Grateful Hearts Beneath Phoenix Arizona Skies: A Thanksgiving Message from Train Station Pest Elimination—TSPE

Howdy, neighbors —

When the desert air finally cools and the mountains catch that golden afternoon glow, you know it’s Thanksgiving time here in Phoenix. The kind of weather that makes you wanna open the windows, fire up the smoker, and invite a few good folks over to swap stories and slice pie ‘til the stars come out.

Now, Thanksgiving in Arizona’s always had its own flavor — part frontier grit, part hometown heart. Way back before the Valley was covered in streetlights and cul-de-sacs, families gathered wherever the shade and the soil would let ‘em. They built long tables outta sawhorses, roasted turkeys over mesquite coals, and passed around “desert pies” baked from mesquite flour and prickly pear syrup instead of pumpkin.

More on the history of mesquite in our valley, "The Sugar That Heals: Why Did We Erase This Ancient Superfood?" at Nature Lost Vault on YouTube 😎

May your hearts be full, your tables plentiful, and your homes peaceful this Thanksgiving season.

In the 1940s, up in North Phoenix, neighbors would roll up in pickups and pitch in together — some brought game from the morning hunt, others hauled water or shared Dutch-oven bread. And when supper wrapped up, they’d tell tall tales by firelight, maybe sing a hymn or two, and look out at a sky so big it could swallow a week’s worth of worry.

Fast-forward to today, and not much has changed where it counts. Sure, we’ve swapped canvas tents for patios and kerosene lanterns for string lights, but the spirit’s the same — good food, good company, and a heap o’ gratitude that we get to call this desert home.

If you wander through local bakeries and coffee houses this time of year, we hope you catch that same sense of togetherness — folks sharin’ a table, tradin’ stories, and sippin’ on local roast while the smell of cinnamon, vanilla and roasted beans fills the air. Choose to frequent the kind of place that reminds you Thanksgiving isn’t just a day — it’s a feeling that hangs ‘round a while if you let it.

🌵 Fun Fact, Did Ya Know?

Many Arizona families used native mesquite flour  for their “pioneer pies,” givin’ ‘em a smoky-sweet flavor that’s makin’ a comeback today at bakeries where local ingredients still meet old-fashioned hospitality.

While you're out and about this holiday season, be sure to visit Suss Pasteries, at Missouri and Seventh where you can find those "fruit pockets and Sonoran-inspired treats"  you enjoyed at Uptown Farmers Market. 

 🤠 From Our Family to Yours

From the Head Wrangler at Train Station Pest Elimination, we’re mighty thankful for all our Phoenix neighbors who make this corner of the desert feel like home.

May your hearts be full, your tables plentiful, and your homes peaceful this Thanksgiving season.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all — from our family to yours.