Dear Canimites:
It has been busy here at Canim with community events winding up the year.
But today most are just enjoying the presence of family and friends on this special day, here in our snowy wonderland. Merry Christmas to all!
Bachelor bake
The season started with local women gathering to prepare gifts of baking for area bachelors and elderly.
This year, heavy wet snow had fallen for days on end, making driving treacherous, but the women were not dismayed, not one bit.
Eleven gathered in Margo’s Cabin, and with amazing energy and efficiency, prepared 28 baskets of goodies in a matter of minutes, each brimming with 35 to 40 pieces of cake, cookies, bars, and chocolate.
Then off they went in a cloud of snow to make the deliveries.
FGVFD party
Firefighters and first responders got together at Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Department (FGVFD) Hall #1 to enjoy a Christmas feast prepared by The Two Sisters.
Dessert was a river of baked goods prepared by sisters-in-law Margo and Shannon Wagner – brownies with peppermint icing, mini cheese cakes with fruit toppings, and Victoria Squares, a puffed pastry with cream.
A gift exchange followed dinner using the roulette of the department’s gifting system. Everyone brings a wrapped present of value from $10 to $15, and these are stacked on the dining table with people seated around.
The first person selects and opens a gift. Continuing clockwise, the next person can select that unwrapped gift or take a new one from the table. And so it goes in turn.
Those at the end of the line are at an advantage, being able to select any gift opened or a wrapped surprise still on the table. A steady stream of quips and laughter accompanies the action as gifts change hands.
Young Lieutenant Matt Wiesendahl received more than a little ribbing this year. One of the first to select, to his dismay, he unwrapped a fancy box of potpourri. He had no takers for this gem until at the last moment, Margo, in a fit of compassion and accompanied by whoops of laughter from Matt’s friends and much to his relief, swapped her bottle of wine for it.
Community club dinner
The last big social of the season was the Community Club dinner at the Forest Grove Legion.
More than 40 Canim and Hawkins lakes people piled in to catch up on each other’s news and enjoy a great supper served by the Legion staff.
President Margo Wagner welcomed everyone. Gordon Kellett brought Marion, enabling her to see everyone again.
Art Dumaresq played for the group, singing Christmas songs then moving into some light rock ‘n’ roll dance tunes peppy enough to get some of the post-dinner crowd on their feet dancing.
Food donations brought by people quickly added up. In the end, six large bags of food were delivered to the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre for the ‘A Touch of Christmas’ hampers.
Bits and bites
• A black-billed magpie showed up briefly at our feeder, found the sunflower seed not to his liking and headed east. That was the first sighting here in the 10 years we have lived here.
• The Canim Lake Post Office proved its worth again. Postmistress Grace Buse, a master at the fine points of the postal system, got my Christmas package off to New Brunswick at a lower cost, with a faster delivery and with insurance to boot.
That’s all for now. Here’s wishing you many Blessings this Christmas day.