Well, chalk another city I’ve never been to off the map.  Welcome to the biggest city in Kentucky … Louisville.  Now, if you’re a Yankee like me … you pronounce it all wrong.  Looey-ville, bad.  Or as one native said to me, “It hurts my teeth when you say it like that … it’s LUL-VUL!”  Apparently, when you say the name of this city it has to be guttural and spoken in the back of your throat.  I’ve tried unsuccessfully to say it the correct way.  Each time I sound like I’ve just suffered a stroke.  But I’m determined to get it right before I leave.

The client we were working with wanted us to get shots of “local” flavor around the city.  There’s plenty of history … plenty to see and do.  Even though I have a freakish fear of horses, I somehow managed to stand firmly planted in front of Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is held.  About a week ago. Louisville suffered some massive flooding.  Half of the city was under water it seemed – thanks to a freak storm that hovered over the city for hours.  Churchill Downs was hit hard.  The Kentucky Derby Museum was submerged under three feet of water.  So when we visited today, there were about a dozen Emergency Restoration trucks pumping 150-degree dry heat in to the basement in an attempt to dry out the area.

Although situated in a Southern state, Louisville is influenced by Midwestern and Southern culture.  Who knew?  It’s commonly referred to as either the northernmost Southern city or the southernmost Northern city in the United State.  If the South ever decides to rise up again, it probably won’t start in Louisville.  (And don’t even THINK about calling it Lewis-ville either – people have been lynched for less.)

I’ve never understood the mystique about whiskey, but it’s in plentiful, bountiful supply down here.  And the Louisville Slugger is also handcrafted in the middle of the city.  I bought several of them just in case I need to beat a couple horses to death.  With so many horses in this KY, I’m constantly in a heightened state of alert … bordering on panic.

From what I can tell, Louisville has a lot going for it.  I can’t say I would live here, y’all.  But I’d sure come back from time to time.   Everyone is friendly, polite and considerate – providing I don’t butcher the name of the city.