Students thankful for animals, family, feasting
Staff writer
When Liam Hermann-Kesinger makes a list of what he’s thankful for, one of the first things he mentions is hunting with his father.
Liam, a first grader at Hillsboro Elementary School, enjoys hunting dove, duck, and coyote with a bow or rifle.
His first time deer hunting sticks out in Liam’s memory.
“I almost shot a doe,” he said. “I missed her because I wasn’t using the cross-part in my scope and I didn’t hold my gun that steady.”
Liam was thankful for his family’s dogs, horses, and goats. He even showed thanks for animals that many people view as vermin, like possums.
“They look cute,” he said. “To me, they look prehistoric.”
Many students were thankful for their pets in this year’s Thanksgiving letters, but most chose more domestic options like cats, dogs, or horses, as opposed to possums.
“They’re fun when you’re bored,” Marion second grade student Trent Summervill said. “You can play with them, give them treats or train them.”
While Trent listed his family and pets as things he was thankful for, he admitted to preferring his dog, Rusty, over his family’s three cats.
Avery Burhoop, a third-grade student at Marion, also appreciates cats and dogs, but is unsure how many her family has.
“We can’t count all the cats because we live on a farm,” she said.
With a 3-year-old sister and another who is a baby, Avery has an important role as the eldest.
“I get to play with them and spend time with them,” she said. “I have to take care of stuff, and everything my sister does I get blamed for.”
Trent is the youngest of two children in his family. He has a sister in fifth grade. Trent enjoys having an older sibling because his sister can lend a hand when needed or they can play together with their remote control cars.
“She’s nice,” he said. “If you need help then they can help.”
Going on adventures is one of the things Avery enjoys most about seeing her friends, particularly with Thanksgiving a few days away.
“I get to spend time with them and go outside to explore,” she said. “When it’s Thanksgiving, I get to have Thanksgiving dinner with them.”
If Avery could have any food for Thanksgiving it would include biscuits and gravy and mashed potatoes.
She also would include pumpkin pie for dessert, but her decision takes a major turn when she adds cake to the list.
“Chocolate and vanilla, almost like a swirl,” she said.
Not one to discount a classic Thanksgiving meal, Trent’s ideal menu would be turkey, potatoes with gravy, cookies and cream, and ice cream.
Liam also chose a few typical Thanksgiving food items for his best meal, while highlighting the availability of protein options.
He mentioned turkey and creamed corn, but also said he wanted ham and bacon. His preferred dessert is pumpkin pie with a twist, adding candy corn like his grandmother does.