Camp Meeker - January 2012

Happy New Year!    

As we now breathe a sigh of happy relief that the holidays are once again behind us, it’s time to contemplate January. January doesn’t get the cultural respect we accord the flashy and colorful lights of December, but it’s one of my favorite months. Strange, I know:  it’s cold, the days are short, there is a feeling of getting nose back to grindstone, and it’s probably raining. But still; but still. There is a feeling of contemplation and peace in the air. We have touched base with our loved ones near and far, and we still feel connected. There is nothing on the calendar but staying warm and planning the projects we will commence when it gets warm. This is a month for nestling under a blanket in our comfy chair by the stove, and cracking open the pages of a new book, perhaps one we found under the tree.

What is on the Camp Meeker calendar? Not a whole lot right now. The Park and Rec board continues moving through the routine business, with no huge and controversial issues to battle.  Check in at the next board meeting on January 17.

SMART Meter Victory
Those fighting the good fight against the Smart Meters can celebrate a victory:  PG&E has recently announced that after a good quiet think,  they will allow people  to opt out of the program if they so choose.  The exact details have yet to be announced, but for now we can celebrate the small folks’ victory over Leviathan.

History Calendars

There are other community activities emerging after hiatus:  the Camp Meeker Historical Society (CMHS) will be re-convening on Tuesday January 10. The CMHS took a well-deserved rest last fall after doing yeoman work creating the wonderful 2012 Camp Meeker Calendar. There are still calendars available!   Contact Cathie Anderson if you want to buy one of these beautiful calendars. If you don’t have her number, email me and I will put you in touch with her – or you can go to the www.campmeeker.org web page and look under the “community” drop-down menu.  That will lead you to the “History” link at the latest activities of the CMHS.

Firefighter Blog

In other news, my neighbor and journalistic colleague Tony Tominia continues to keep the community informed with his Camp Meeker VFD blog at:  http://campmeekerfire.org/blog/. Tony’s blog is generally a just-the-facts-ma’am accounting of VFD activity, but if y’all were to bookmark that URL above and send him comments and encouragement, I bet he would wax a bit more wordy and give us more insight into the exciting adventures of our forest firefighters.

Supper Club

Another community activity that will soon emerge from hiatus is the much-loved Camp Meeker Supper Club. I’m not sure when the next Supper Club  will be, but you can be sure it will  include a really good meal at a fast-food price, and some really good music at a no-cover-charge price!    Not to mention that most of your friends will be there, so don’t miss out!

Coho Return!

But wait, I’m not done with the happy return-from-hiatus news! The endangered  coho salmon took a fifty-year hiatus from  spawning in our Dutch Bill Creek, but (thanks to the tireless efforts of too many to mention here),  we are now about ten years in from the time a wild coho was spotted in the creek, and that many years into our restoration effort A snorkel survey of the creek in August recorded a small school of wild coho on film, and the observers on the Russian River have counted at least 87 adult coho returning to that river and its tributaries (including Dutch Bill).

As you can see, there are many happy thoughts to contemplate as you sip your hot cocoa under your cozy blanket in front of your glowing wood stove. Perhaps it will be raining, which at present is much needed – it’s been a very dry autumn after those first few storms.

Beautiful Winter

That’s all for now. I’m going to refill my steaming cup of tea and bundle up a little bit and listen to the quiet stillness of January. There is beauty in nothingness. That’s what the forest is telling me today.