Pancake Day at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville is once again on the horizon. Lining up to get a plateful of pancakes, bacon and sausage on the last Tuesday in February is a tradition in the mountain community that dates back to 1956.  

With higher prices on eggs due to the bird flu (H5N1), many people may be changing up their breakfast proteins. Check the nutrition facts on packaged items for the protein amount per serving. Here are some other ways you can get protein for your breakfast meal: 

The 25th Annual Sorghum Festival will allow visitors to have the opportunity to observe sorghum cane being processed into molasses using a mule-powered mill on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in Johnson City from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Come out to the Ralph J. Andrews Campground on Lake Glenville for a family camping event. 

The title of this column is a sentence written in my old road journals. Back on Dec. 26, 2007. I was 22 years old and leaving my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York, heading west to start my first reporting gig post-college at the Teton Valley News in Driggs, Idaho. 

One item I often have in my fridge is plain Greek yogurt. I like it because it has no added sugars, is high in protein, a source of calcium and contains probiotics that may help with gut health.