Leaping Lizards!! Hold the ladder steady. -- Sec. of State Cathy Cox says 72% to vote. Wow!!

Apparently I missed it yesterday, but I just read online that Secretary of State Cathy Cox predicted yesterday that 72 percent turnout of Georgia voters -- just over 3 million people. This rivals the 1992 turnout.

I did see that morning that Galloway and Company in PI reviewed early "voting numbers for 80 of Georgia's 159 counties. Of those, 17 counties — like DeKalb — have already exceeded a week's worth of votes cast in July."

"So we have a surge on our hands," the PI said, and so it would certainly seem.

Continuing, the PI noted: "So far, it appears that rural Georgia — with a few notable exceptions — is sticking with Nov. 2. In raw numbers, metro Atlanta is where the advance votes are."

Being personally acquainted with Mr. Galloway as I am proud to be able to say I am, I can assure you he was in Jack Webb mode when reporting the facts ma'am, just the facts about rural Georgia. I can assure you there was nary a suggestion that we might just be, well, let's just say provincial in rural Georgia, yeah, that will work.

I have never missed a vote, and living in God's country as I am glad I do, I don't have to worry about long lines. And even if there is a bit of a wait, there is always good conversation to be had with your friends rather than standing next to someone you've never seen with a Yankee -- or even worse, Brooklyn -- accent, or yet even worse, having to look at someone with nose rings or nose balls or whatever they are who thinks you are weird for not being with it.

I sort of feel about voting on Nov. 2 as a farmer client once told me about "the" Bible.

"Son," he asked, "what's yo preface on the good Book?"

I started to say that I didn't rightly know, but knowing what he meant, I politely said, "Do you mean do I prefer the King James or the Revised Standard Version?"

"That's right son, what's yo preface."

"Well Sir," I replied, "I have always been a King James man myself."

"Proud of you boy; me too," he said, "I likes it just the way the good Lord wrote himself."

By this time Mr. Galloway is thinking . . . . How did Cottingham get from there -- my comment on rural Georgia -- to here. Hum, maybe Cottingham is being a bit defensive. As Hamlet's guilt-ridden mother put it, I think he "doth protest too much."

I love it.

Is this a great country or what!!