Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

I've been staying at a campground at a lake on the Georgia-South Carolina border for several days. Georgia has been in a drought since July so the lake was very low. Naturally, that meant it rained while I was there. On the other hand, while it rained I used my very quirky internet connection.  After shear persistence and dumb luck I scored my current camping spot.

Friends, I am spending the next few days on the coast of South Carolina about an hour east of Charleston. Not actually the open sea coast, rather then inter-coastal waterway. The tide rises and falls, birds bob around and very large cruisers or sailboats glide past within touching distance.

While I was driving here, I found a good public radio station issuing from someplace in the state. Buried in the chatter was some Thanksgiving food talk. Seems like sea food would have been a much more suitable Thanksgiving food than turkey. Good old Ben Franklin started pushing turkey eating while he lobbied for it as our national bird.

I did drive by a couple of roadside sellers of crab and shrimp however I chose to stick with turkey and so purchased a frozen breast. There was no cranberry in the store I shopped, instead I found mountains of fresh green beans or gallon cans of them next to quart containers of french fried onions. Sweet potatoes and collards disappeared as fast as they were refilled. Snatches of conversation circled around the meat displays; most were discussions over ham, turkey or chicken and how many they could feed with their holiday budget.

One of my grandmas could make a pot roast that tasted like it was oven baked so I thought I'd give it a try with my turkey part. It thawed nicely, nearly unfrozen and still cold enough to be safe. I dug out the cast iron fry pan and found a bit of aluminum foil for a lid. Soon sizzling sounds came from the pan as the bird began to brown. I had just settled myself outside to read while it cooked when a 'neighbor' came over.

Seems like an extended group of family and friends, about 20, gather yearly at the park to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was invited to join the group, the campground hosts who were unknown to the family were also there so I too must join them; I did.

There was several turkeys, deep fried, baked and grilled, a beef roast, stew, collards, green bean casserole, two or three different types of dressing, biscuits, a couple different gravies, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, spoon bread, unknown casseroles and another table loaded with dessert. There was no cranberry anyplace nor were there any jello salads, for a stray second I missed Minnesota.

After everyone was done eating and seconds and take-home plates offered several times, some of the older guys dug out their guitars and a family sing-along started. I heard that two of the older guys used to be in bands and that the one younger guy currently plays in one. There were the usual Jesus songs and another bunch right out of the 60s. One of the guys sang “House of the Rising Sun”, a song my kids' father used to sing. Even after all these years I could hear him singing and he did it better than what I heard today.

Now the sun is turning everything to bronze, the no-see-ums have returned for supper and the party broke up as some folks left for family obligations. My turkey is cooking since I can better keep it cooked than raw.

Its been a good day – I hope you too had a good one.