Holiday events plentiful up the North Fork and an unwanted 'guest'

Like most places, the North Fork has multiple cycles that repeat themselves year after year. The biggest are the seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. Each season, in turn, activates cycles of human activity: fishing season, hunting season, tourist season. Each activity gives a columnist something to write about.

How many times have I covered the threats of flood and fire, the Fourth of July in summer and golden tamarack and Thanksgiving in the fall and, finally, the Christmas season to end the year?

It’s no different this year.

Caldwells famous Halloween party, Thanksgiving dinner at the Hall and the now famous Graham Christmas Party have all come and gone, proving many traditions are founded in good will and appreciation of our great place and our terrific neighbors.

And we have more to come in the next weeks as Heaphys and Caldwells are hosting Christmas dinner at Sondreseon Hall on Christmas Day. Usually, there are fewer in attendance than Thanksgiving, but the good food and good neighbors are the same.

Shortly after, is the New Year’s Eve party, hosted this year by the Leighs and Kellys. In the past, the New Year’s Eve party culminated with fireworks at midnight. Recent years have seen earlier fireworks and less alcohol than in the past. I suspect the advancing age of residents has been the cause, but I am not sure. There was a time when New Year’s Eve was and adults-only event, but now everyone is included.

Finally, the annual New Year’s Day beach party is held with hotdogs, beans and liquid refreshment on the bank of the North Fork River. This outdoor event is held no matter what the weather is like. If it is really cold, we make more fires.

The beach party started as a Hoiland family event, which was first crashed by Lynn Ogle on his snowmobile. It has expanded year-by-year to include up to 30 people.

This is an invitation-only affair, because it is more than a mile from any plowed road and transport of attendees has become a logistical problem, since firewood and food have to be hauled in as well. Even so, it is a great way to welcome in the new year, even if it is 20 below.

Although things are generally always great on the North Fork with a lot of great people, every once in a while we have a jerk to remind us how good we have it.

This year, our jerk was a woman with a child who broke into a summer cabin, stayed several days, made a mess, but didn’t steal anything. How do we know this?

The landowner has game cameras set up for security, so hopefully, this person will be caught.

She must have been somewhat familiar with the property.

Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.