Thanksgiving High on the Blue Ridge

The plan for Thanksgiving 2019 was not a grand one. Our children and grandchildren would remain at their homes on either coast and we would connect via FaceTime. My brother and his family had graciously invited us to share Thanksgiving dinner with them and we made plans to do so. Then came the call…

It turned out that some dear friends decided that they wanted some company for Thanksgiving and invited us to share the holiday with them and another couple high on the Blue Ridge mountains near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The offer was too good to pass up. We enjoyed an early Thanksgiving with my Mom and my brother’s family, then packed up the next day and headed east.

We arrived late on Wednesday afternoon in time to capture the picture at the top of this page of the Linville Gorge just before sunset. The image is a good illustration of the “Blue” that colors the sky above the Blue Ridge Mountains. I lingered long in front of the view.

That same view offered a brilliant sunrise on Thanksgiving morning and held promise for a day of good weather.  Although the temperatures would hover in the high 30’s, rain was not in the forecast. Knowing that a large meal was ahead of us, we went light on breakfast to save some room for the feast—a good decision.

Helen and I love a big Thanksgiving meal as much, if not more, than anyone we know, and usually cook up a large turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. There would be none of that this year. Instead, a chef in Grandfather Mountain would apply his considerable skills to ensure that we did not come down from the mountain hungry. Another couple joined our group for the feast and, after exchanging a few pleasantries, the time came to get down to business.

The buffet line offered choices that would torment a foodie like myself and decisions were not easy. Do I pile on the roast turkey or go for the prime rib instead? Whether to choose traditional dressing or a scrumptious looking squash casserole became another dilemma. How about gravy? The cranberry salad called me, of course. Desserts—I made it back to that table for seconds. My memory does not allow me to do justice to the offerings–there were just too many to recall but, trust me, all of the choices I made were excellent.  I felt like a big bear prepping for hibernation beginning that afternoon, but I chose football on the television instead.

Before we left for home on Friday morning, we reached a unanimous decision to walk around a nearby small lake to wear off the kinks and a few calories.  I had not done any extensive walking since my knee operation, but I was game to test out my new joint. If I was going to do any hiking, this spot was perfect—nice and flat with a beautiful lake to take my mind off any discomfort.

As it turned out, there were plenty of folks with the same idea and we took some of the last remaining parking spots. Scattered among the walkers were some adorable dogs out for some exercise and fresh air.  I was attracted to two pairs that were kind enough to pose for pictures.  I’m not certain of the breed for the white pair, but the Black and White cuties are Japanese Chins. It took a lot of coaxing to get them to look into the camera, but persistence paid off.

It’s been a very busy week and I’ve rushed through this blog post. I hope you’ll excuse the rapid-fire writing, but I wanted to share the pictures of the Blue Ridge give a sincere thank you to our hosts and our friends for including us in a delightful outing that can be summed up in one expression…we’re extremely blessed and grateful for our friends and all that we have to be so thankful for. I’m not certain that even those words say it all so, I’ll say it again—we’re blessed…and we’re Easin’ Along, filled with gratitude…and gravy.