Jack Trip 2010 - Day 5

Friday... another beautiful day in the hollow!   We all had a great sleep in the RV (well, not Jim or Darrel, the firewatchers...)  We finished getting the site set up, including all the fall theme decorations, Canadian accents, and banners.  I worked on the big meats.. brisket and pork butts which needed some deep tissue love in the form of injections... followed by a heavy rub.   The rest of the crew hung out... did some prep for the Friday side events, baking dessert, and prepping ingredients for the Home Cookin' from the Homeland event.  I also managed to get my newly purchased Jack barrel lid around the grounds to meet as many teams as possible.

We started lining up for the parade around 3:30.  We got there early enough to get a spot near the front.  The whole team showed up at 4 when the parade began. The parade took us through town through a crowd of thousands (dozens?) of cheering fans.   We disbanded at the JD visitor centre and waited for the buses, which would take us to the top of "BBQ Hill"   They treat the teams, judges, sponsors, etc to a fried chicken meal which was good but no match for the spectacular view of the sun setting over the Lynchburg town site in the valley below.   Since this big pavilion is across the county line, JD is served and sometimes generously.  We met some new friends, had a great time, and headed back to camp at 9:00.   The big pit got fired up and the meats went on the pit around midnight.   Once again Jim and Darrel manned the pits so I could get a good rest...  which I needed after some wicked short term flu that almost took me out of the game early.