I wish I hadn’t been driving and had my camera out when Thomas saw the population sign for Loyall. Absolute pricelessness. He saw the sign, and I slowed down so he could read it, “Pop-yoo-lay-shun…Am I reading that right?” — look of abject horror on his face — “766?!” Yes, honey, you’re reading it right. “Are you sure?” Yes, honey. During the last census, it was my job to map and collect addresses in Loyall. “Oh. It’s right then.”
I don't envy the census takers.
I was just an "address collector" and mapper. I get a kick out of looking at current maps of Harlan County and thinking, "It looks that way because I helped make sure it looks that way." The job was fun. :) I love stuff like that.