One of the very best marriage advice tips I ever received was “Don’t marry anyone without playing at least one game of monopoly with them.”
I’ve done that, intentionally with a few friends and, even with people I’ve known for years, there’s something about the Monopoly experience that will reveal something about your former friend that you never dreamed was lurking inside.
Yard-saling is kinda like that, which is what happened this weekend in Happy Camp, CA. Over one hundred years ago, one of my most favorite authors, James Allen, said, “Circumstances don’t make the man, they reveal him to himself.” And, like a rousing game of Monopoly there is something about being at the helm of a yard sale that reveals qualities in my neighbors, friends, and other visitors that any other normal village activities would not provide the necessary catalyst for; revealing the some time scary depths of an individual or group.
An artist may kindly inform you that the picture you have priced at $.50 is really worth $25 and then gladly pay it. Another “bargain hunter,” and hunter is the operative word, may stomp out of your yard in an indignant huff because you refuse to sell earrings, marked down to $20 for only $.25 cents.
To offer another comparative example, like golf, yardsaling can be a character building experience. In the game of golf, for a right hander, if it curves to the left it’s called a hook, to the right it’s a slice and if shot straight, it’s a miracle!” So there are some who will try and slice your potential profits down by 90% or more.
Others will recheck you up with the inherent true worth of your beloved treasure. But if you are lucky, your day will mostly provide the middle of the road folk who will gently haggle, usually leave with something, including good feelings in you to accompany the few dollars that changed hands. These good vibes are the daily miracles in life and, in the end, are the only really good reason to interact with anybody.
So what does the “Art & Treasure Weekend mean to me? I have, yet again a much DEEPER APPRECIATION for the gentle Art of respectful dialogue and the absolute Treasure of those gentle souls who never lose contact with the with the inner knowledge of the inherent value of every individual we came in contact with!
This weekend, including the preceding days of preparation, have been an enjoyable, exhausting, trying, aggravating, mix of cheerleaders, those diseased with what I call “monopoly heart” and a completely refreshing breed of those who cannot help but breathe life into every situation they bless with their presence.
Things were going kinda slow down at the Fly Tying Love Center and it bothered Marvin Pincus a lot.
He found it hard to believe that, out of all the people in the valley, none of them needed love advice and the proper type of fishing fly to illustrate it. He had the sign made and put in the yard, and he’d obviously had great results with the Jones kid and good ol’ Dewey. Since Marvin’s advice to Dewey to shower before asking a girl for a date, Dewey Decker, the Fertilizer King, had had several dates with nice young women.
Now the fishing-fly earrings part of the business was going great. Women all over town were wearing dingle-dangle earrings with Marvin’s point-clipped fishing flies hanging therefrom. He learned that short ladies tended to go for the smaller dries, like Griffith’s Gnats and Royal Coachmen, and the taller ladies leaned toward salmon streamers. Some of the ladies slipped Marvin’s wife, Marjorie, a couple of bucks to help buy more feathers and hooks.
But on the love advice front, there was a dearth of heartbroken customers.
“What would you think,” Marvin said, “if I ran an ad in the Valley Weekly Miracle?”
“For what?” Marjorie said at breakfast.
“You know … love advice.”
“Well, you have the sign out front. I think everyone in the valley already knows about it.”
“But they’re not coming in.”
Marjorie smiled. “Honey, some people find it hard to talk to others about their personal problems. That’s probably it.”
Marvin got a piece of paper and began writing. Then he’d scratch it out and start again. This went on through both bacon and toast.
“How’s it coming, Honey?”
“About got it right, I think, Marge.”
“May I see it?”
He handed it to her.
The best love advice in the valley, tied up with the appropriate fishing fly. Call the Fly Tying Love Center for an appointment. Results guaranteed.
“What do you think?”
Marjorie just smiled and nodded her head. What she thought, however, was that retirement isn’t for sissies.
——————
Brought to you by Slim’s new book “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Learn more at http://www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html.
Delbert McLain dropped in at the Mule Barn truck stop yesterday for a quick cup. He was wearing his usual suit and tie, despite the heat. Usually Delbert does his coffee drinking and socializing out at the country club where the business guys go. We’ve been there, and the chairs don’t fit as well.
For the past 10 years now, Delbert has run the local Chamber of Commerce. We all have to admit he was a good choice. His job is to promote our town and the surrounding area, which he does by prowling through the town – his ample belly flying under a full spinnaker – looking for out-of-state plates on the cars during tourist season, and then convincing the visitors they should 1. live here forever, 2. hire locals to build them a huge house, and 3. to start a business that will hire as many of us as they can stand.
