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!!!
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?’
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!
A sunrise memorial service had been held in honor of Chief Daniel Packer at the Ukonom Complex Incident Command Post in
Orleans in the morning. Over a thousand firefighters attended to honor the fallen firefighter who died in the line of duty. Many more attended services in Happy Camp that evening.
Chief Packer was from Washington, the East Pierce Fire & Rescue. He was preparing to take over duties of division supervision on the Panther Fire, 15 miles south of Happy Camp in rural
Siskiyou County, California.He was an experienced and able firefighter, but while Packer was scouting the fire, the wind shifted and the fire blew over him.
Each and every firefighter that comes to fight fires in our neck of the woods does so in peril of his life. We dare not take lightly the courage and valiant honor of these firefighters.
Tributes to Chief Packer mentioned his courage, service and commitment, as is true of many of our heroes fighting wildfires in the forest but some especially noted his faith, compassion and humility.
We pray that God will bless and comfort the Packer family and his friends and comrades on the fire line who have our deepest sympathy. Chief Packer is among those heroes who selfishly give of themselves for their fellowmen, and his sacrifice will not be forgotten.
As a Happy Camp High School student, I am here to tell you about Family. I haven’t’ really been into my family, until I reached the age of 14. I finally realized if I don’t talk to my family that I would regret it.
I was never into my family when I was in my childhood. I lived far away from my family at one point in time. In that time I felt like there was a big hole in me and I never could find out what it was. One day I was sitting on the front of the house. I received a phone call and it was my mom. She said that she was coming to get me and she missed me and couldn’t wait to see me. She finally got her act together and realized I was what she wanted to help her through what she was going through. She showed up and I got my stuff and came home. Ever since I have tried so hard to keep up with my family, but some times there are too much, emotionally and physically.
My family has so much to share with me if I sit down and just listen five minutes. I feel it changes my life. These are some things I learned from my family stories, pictures, baskets, dresses, regalia, recipes movies and many more. I drifted away and mom tried to get me to go here and there with her to see family and stuff like that, but I would just stay home. I felt like the only thinks I needed was me, myself and I, but I found out the hard way, losing family I never had a chance to sit down and talk to. I lost a lot of history, and things I will never be able to recover.
People don’t realize that our elders are the most important people to our communities. These precious people hold and know many things. When I look around I see how kids act toward their elders. They may have been born in the 50’s or the 60’s but if it wasn’t for them telling us to do thing or that, just think of what the world would be like today! If we can just sit down to hear our elders out, I bet that we would have a better understanding of one another. Our elders know how to help us or teach us. If we just gave them the respect they need they won’t be so hurt or torn. We need to give our elders more respect and more love.
Sometimes some people don’t have a mom or a dad, brother or sister, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have family. Maybe you live with your auntie or uncle or grandparents, but you still have family. We all need to sit down and talk more to the people that are close to us.
What would happen if we didn’t have a football coach next year?
What would Happy Camp do without football? Happy Camp High has had football for at least fifty years. It is a community tradition. Everybody who has ever gone to high school here comes to watch the games. All of the elders come to watch the young kids play. Even people who don’t have kids in school come to root for the kids who are playing.
I don’t think most of the kids would even come to school if there wasn’t a football team. We would lose school funds, which support our school. We would lose out trips, our COS trip and other fieldtrips.
Then, what’s left for us kids to do? There would be nothing but trouble, and everybody would drink. At school, kids would be out of control. There would be a lot more fights and drug use because there would be no motivation to go to school.
What would Happy Camp do without football? I think this whole town would turn into a hell hole—nothing but druggies and alcoholics and need a lot more law enforcement.
How many kids in this community do you think would graduate if we didn’t have a football team? Perhaps as many as 35% pf high school students wouldn’t stay in school to graduate. Some of the kids I’ve talked to said it there wasn’t a football team they wouldn’t even show up for school. I think it would all go in a chain reaction, first football, and then basketball.
As we grow older, people say that the young look up to us. Well, how are they supposed to look up to us when we have nothing to do but drink and do drugs! There would be a big change, instead d of playing in a game on Friday night, we would be getting drunk and driving our cars around, and that’s how 50% of the teens die in this neck of the woods.
What are some of the benefits of playing football? One benefit of playing football is to release stress, and stay in shape. However, the best thing about playing football is a person gains discipline and self control.
Football is a very fun activity. Guys can get girls and they learn more about the game. Students also show the people in the crowd what they’re made of. When the team goes on an out of town game, they get to travel a long way sometimes. The most fun part about traveling is eating fast food. When the players travel to other towns they represent our school and Mr. Dyer. That is why everyone is on their best behavior.
Last, but not least, I would like to talk about Coach John Kufner. He has been coaching at Happy Camp for over thirty years. He has more wins than I’ve had girl friends, and that’s a lot. He is a legend in his own time, and now it’s time for him to sit at home and watch football on television like the legend that he is.
No matter what happens here in Happy Camp, football needs to keep going on!
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