Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and I as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of filling the wood box, drinking coffee, stuffing and roasting a big, fat chicken, maybe chilling-out in a deer stand for a couple of hours followed by sitting by the fire.

I've been counting my blessings because I've got a great deal to be thankful for.  My family, my friends, neighbors, reasonably good health, my marbles, a comfortable retirement, a new hunting dog and the great outdoors.  Let's face it - we live in the best country on planet earth.

 

An additional ray of sunshine is this bit of news:   According to the American Farm Bureau Survey this year's Thanksgiving dinner will see a dip in price for the second year in a row.  Thanksgiving dinner for ten will set you back $58.08, down 5% from last year; yet still 19% higher than five years ago.

 

Over the 39 years the Bureau has kept records the turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost.  This year is no different - a 16-pound turkey accounts of 44.2% of the 10-person feast.  2024 brought a 6% decrease in turkey prices - a surprise considering  the USDA reported that growers raised 6% fewer birds this year and the lowest number since 1985.  In further evidence that presidents do not set the price of your turkey dinner contributors to the decline in turkey numbers have been the highly contagious avian influenza along with a drop in consumer demand.  This drop in demand has caused prices to fall.

 

There is some stuff in our world that can be improved-upon; yet on balance this is a terrific time to be alive.  If you glass is half-full like mine take a moment to count your blessings.  We have much to be thankful-for.

 

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...