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A Thanksgiving run, a Thanksgiving feast |
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November 24, 2017 |
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By Mike Weland
For some, Thanksgiving is a day in the kitchen,
the savory and spicy smells filling the air for
hours before the feast is brought to the table.
For others, it's being with family and friends.
For some, though, it's about serving others, and
two annual Thanksgiving events, the Turkey Trot
and the free Thanksgiving dinner at Three Mile
Cafe, epitomize the latter.
Three mile patriarch Chuck Quillin can't
remember how long Three Mile Cafe has been
dishing up traditional Thanksgiving dinners
since he's been owner ... he stopped keeping
track after 30.
"Thirty-two maybe, 33?" he mused while
orchestrating the bustle of his staff as they
counted down the minutes to begin serving the
already full dining room just before 10 a.m. A
line of eager guests was already snaking into
the store, just waiting for the tables to open,
and the crew in the store were busy waiting on
people getting those last-minute necessities
before getting to the homes of families or
friends.
Unlike many restaurant owners who open their
kitchen to serve free traditional fare, Chuck
doesn't limit his largesse to the needy, the lonely.
Instead, he opens his door to everyone. Rich,
poor, old friends and patrons right along with
new.
It's his way, he said, of celebrating the
holiday, and of thanking everyone, year after
year, for making his business a success. And
even though it's one of the busiest days of the
year, the cash register wasn't ringing and they
weren't home with their own families, there
wasn't a frown to be found upon the faces of any
member of the crew, there for decades or just
starting, as it's a tradition of service they
cherish almost as much as the boss does.
Many had been there hours before they even
opened the doors, making sure that everything
was ready for the hundreds soon to pass through
their doors. And even they were smiling through
most of it!
Down in Bonners Ferry, there was a much
different sort of crowd gathered at the
fairgrounds, and a smaller but just as dedicated
crew ensuring that all went to plan for this year's
Turkey Trot, the ninth since founder Carolyn Testa came up with the idea.
Carolyn wasn't
there today, having instead opted to visit sunny
Florida, but she promised this year's crew,
including David and Melinda Brinkman, Tyler
Warner, Paul Bonnell, Mandy and Josh Young,
Jessica Tingley and, no doubt, a few I've
missed, that she plans to be here next year.
When Jessica woke at 4 a.m. Thursday to get ready for the
day, she almost, she said, pulled the covers back over her head. An icy deluge
was cascading from the heavens, it was cold and a bit
blustery. Not even close to weather for a
Thanksgiving day fun run.
But the thought of calling it off weighed too
heavy, and by 7:30 a.m., the sun peeked through
the overcast, the rain fell to a sprinkle, then
quit altogether, and the day warmed unseasonably
into the upper 50s, making conditions ideal for
a morning run.
Tyler and Paul, who stayed out at the 5K mark
handing out water to the runners, were there
getting the course markers and road signs out,
and then people started trickling in, some in
ones and twos, some in groups, many with dogs
and kids, all willing to forego a cozy morning
at home to go out and run!
And there were a LOT of them! While no official
count was kept, over 100 intrepid and stalwart
folks from ages young to old turned out and ran
-- my guess was 125 at least!
And though it was a fun run, kudos go out to Ty
Merrill, who crossed the finish line way out in
front, and though he won the race, he didn't win
one of the three free turkeys given out; because
of the turkey giving rules, the first bird went
instead to third-place finisher Sam Gorton!
Ty wasn't upset, though, not by any means. He'd
enjoyed a very fun run and there was even cocoa
with marshmallows and whipped cream ... and pie!
We at NewsBF are grateful, and we give a very
deep and warm tip-o-the-hat to all who worked
today serving others, and a hearty Happy
Thanksgiving to our neighbors here and all our
readers worldwide!
Without further ado, here are some images
captured of another grand Thanksgiving day in
Boundary County. |
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