Dear Canimites,
A very Merry Christmas Season to you all.
Lucky bachelors
Bachelors in the area got a real delight mid-month, as 17 women in the area pooled the best of their baking.
Gathering at the home of Don and Jean Reynolds, they made up 22 decorated packages for subsequent delivery around the lakes.
The ladies capped off their work with coffee and a tasting of the leftovers, strictly for quality-assurance purposes.
This lucky husband got a goodie bag, too.
Local pottery
The multi-talented denise swift has turned out a new batch of attractive pottery, including small serving plates, candy dishes, pitchers and vases.
She says her creative instincts really take over in the glazing process, and to this old eye, the result is very pleasing shapes and colours. She can be contacted at 250-397-2632.
Jottings
• The Community Club Christmas Dinner was a spirited gathering, with 36 people from Hawkins and Canim lakes attending.
Pat and Allen Riley prepared a fabulous feast for the group at B.J.'s Donuts & Eatery, which has included ham and turkey and all the trimmings.
News was exchanged, summer residents back for Christmas got their customary razzing, old adventures were relived, new excitements planned, and the latest innovations in snow removal debated.
People left with a smile on their faces and 'Merry Christmas' on their lips.
• Earl Williams' Cessna 180 is often seen at the east end of Canim in the summer time, coming and going from its moorings at the Canim Lake Resort.
It is now safely tucked away in its shelter in Langley, visions of remote fishing lakes dancing in its head.
• The Mad Otter of Canim Lake made another appearance - this time at the farm of Vicky Shirran and Bill Morehouse. Bill says the critter was tobogganing down the fields from the bush southwards toward the lake.
First responders ready
With the slippery snow-shoveling season upon us, you can rest assured the fire department is prepared for medical emergencies.
Fifteen members of the Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Department Halls 1 and 2 have just spent three days recertifying their qualifications for automated external defibrillator (AED) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), under the skilled tutelage of instructor Margo Wagner and backed up by the experienced deputy fire chief Ken Brown.
An AED is used in cases of cardiac arrest. The two fire halls back each other up in order to provide strong first-response medical emergency coverage, while the ambulance is on its way.
Birder's Notes
Swans continued dropping by Canim Lake at Bridge Creek until Dec. 17 at which point growing shore ice choked off the food supply.
At the time of writing, the big birds are still showing up at both ends of Mahood Lake.
An unusual visitor, a solitary Harris' Sparrow, roosted for a week at Phil and Sharon Simms' home at Mahood Lake, resting up for his final flight to the Midwest United States. Or, perhaps, it's just waiting for Christmas dinner.
That's all for now. Here's wishing many blessings in the new year.