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OBSERVATIONS
November 26, 2020 |
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 Wingate Lassiter |
Thanksgiving is a grand season
to take in "the beauty of the earth"
If we had "Thanksgiving
carols" like our favorites of Christmas, among the
selections would have to be this one:
For
the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth,
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
To
illustrate, I offer these local specimens of Nature's
late-autumn colors:
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THANKSGIVING STUFFINGS
Johnston is at the heart of the sweet-potato story
The magazine Business
North Carolina recently published a story about the
successful marketing of sweet potatoes in recent years.The story includes Johnston County connections regarding research and development of one of our favorite local crops.
Here's the link to the story>
By the way, Johnston County currently ranks 5th among North Carolina's counties in sweet-potato production, according to the latest statewide report (for 2018). When Smithfield launched its Ham & Yam Festival in 1985, we were ranked No. 1.
IF YOU'RE "NUTS" ABOUT ORNAMENTAL TREES, CHECK OUT
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION'S ANNUAL FRUIT & NUT TREE SALE
The deadline for ordering is December 4 (a week from this Friday).
Here's the link for what's available and how to submit your order>
AND IF YOU WANT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO "TAKE IT OUTSIDE,"
CHECK OUT THE NEW FRIENDS OF JOHNSTON COUNTY PARKS
Here's an invitation to start taking part this Thanksgiving weekend --- from one of the group's organizers, DAVE HERPY:
We are a
volunteer coalition advocating in support of
parks, open space, the arts, and recreational
opportunities on behalf of all Johnston County
citizens and visitors. We were just
established in early October and our core group
has already grown to more than 12 and our Facebook
following has grown to more than 200 in just a
month and a half.
Second, I wanted to make you aware of our
first public event... to encourage folks to spend
time with family and friends outside during
Thanksgiving weekend and share their experiences
and photos on Facebook using the hashtag
#OptOutsideJoCo....
Here is a link to our Facebook event
page: https://fb.me/e/88IaZwRQ4
Parks, open space, and greenways have proven
essential during the COVID-19 pandemic for
exercise, relaxation, and stress relief. Our
friends group has four main priorities: advocacy,
education, recreation, and stewardship. We
want everyone in Johnston County to know why parks
are essential and to understand the value of parks
and recreation as it relates to quality of life.
Here are links to learn more about this new
organization:
https://friendsofjohnstoncountyparks.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/JohnstonCountyNCParks
https://www.linkedin.com/company/johnstoncountyncparks
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