Kev...it's a go

The eagle has landed......ission-May idoo-Skay....all ahead full.

You may have to drive it up to our place from Tom's, but something tells me you won't mind that too much....right?

what's a loonie auction?

I'd never heard of one either until we moved here. Seems they are very popular in these parts. And the one held here in Endako is the most popular of all. It started as a way to raise funds for renovations to the community hall and has grown into a huge, much anticipated annual event. We have the added bonus of a supper, to which we sell tickets, and the community hall isn't big enough to fit all that want to attend.

In a normal auction an item is bidded on and the price keeps going up until no one wants to pay any more and the last bidder gets it. A loonie auction doesn't work that way, and in my opinion, whoever thought of this was brilliant. Items and services are donated, in advance, by local businesses and members of the community and displayed on a table. The auctioneer holds a bucket full of numbered poker chips. Each member of the audience has a sheet of paper, pencil and a supply of loonies. Around the room are several people with baskets and their job is to collect loonies. When an item is up for bid, participants put up their hands. As the auctioneer acknowledges each one he pulls a poker chip, reads the number on the chip to that bidder who writes the number down and puts a loonie in the basket. The poker chip goes into a different bucket. This goes on and on for who knows how long....depends on how popular the item is. People can buy more than one number if they want to. When the bidding stops, the auctioneer pulls from the "purchased" poker chips and whoever has that number gets the item. Many, many dollars can be raised for an item, with the winner having only paid one or two.For instance, we put a nice crisp $100 bill in a frame. Everyone was willing to spend $1 for a chance at it (and boy, the loonies were flying). It brought in $221.

So, that's a loonie auction in a nutshell. A great way to raise funds. People have fun and they don't have to be rich to participate.

feeling better

I am feeling MUCH better. Just a barking cough remains from that nasty flu. Art says I must be feeling better because my loud opinions are back, not to mention flouncing around in shorts and a t-shirt. My friend Audrey gives me heck because I don't wear a coat and my shoes have holes in them (actually, they're Crocs....they're supposed to have holes in them....I like them that way), but we all know that's not how you catch a cold. Touching the hands of 160 people at the Loonie Auction a few weeks ago is more likely where it came from.

Speaking of the Loonie Auction ...... FUN times in Endako! We kind of over-booked ourselves and the building was bursting at the seams with people, but once supper was over the crowd thinned out a little. We had lots of great stuff to auction off and people were parting with their loonies like crazy. I'd tell you how many is in this box, but we are going to have a "guess-how-many" contest at our next meeting, and just in case any of you are planning to be there I'll keep the answer to myself for now.I can tell you....that box is HEAVY!

Did it rain in Vancouver yesterday? Because it sure snowed here. We were in a blizzard for most of the day and the wind was howling. All that plowing work Art did got drifted over pretty quickly. So he was out there again today, rearranging piles of snow. Trouble is, the danged thing makes him carsick. Imagine. Needing to take Gravol to plow the driveway. Poor guy.

The blizzard was fun (brings out the kids in us) and was a great reason to brew up a big pot of potatoe soup (yummmmm), but I kinda wish it had waited a day. There was a big figure skating extravaganza in Fraser Lake last night and I wanted very much to go see it, but the roads were very, very bad. One of those nights that if you didn't HAVE to go anywhere, it was best to stay home. Darn. I was really looking forward to it.

I have been keeping busy getting Christmas gift making finished. I know it's hard to start these projects in July, but I really wish I had. I'm taking pictures so I can show you in the New Year.

Our chickens seem to be happy as clams. Egg production fell off when winter set in. We felt really bad when the heater that Art put in the coop stopped working at some point and the poor little buggers were freezing their hynies and we didn't even know it. He has since fixed that and also put a heat lamp in the chicken tractor. Now it's warm AND they have lots of extra light. It's wild to look out at night and see the red glow of their little Bahama resort. Egg production is WAY up and they're monstrous in size! (Janet....we will send as many home with Sara as we can. I know how much you enjoy them.)

Only one more week until the kids arrive for Christmas. Seven more sleeps! Kev ..... we put an word in the ear of the snowmobile fairy. Keep your fingers crossed.

a winter wonderland

Winter is definitely upon us.



After Art made the trip up the hill with chains on, YRB came in and plowed us out. So, we're good now until it snows another foot or so. In the meantime, the driveway should be passable in a car.

is it cold in here...or is it just me?

I know, I know. You never thought you'd hear ME utter such words. But honestly, I'm freezing! For the first time, having it almost 30 degrees C in this house is not causing me to put on my shorts and go stand outside where it's a nice comfy minus 20. Probably because I have one nasty $#@&(*! of a cold. Either this is a really bad one or I just can't handle 'em like I used to. This actually HURTS. It started in my throat and now my ears hurt...my eyes hurt...my TEETH hurt!

As my Mom would say....."poor iddum-diddums".