As the old saying goes time flies and so far this month it鈥檚 doing just that. By the time the next paper gets out January will be half over, where did it go?

Snow

We want the snow for our lakes and the ranchers for the hay crop. Although the snow was late we got a pretty heavy fall. I hear it鈥檚 been a hard year to keep the highways safe and in good shape due to the black ice but they are going a good job. Hats off to you Lakes District Maintenance.

Welcome

Good news to report we have another couple take up residence at the Tweedsmuir House, Marian and Alan Blackwell, old-timers from the Lakes District.

They will be most welcome and I know they will enjoy their stay here. Marian and Alan go back many, many years of good friends of mine from the Lakes District. So far I have enjoyed my stay here.

One thing I really miss is my horse but they didn鈥檛 have room for him.

Can you help me out?

Maybe there is a person who can help me. Yesterday while my daughter was packing up my Christmas decorations she came upon a box, a foot square, and it was full of hand made baby clothes.

Lovely stuff all hand done. If I remember a lady left it with me to be picked up and never was. There is baby hats, just so much lovely stuff. It鈥檚 all here at the Tweedsmuir House in my apartment room in a safe place and no doubt something of value. There is some mother who is wondering where this box got to as it鈥檚 worth lots and all hand done too.

Now that Christmas has come and gone and the decorations are away for another year my apartment is kind of lonesome. Seems it went by so fast and the cards are still coming from folks you missed.

Oh well I will get them next year. I think I miss the tree the most and the lights make the living room so bright and brings back Christmas as it should be.

I think lots of folks feel the same way as I do. I always felt sorry for our mother as it must have been lonesome for her.

She came from a home in England where they had servants and come to a homestead on the prairie with nothing but distance. I think Christmas was the hardest time for her. Then coming to B.C. was like heaven for us all. On the prairie  we had turkey, bells, lots of carol singing and Santa too but never a Christmas tree (no trees).

For years here we had a natural tree but now the trees are store bought. One thing we brought from the prairie was a set of sleigh bells for the horses and these I treasure.

Birds

Outside my window I have a bird feeder but not many birds come for some reason. But this morning quite early there was a big wood pecker. It was large, it was light grey with spots. It was larger than any other I had ever seen. I just wonder if it鈥檚 called a Flika. It was not scared at all.

My bird books is at my home at the landing. One thing I noticed if had a long beak and had a job picking the grain in the feeder.

Good find

It鈥檚 always a good idea to clean out your corners you just might find something interesting like I did the other day.

I have had it for many years and it鈥檚 history of the Lakes District starting out in Ootsa Lake in 1905. That makes 100 years ago as they say time flies and I guess it does. The lady that gave me the writeup she called it some history told to Faye Short by R.W. Innes.

It鈥檚 a real treasure and what makes it special it鈥檚 all done in long hand and so clear and well done. It鈥檚 amazing how many settlers took up land and made their homes there.

The names and the year the settlers came in, it鈥檚 all so clear. She has also given a writeup on the setting of 亚洲天堂 Lake, Francois Lake, and Colleymount and all the north side of the lake. The hours that she put into compiling this booklet. This is a treasure.

Alan Blackwell has the book as he remembers many of the old-timers mentioned as he know so many of those old-timers who lived there as this was his home where he grew up. If you want I have the write-ups here with me and you are most welcome to drop in and read them, they are very interesting.

When the great depression hit the prairie I remember it so well. It gave us a good lesson on how it felt to be poor and that has stayed with me all my life.

Not only we didn鈥檛 have any money but we also had the big dry. Could not even grow a garden as the wells were dry, even the Eyehill Creek ran dry so we had no water and the wind blew day and night.

The C.P. railway through our place and the box cars would have men riding the rails heading for B.C. to get work. They were nice guys but were pushed to the limit.

A carload of apples from B.C., a carload of cheese from the east and a carload of smoke halibut which we called snow shoes. These cars of food were a Godsend for us all.

Some of our friends made Bennett Buggy鈥檚 out of their cars and went back to horses. I know we did.

Lots of folks went up to Peace River with teams and wagons.  Some stayed but most moved back to the prairie to their old homes. As a kid growing up during those years we had lots of fun. I look back with good memories.

Joke

What do you call two spiders who just got married?

Newlywebs.

I must close out for this week with my usual take care and always remember God loves you and so do I.