50+174 Cheerwine will be a constant reminder of Southern Expedition 2011

A day does not go by that I do not reflect for at least a moment on my Southern Expedition that I took in January 2011.

I had so many great moments during that trip that not only got me away from the cold and the snow of Canadian Winter but it was such a break from issues in life that I needed to get away from for a short time.

I was so fortunate to meet many fine people that I had talked with online in the world of BBQ and was blown away by the Southern hospitality that was awarded me by the friendly folks in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

It all started in Salisbury North Carolina when I met with Blog Writer Cyndi Allison taking possession of the Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse that I was lucky to win in her online draw back in October. Not only did I get the smoker but we also exchanged some gifts that were from our local areas. One of the gifts I received was a case of Cheerwine which is a local favorite soda drink in North Carolina.

It has a wonderful Wild Cherry flavour and is made with Pure Cane Sugar rather than using corn syrup as most soft drinks do. Mind you that is only in the 12 oz. glass bottle size and only available from the distribution center in Salisbury.  You can read an in depth story I wrote on this soft drink on my BBQ blog here.

My point being that looking back the case of Cheerwine had a deeper meaning to me  since its name is derived from the word Cheer which is a pleasure that it represents and though not having alcohol content it uses wine in its name to show off the clear burgundy colour.

So it is like raising a glass with friends, When I got home I cut the side off of the Cheerwine case and brought it to Costco and had it put in a nice glassed frame which is now proudly hanging on the wall in my office, as a constant reminder of good times and good people.

The next day I had a great lunch at Lexington #1 Barbecue with other BBQ friends Wayne Brown, John Shepard and his son by the same name along with Cyndi and her son Eli.

I also had the pleasure of spending an evening with Michael and Stephanie Baxter in Fitzgerald Georgia.

And in Florida  I met members of two special BBQ teams that competed in the Lakeland Florida Pigfest.

First off there was Doug and his wife Biggi Francis along with their 2 kids and Sue from Hogs Gone Wild BBQ.

Doug, Sue, Melissa, Biggi and TJ

and Chad Ward along with the rest of the Whiskey Bent BBQ Team

And on my way out of Florida I stopped in Jacksonville to spend a few hours with no other than Hank Bob or as he is known when not in character Aaron Smith.

Another couple of great guys to meet were the owners of Southern Soul BBQ Griffin Bufkin and Harrison Sapp.

.

I am a bit reflective today mainly because I hung up my Cheerwine frame and again it reminded me of the great time I had. and I will raise a bottle to all of my southern friends and I hope that we get the chance to meet again on a future trip, but in the meantime will continue to talk with most of them online….. CHEERS!

50+77 Snowin’, Blowin’ and BBQin’??? Yup!

Today we had our first major snowfall of the season that managed to cause some havoc on the roads and force yours truly to unlock the shed to pull out my snow-blower (yes Cyndi I found my garage keys, they were tucked in the back seat of the VW)

But since it was still snowing I needed to make some dinner for my two boys and their sons. So lets see what would go good on a day like today?……. I know Steak on the BBQ!

Call me nuts but since I am a full member of the Winter Grillers Group I had to show them that I was worthy of their acceptance.

The steaks were fantastic and I will talk about that more in my Oshawa Ogre’s Views, News & BBQ’s blog maybe later tonight or tomorrow, just check to see if it is there.

After dinner I drove the boys home and I will tell you the roads were quite slippery, I may need to take my all-seasons off and get some snow tires or my Jetta.

Did not take too long to clear the driveway and my walk-ways as the snow was very light and fluffy.

50+67 Hmmm What am I thankful for?

Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone here in Canada, our neighbours to the south are celebrating theirs today.

Since a majority of my online friends are in America I thought I would take a few minutes to say a few thank-you’s.

(please note of course I am thankful for all of my Canadian family and friends that goes with out saying, but since this is US Thanksgiving I will direct my thoughts to the States.

• Thankful that my father that is in Florida is recovering from his medical issues after giving us all a scare.
• Thankful my mother is there to help him recover.
• Thankful to the people that I have become friends with on twitter that have helped me so much with my writing including
• Thankful to the companies that have sent me product to review on my other blog Oshawa Ogre’s Views, News & BBQ’s. It is a great gig to be able to sample products from all over the US (and Canada too) and spread the word to the masses using this fad that some say would never last (the Internet)
• Thankful to the BBQ community at large as I have found them to be the best group of people on the planet, willing to share information and ready to help each other in ways that in this crazy world do not seem to be the norm but it is a wonderful thing to be a part of.
• Thankful having great friends also on twitter and facebook that keep me amused and sometimes abused but in a fun way.
• Thankful that you are allowing me into your life for a few minutes every now and then and that for some reason you find my musings interesting.

You will notice other than my Mom and Dad that I have not named names and the reason for this is that I know I would forget to mention a person that is very important to me, just as all of the others are and do not want anyone to feel slighted.

You all know who you are and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!