Fun day today! We drove a few miles south to the town of West Plains, and stopped into the Presbyterian Church…

We weren’t here for a church service; the church offers its facilities to community groups for various things…

Our time here started with lunch. We (there are 57 of us…) were fed Thanksgiving Dinner by a local Amish family. There is a Amish community of about 20 family is West Plains and the surrounding area. This family of eight (including six kids) prepared and served Turkey, stuffing, beans and corn, potatoes and gravy, salad, fresh rolls, and pie for dessert…

It was lovely…

We then heard from a local historian about the Ozarks culture and history in this area… This bearded man in the next photo was the originator of this caravan, and his family has been here since the early 1800s; they left Tennessee when it got to be too crowded: They had seen a human footprint down by the creek that was not part of the family… He is a retired Judge…

We migrated to the church sanctuary, where the local high school choir was assembling…

This group is all seniors, and some of the best singers in the 100 person choir…

The best part? They sang all showtunes! South Pacific!, My Fair Lady! Who could ask for anything more?

They were great and it was lots of fun to hear them. I hope these experiences give these kids a leg up as they leave school and grow into productive citizens…

As we left the church we enjoyed the historic downtown, although most of the businesses have all moved into strip centers along the highway that bypasses the town…

Our evening was free… Happy Hours and sunset ensued…

An enjoyable time was had by all…