Thanksgiving is perfectly situated on the calendar. The year is mostly over and all eyes are focused on the Christmas holidays to come.

Late November is also the best time of the year to pause and reflect on the things for which we are thankful.

This year, Natchez, Vidalia and the greater Miss-Lou have been blessed. Our community continues to roll along with the steady consistency of the Mississippi River flowing past.

Perhaps Natchez is most thankful at the moment for its lately band of visitors. While we’ve hosted international visitors for a few hundred years since the area’s first European settlement, this group comes bearing lights, cameras and, quite frankly, a good bit of cash.

The investment brought to Natchez and other parts of Mississippi with the production of the James Brown film “Get On Up” is truly impressive. We are thankful Mississippian — and Church Hill resident — Tate Taylor brought the production to our corner of the world.

Residents and other visitors might enjoy a lifetime of memories in seeing bits and pieces of a major Hollywood production — or taking part as an extra on the set. Many area businesses have felt a much-needed boost to their bottom lines as a result of film crew purchases.

Production is slated to continue for a bit longer, which will hopefully lead right into a great Christmas season for area merchants as well. In the meantime, we hope each of you has a happy Thanksgiving and encourage you to say, “Thanks,” the next time you see Taylor or any of the others with the film crew.