According to Delbert, several things are certain about our little valley here: it is the only place in the world that will grow, our water is so good we don’t need dentists except during our tourist season, the deer in the surrounding hills are easy to hunt and are the size of horses, the fish in Lewis Creek are so big children are afraid to swim there and our average life expectancy is right around 104.
“Boys,” Delbert said with his constant grin, “it’s looking like a good summer. I can’t tell all the details now, but it looks like we may be getting three factories and you know how many houses they’ll have to build out on the flats to hold all the employees.”
“Delbert,” said Doc, “you know they shouldn’t build out on the flats. That thing floods out about every six years.”
Delbert saddened there for just a minute as he stirred his coffee, then the sales gleam relit the surface of his face.
“That’s it!” he yelled. “We can call it ‘seasonal waterfront!’”
When our four children were little, Michael, Esther, Elizabeth (who was Betsy when little) and Stephen, it was such fun to see what they would make in school or church for Mother’s Day! A mother always enjoys the art work or plaques or flowers that are put together through the assistance of teachers. These days, Mother’s day is different. Our four children have grown up, left for college and now live in faraway places. But it is always good to hear their voices when they call on Mother’s Day.
But I remember how my mother used to enjoy the children so much when they were little, At least she adored Michael and Esther and their cousins Tim and Jeff, as she passed away when they were all preschoolers. She’d wake up from coma in the hospital when she heard the sound of little voices enter her hospital room, and the nurses allowed them in because of the effect on her.
Her parting wasn’t unexpected, even when I was 17 and graduating from John Marshall High School (which no longer exists) iin Minneapolis, Minnesota, she had reached the end of the six months of life the doctor’[s had predicted for her when she was diagnosed as having systemic lupus. It was a new malady at that time and treatment for autoimmune illnesses weren’t known. Amazingly, she lived thirteen years longer! Finally, treatment options had run out, and the Lord called her home. Together with my two younger sisters and an Irish uncle, I was with her every day during her final five weeks in the hospital.
She had been single for the past 23 years, giving her total time and attention to raising three girls. Except for dinner in a restaurant when one of her five sisters had a birthday to celebrate, she had no other social life. Back in those days, even in sixth grade, none of my classmates knew what a “divorce” was or why we lived with mother, grandparents and aunt, and hadn’t seen our father for years.
In sixth grade, however, mother’s saving and job as an administrator in a union health program allowed purchase of a neat little green three bedroom house in a quiet tree lined neighborhood on Elm Street, Our new home was only five blocks from Grandma Hudson’s home and two blocks from Uncle John and Aunt Vera’s home. It became my job to take care of my youmeger sisters, and see that the house was cleaned and dinner started after school each day.With no brothers, it was also my duty to mow the lawn, shovel the sidewalk and be carpenter’s helper when Uncle John needed shingles on the roof, aying tile in the basement rec room, or doing repairs.
A mother with a full time career was definitely an oddity in a world where the “Beaver” came home to his mother in the kitchen daily, Where a mother wasn’t home, Aunt Bea would be there to care of Opie! Single mothers are more common these days, and mothers with jobs outside the home, also. We sometimes forget the huge undertaking that they are attempting in being there to guide and direct their children while shouldering all the responsibilities of bringing home the bacon and cooking it too. I could take care of ten or twenty children fo the day but I’d have been really sad to have left my children to go out to work. The goal to see children safely raised was our goal, in a world often seeming to work against the raising of wise and responsible children. Those mothers deserve our appreciation and commendation today! they can also use a helping hand on occassion!
Raising the child from infancy through the toddler years sometimes seems as if it will last forever, but as all us older grandma’s tell those young mothers, “enjoy them while they are little.” Before long they’ll be off to college or brides walking down church aisles, or perhaps even astronauts in flight to the moon. The world is changing so fast all around us. My mother was a very special lady, and even though she hasn’t been here to talk to or to share the joys of her grandchildren, still she helps me in the day to day things she taught me to do and her hopes of what we’d achieve with our lives. I miss my mom even now, 35 years since she left.
So if your mother is still on earth for you to thank, Be sure to take time off this weekend to give her a call, pay her a visit, or find a way to thank her for the impact that she made in your life. You don’t remember the countless times she changed your diapers, fed and clothed you day by day, cared for you when sick as well as healthy and taught you social graces, but where would you be if she hadn’t done those things? Us mothers have human frailties, and always wish we could have helped our children more, but you are our joy and we will love you for all of our life.
Happy Mother’s Day to every Mother, Grandmother and person mothering children! You are great and lthe lives of the children are certainly blessed by your loving care!!!
