by Judy E. Bushy January 2020
After a couple of weeks of fun, socializing and celebrating,Happy Camp Veterans social meeting has resumed at the Happy Camp community Center at 10 o’clock on Tuesday mornings. It has been great to have some new youthfulness added, even though it is a newly retired serviceman. All veterans from every era are welcome to join the group who gather Tuesday mornings.

The River Readers Book Club also meets on Tuesday. Their meeting for coffee and sometimes fries, is at 11:00 o’clock at the Partner’s Deli on Highway 96. We are reading Overstory by Richard Powers. Powers has written a dozen novels and has received many awards. This particular book has received a Pulitzer Prize in fiction. The novel hasn’t convinced me that the activists, who experience death and disaster in their efforts to save the trees, are acting logically. The Klamath National Forest, where we make our home has 1,700,000 acres of forest, yet they are trying to save the “last few acres” of trees. With the Six River and Siskiyou National Forests added the acres of trees come to about 3 million acres of trees, beautiful trees!

One review says it is for readers who despair of humanity’s self-imposed separation from the rest of creation and hope for transformation, not for me! I love living close to nature and being able to enjoy the Creation everyday in Happy Camp! Thinning and controlled fires are more helpful in saving the forests, as the raging wild fire in the forest is more detrimental to air quality and to the life in the forest than any other catastrophe, in my opinion. It will be interesting to see where our conversations take us. I’d be much more behind saving the bees which we are killing with insecticides, which seems likely to bring worse catastrophe.
The library is again open Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:30 o’clock.

Nest Monday is an important day for the crime fighting and justice seeing members of the community. There is a need for quorum at the Neighborhood Watch meeting at 5:30 at the Partner’s Deli next Monday. It would be nice to hear that there are no crimes, problems or drugs being used in our community, but such may not be the case, and community working together is needed to make a change and keep things quiet and law abiding. Your help and input is appreciated.

It was suggested that neighbors share what was one thing that you’d like to do in 2020, maybe something that you haven’t done in the past, and would like to do. . Linda Martin wants to write her memoir and has encouraged me to join her in this project. In fact we made an outline to begin and will write one section each month, and by the end of the year have twelve chapters of our lives written.

Several people want to walk. Some just want to walk everyday in beautiful Happy Camp, Some want to walk a mile on the Pacific Crest Trail. Others want to walk up Town Trail. Some have gone before and mention the beautiful view of the whole town and river surrounded by the mountains of green trees, A lovely scene!
Nathan Prince wants to get his private pilot certificate while another pilot wants an instructor’s license and to “Save Our Happy Camp Airport!”

Travel was mentioned by several of the respondents, from the pyramids of Egypt to taking grandchildren to Hawaii. Camping, particularly camping in the wilderness were also a favorite thing to look forward to. I’m not sure of Going Happy Camping was the camping or just enjoying our lovely little frontier town. Perhaps when they’re camping they’ll find some lost gold caches or treasures, as some want to go treasure hunting.

Winning the lottery was also mentioned. The most exciting goal for the coming year was to go skydiving! Doesn’t that sound adventurous!

Whatever your plans for the coming year, may it be a great year of making happy memories with your family, friends and neighbors! Happy New Year yet again!!!