The Day After Thanksgiving

     I haven’t talked to my sister yet to see if she survived the biggest shopping day of the year.  Every year she and her friends get up before the sun is even thinking about rising to get ready to take advantage of all of those wonderful sales on the day after Thanksgiving.  They brave the streets that are full of traffic, they stand in line anxiously waiting for the doors of the stores to open and then they sprint to the bin that holds 5 of the hottest item at the lowest price ever.  Since the sales are usually only good "while quantities last" it is a race and a wrestling match to get what you want.  If someone is in a particularly bad mood then cross words may be exchanged.  Sometimes she and her friends will separate once inside of the store, then they can cover twice the ground in half of the time.  I’m not sure how many stores they went to this year but I know one would be too many for me to take.   

    I enjoyed my day after Thanksgiving at a northwoods pace.  The kids took advantage of no school and slept in until 7:00 AM.  They were treated to their favorite breakfast of chocolate chip, peanut butter pancakes with whip cream and bananas on top, courtesy of Mike. 

     The sun was out in full force and we appreciated the unseasonably warm weather.  The thermometer said it was close to 50 degrees and the kids thought it was summer.   Abby wore a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and Josh wore jeans with a tank top while they played outside.  I took a nice long walk around the Trail’s End Campground and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Gunflint Trail.

     The day after Thanksgiving found me just as thankful as I was on Thanksgiving.  Thankful for the wilderness I live in, the lakes, rivers, trees, and wildlife that surround me.  Thankful for the life I live, the people in it, and the clean air I breathe.  Thankful I was at home enjoying the simple life I live at the end of the Gunflint Trail.