At this glad time of year when there is so much celebration with Hanukkah and Christmas and all they bring, sometimes sadness creeps in, like the Grinch that stole Christmas. Sometimes there are sad memories or missing loved ones who are far away now, but that is usually balanced with the happy and joyous memories of Christmas past.
However, should sad things come along that might ruin the celebration, remember the Rule of the Garbage Truck applies. A recent e-mail explained that “many people are like garbage trucks, they run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally, Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on.
Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets of Happy Camp.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.
So Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t. Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it. Have a blessed, garbage-free day!”
A new California bill called AB 2376 (Hutchensen) has passed the legislature. This is an injustice and will cause economic injury to Californians.
Governor’s office is 916-445-2841.
We must call the Governor and request a veto of this bill.
AB 2376 gives California Department of Fish and Game the power to establish a FEE structure; and will serve to reduce or eliminate any dependence it may have on the general fund.
This gives the agency the ability to place un-levied taxes on the water users of California. All agencies will follow suit.
This will affect all citizens. We must demand that the governor veto this bill. We have no money left to give. The bucket is dry. The government is killing us with these oppressive regulations.
Please call the
Governor’s office at 916-445-2841.
to request he veto this bill immediately. There is very little time to act. CALL NOW.
A new California bill called AB 2376 (Hutchensen) has passed the legislature. This is an injustice and will cause economic injury to Californians.
Governor’s office is 916-445-2841.
We must call the Governor and request a veto of this bill.
Please send this urgent request to everyone in the data base and to anyone you can. We must act NOW!!!!!!
National Monuments are a land-grab by the federal government and greatly restrict access and use to lands that were designated for “public” use.
Thank you to Tim Grenvik, a Scott Valley resident who used to live in Happy Camp, for bringing his concern with his short comment:
I’ve been hearing snippets off and on for some time now regarding this move, but nothing official. Having seen how establishment of the Smith River system as a “national recreation area” drastically changed what I can, and can no longer do over there, has me worried about the Siskiyou Crest proposal. I’ve enjoyed many years of various ”outdoor activities” in the Siskiyou’s and have grave concerns should it be defined as a “national monument”. I can say with some certainty, you would no longer be able to enjoy that country the way you used to. If you stop to take a moment and reflect on the many changes you’ve personally witnessed over the years, the many activities you can no longer enjoy on public lands, then you may see there has been a shift in policy that denies you your right to enjoy the outdoors. This proposal, should it be enacted, would be the final straw on a huge expanse of land in our back yard that is already partially denied to us. Just think LSR’s (spotted owls), wilderness expansion, road removal, stream course protection, and gates on public land – all deny us access or use in the name of “management”.
I have always asked but one question — ‘MANAGEMENT FOR WHO?’
This viewpoint on the Siskiyou Crest National Monument was written in response to a letter from Rita of the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce and since the issue directly affects the lives of all of us living along the Klamath River Valley, her views, and other views expressed by Tom Waddell below are published for your information.–editor
Thank you for contacting us about this proposal. There is much misunderstanding about the likely impacts of a monument designation, though there is a long history to refer to see what has occurred in other places in similar situations.
The view of the Siskiyou Crest National Monument from the viewpoint of Laural of Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center
First, it is important to understand that 100% of the proposed monument is already federally managed land, and no limits to access or property use would occur on private land. Residential land values would be likely to increase due to their proximity to a protected area, as would larger tracks of privately held land.
I just yesterday visited with an economics professor at Southern Oregon University to initiate an economic analysis of the likely impacts to local counties, and we will post the results on our website and to the press. There is a large body of economic research that shows that counties and communities adjacent to protected areas have more robust and diversified economies than those based solely on resource extraction, agriculture and the like.
I have attached our just completed campaign profile document for you to review. There is a small section on ‘gateway communities’ you may find of interest. We also are proposing an active management of this area that would create jobs doing thinning of plantation forests, fire hazard reduction and other restoration based activities.
Another major concern people seem to express is a lack of access to the landscape. The vision we are proposing would likely involve the decommissioning of a small amount of remote forest service roads that were built for timber extraction and now have no budget for maintenance while they erode into the salmon bearing streams below, but all major and even most minor routes would remain open and accessible throughout the area. Hunting, fishing, and other outdoors activities would all continue to be allowed.
I hope this helps clarify things a bit, and I would be happy to answer further questions or hear your concerns if you have them.
This is the reply to the position of Laurel of Klamath Siskiyou Wildland Center from Tom Waddell. Tom Waddell is well known and respected member of the Happy Camp/Klamath River Valley community for his community involvement and wisdom. He is well qualified to speak to this matter, as you will see in his introductory remarks.
