Thanksgiving may be over, but there is plenty to be thankful for in Highlands.
Even some ill-timed rain.
With a crippling drought in full effect, it was music to a lot of ears to hear raindrops falling on Friday night. Highlands School was hosting its homecoming basketball games, and the crowd was larger than usual. Being inside the heated gym and out of the rain was a great place to take in the homecoming festivities.
Congratulations to all of the students who were chosen to represent the school on the homecoming court.
Saturday’s rain was a little more problematic.
Highlands’ Olde Mountain Christmas parade got lucky in 2022 when a steady rain tapered off just in time for the first float to make its way down Main Street. Organizers weren’t so lucky this year, as a steady rain picked up in intensity as the dancing ladies of the Highlands Garden Club performed their opening number.
Despite conditions that could only be described as miserable, the parade brought smiles to the faces of countless children – and that’s the point. Seeing kids clamor for candy canes as Santa Claus made his way through the parade route reminded us that the holiday season is special, regardless of a little rain.
At the end of the day, the rain was the most welcome sight of the weekend. There was enough precipitation that the Town of Highlands officially lifted the outdoor burn ban on Monday and rescinded the mandatory water conservation measures put in place by town proclamation.
Our area is still more than 12 inches below normal rainfall for the year in 2023, but Mother Nature has made up a little ground in the past two weeks.
While it’s still wise to conserve water wherever possible, it’s no longer mandatory. It’s also still a good idea to be careful when doing any outdoor burning. There are at least two wildfires still active in Western North Carolina as of Tuesday, despite the rain.
As we roll forward toward the Christmas season, lets all remember to be thankful for all our blessings – even the ill-timed rain.