Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024, my wife Candice and I chose to travel to Prestonsburg, Kentucky, for the Thanksgiving Day Buffet at Jenny Wiley State Park Lodge rather than cook a Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. When we are away from the house and have the time, I nearly always try to walk or hike somewhere while Candice waits for me in van at a safe parking area and reads. Since it was fairly cool and damp, I chose to not hike in the woods near the lodge. There are several fairly good hiking trails in the park and I have used them quite a bit over the last few years. We have also attended other holiday dinners at the lodge with members of my extended family over the years. I went to Big Sandy Community and Technical College to walk on their paved walking path near the Big Sandy River instead. I have walked there numerous times and actually enjoy that walking path since it is mostly paved with an unpaved gravel loop around a grassy area near old US 23 or North Lake Drive. The paved area is a big loop with one fairly good uphill which overlooks the river. Between the river and walking path, there is also a fairly large, relatively flat grassy area which can also be used for walking if it isn't too wet. There is also a consistent population of black squirrels in the trees around the walking path and along the river bank. I only saw two squirrels yesterday while I was there and never clearly established that either of them was black since both were on the ground near trees and probably at least a hundred yards away when I spotted them and they immediately ran up the back side of the trees.
I only saw one other walker while I was there yesterday and he only made one loop before disappearing. He was wearing shorts and the temperature was only 40 degrees or so. I suspect that he might have not been enjoying the shorts. But, to my amazement, I spotted a few late fall roses blooming on some plants which are situated at a little memorial rock garden between the college parking lot and the hiking path. The rock garden is dedicated to some former employee whose name I don't remember. There were also some beautiful flowers on several small shrubs at both the rock garden and near a swing which is situated at the opposite end of the grassy area in the center of the walking path. Since it was already only forty degrees with a subfreezing forecast, I chose to cut one of the roses and several of the other flowers for Candice who was waiting for me in the van. It was a pleasant surprise for both of us to learn that all these flowers were actually still in bloom on Thanksgiving day. It also amazes me how many people choose to totally ignore signals such as these flowers about the fact that global warming is very real and very dangerous for the planet.
After my walk, we drove up old US 23 from Prestonsburg to Allen where I showed Candice some of what is left of Allen. Then we returned to the lodge for the buffet. It was acceptable but a bit overpriced. There was ham with pineapple served in thin slices, fried cat fish which the lodge serves at nearly all of their major events, turkey served sliced and/or shredded, some turkey dressing which I chose not to try, some fairly good shoe peg corn and carrots, and banana pudding, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie for desert. The lodge was fairly crowded with what was almost universally an older crowd. It was an enjoyable day all things considered.
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