Lester Family Reunion at the Bandy Community Center

Lester Family Reunion Dinner


Checking Out the Dessert Table


Need to Get the Recipe for This Yummy Cake


Me and Cousin Doug

We were up early and getting ready for the Lester family reunion. We're not really Lesters, but my aunt is married to a Wingo who is kin to the Lesters. We're probably cousins somewhere back down the line too. You can pretty well go to any family reunion in the Appalachian mountains and be related in some way. Just name your Grandpa and everyone will get it figured out.

Since we were in from out of town, we just dropped by Colonel Sanders and got some Kentucky Fried Chicken. I made the chicken run while Mom got a shower. She is an early bird and had been up pulling weeds since daybreak I'd wager.

Someone had put together a nice book with family pictures and stories. Everyone was checking that out as well as a huge family tree taped up in the hall that included photos of the relatives.

The dinner was terrific. Mountain women can cook. I got a little of everything - well not literally everything - but a nice selection. Someone had made soupy potatoes like my Grandma used to make. I hadn't had those in years, and they were just as yummy as I remembered.

Desserts are my downfall. Sigh. And, they sure had some tasty ones. I wouldn't even begin to name a favorite. That's one sure way to get in trouble with the cooks. I will say the homemade banana pudding was fabulous, but we ended up eating that the night before. So, we didn't get there with banana pudding that my aunt made off my Grandma's special recipe.

Headed Up to Jewel Ridge for the 4th of July Fireworks

We loaded up the truck to head around the mountain to Jewel Ridge. When I say loaded, I do mean we had a full truck. This was just the first round.



Then we climbed up the mountain through the graveyard to find a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.



Here's part of the family getting settled in for the fireworks. Where the rest of them got to . . . anybody's guess.

Normally I'd be dragging the old Weber grill out in the back yard on the 4th of July, but this year Mom asked me if I'd like to ride up to the mountains for the Lester family reunion. I'm always game for a road trip, so I left frozen pizzas in the freezor for the boys who are pretty lazy on cooking when I'm off and gone.

The reunion was actually on the 5th, but we went in on the 4th. Either everyone was where they were going already or travel was way down. It was easy driving. Very little traffic.

My aunt (who is more like a sister) and my uncle figured we'd all go up on Jewel Ridge to see the fireworks. This is apparently a yearly tradition, but as I mentioned, I'm usually not out visiting on the 4th.

We loaded up in the truck and headed up and around the mountain over to Jewel Ridge. We found a spot to park alongside the road and then walked down the road and then up the hill through the graveyard. That's where we settled down.

The party which I didn't know about was down the hill and not quite at full tilt when we arrived. It got louder and rowdier as the night went on. This is what I'd call a "throw down." When they do the 4th of July up on Jewel Ridge, they really do the 4th of July.

It was a tad calmer up in the graveyard, but there was still some dancing and fireworks going on.