I am a Karuk Tribal Member and on the non-native side of my family I am a fifth generation Happy Camper. I would like to respond to the email you sent to Rita at the Happy Camp Chamber.
Over the past twenty years I have been directly affected by those who wish to force their views on others. Those who keep saying that there will be little to no impact and there is potential for a positive economic effect. In fact we have been told that story on every new proposed change in public land management policy. Ask Rita if recreation is supporting a strong econony in Happy Camp. Study after study told us how recreation was going to replace the jobs lost under Clintons Forest Plan. How did the small amount of grant funds made available create long term economic development? LETS TALK HONESTLY.
I would be happy to meet with you and any economist that you choose, to debate the effects that have been forced on the Klamath River Communities over the last 20 years. Lets have an honest conversation where truths are the basis for discussion and the effects are not hidden behind closed doors. Lets talk about the “trickle down” effects that Dr. Robert Lee from the University of Washington researched and reported on the adverse effects on small rural communities when their economies collapse like they have along the Klamath. Lets talk about the social challenges that the Happy Camp Family Resource Center deals with every day. Lets talk about the sharp escalation of crime rates, drug and alcohol use, suicides (and attempts), and other social ills.
After we have completed some honest conversation about historical facts on the effects on local economies over the last twenty years then I will patiently listen to what you and your economist has to say about our communities. I will listen to the “projected” effects if the project that you are promoting is implemented.
I am a business counselor and I work with clients who are researching the feasibility of businesses everyday. When we work with a business the first thing we request is historical data, because it gives us an insight into the future. Try getting a loan from a bank for a startup business with no previous business experience. It simply won’t happen. They want to be able to reasonably predict what the business will accomplish. Historical information is the best way to predict what will happen.
So lets talk about the effect restricting access and land management has had on the residents of the Klamath River Corridor over the last twenty years. Then lets use that information to extrapolate what might happen in the next twenty years if further restrictions are implemented. If we continue down the same path of restrictions we may even reach the point where the economy is sooooo bad that we might see a positive effect from one of those land management decisions, but there will probably be so few actual productive residents in the area that no one will be here to notice or to celebrate (PROTEST). Which is the “Hidden Agenda” of most Special Interest Groups such as yours.
My family homestead has been left to slowly reach a state of disrepair. Three of us brothers have relocated their families out of the area, the same as most of my first cousins and their families. Since my mother had thirteen brothers and sisters that is quite a crowd that has had to leave the “River” (our home for thousands of years).
I work in Redding, CA and commute home every weekend to try and maintain my families homestead. I also split my time to visit my son and granddaughter who had to move out of the area. Tell me again that it will not have an effect!
Let us talk honestly!
Happy Camp is a friendly little town at the top of California. It is a beautiful place. Some, like Dennis, say it is a majestic place. The wild Klamath River winds its way from Oregon to the Coast surrounded by evergreen forests beneath a beautiful azure blue sky. Last trip down the river there were several foxes crossing the road, which I like to see, and a skumk which I’d rather avoid. In the past we have seen many black tail deer, elk, moutain lion, and bear. Squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, and ringtails can also be seen. In the past, we used to watch the water for frolicing otters but I haven’t seen any lately.
What we don’t see many of, is people. Oh, there are a few cars, a few homes, and sometimes people in various modes of travel, hiking, bicycling, motorcycling or driving down the highway. Sometimes you can see a person or a group in a canoe, kayak, raft or driftboat on the River.
The thing that makes this beautiful part of creation the most wonderful place in the World is the volunteerism of the community. When we work together, we can accomplish anything!! The Grange and others in the community built our River Park, a wonderful place to gather with friends for quiet times, or festive events, for the neighbors in Happy Camp. Why even getting a high school in the depression seemed impossible from all points of view. With land and logs donated and lots of labor from the community, a two room log high school was built and served the educational needs for some years, until expansion was needed with the current high school on Indian Creek Road.
The Family Reseource Center has a gigantic need for volunteers in many areas of service that they provide. For little kids they can use people to teach arts and crafts, or offer books to the youngsters. For families they offer family nights and parenting classes. For our neighbors with the green thumbs they are launching a fabulous new community garden. It will be a great opprotunity to learn and grow food and flowers for many good purposes. They also work together with the Happy Seniors for advice on what the senior citizens of our community need. They can use drivers right now since many of the seniors need rides to medical appointments both here in town and out of town.
What do you have to offer? What do you think needs to be done? What is keeping us from all working together to achieve the goals and objectives that will bring about the best possible community for our children, our families and every individual living in this wonderful Place?
That is what this New Year, 2010, stretches before us with possibilities. Let’s work together and accomplish great things!
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