothers and sisters were little, they lived here on the same property where I live, which is on the banks of the Big Sandy. Boats used the Big Sandy to carry goods from the Ohio River to the people of eastern Kentucky. One day a boat came and the vendor had a piano for sale and boy did my Aunt Ethel dream of playing a piano. Naturally she cried and begged for that piano. So Papaw struck a deal; he would trade one of the elephants for the piano. Papaw’s voice would quiver when he would describe the sadness of loading that elephant onto that boat and the work necessary to hitch that piano to the remaining elephant and guide her up the riverbank. The other elephant did not fare so well after watching her mate floating away down the Big Sandy on a boat, so rather quickly she stopped eating and passed away. And the hump in the backyard where we planted strawberries every year was the elephant grave. Naive as I was, and still am, I believed that tall tale for years. But I do believe that Ethel’s piano was brought down the Big Sandy. That very piano is on display at The May House here in Prestonsburg.

So the Big Sandy River has figured quite large in my life, I’ve lived on it’s banks my whole life. I love to sit on the riverbank as the night turns to day and watch the light filter through the trees. The river gives me many opportunities to photograph the wildlife that survive on its banks.  The riverbank hums to life early in the morning. The birds rustle through the trees looking for breakfast. The woodpeckers begin the day with a laugh as they peck from tree to tree. Currently the Canadian geese are molting their feathers so they are flightless. I see large flotillas of them every day as they search for food for their young which are growing every day. The ghost of the river is the blue heron. Elusive birds, they are the hardest to photograph. They think nothing of silently lifting off and gliding on down river to a quieter place when they see me and my camera. A couple of new residents have eluded my camera; so far. There are wood ducks now on the river, and that is a new find for me. These guys are small, quick, beautiful ducks and so far I have been unsuccessful in photographing them; I’m still trying! A new family has also moved to the banks of the Big Sandy; a doe and her fawn. I’ve seen them a few times early in the morning when it’s still too dark to photograph them. We bought some deer corn and I’m hoping they will begin to trust me.

The river gets angry several times a year as heavy rains cause it to overflow it’s banks. I’ve sat many times and watched small items of people’s lives flow past. Basketballs and tires, dolls and doors have floated passed on the river and it makes me sad to think of a child upriver looking for her baby doll. The river can change from green and serene to brown and violent very quickly.

Rarely I might spy someone sail by in a john boat enjoying a relaxing day on the river fishing. Lately though life on the river is changing. People are finding that kayaking on the river is a challenging and rewarding new hobby. It’s now very common to see kayaks and canoes floating by like a colorful parade. The cities of Prestonsburg and Paintsville are even hosting a Paddlefest every month which offers everyone a chance to try this new exciting hobby. Vendors are even there to rent canoes and kayaks at affordable rates so you can try it out. What an exciting new venture for our area! We are learning to use our resources and inviting the world to come to Prestonsburg and play. It’s so beautiful to see ten or twenty colorful kayaks glide silently under the historic Prestonsburg bridge. It’s a sight that I look forward to every month.

Our river, Big Sandy River, northward flowing is a beautiful asset to our community. Historically Big Sandy allowed our community to grow and develop. Now we can use the river for recreation and we can enjoy it from its banks and in its waters. Take the time to view it for yourself!