Okay since we can’t go back into another “Toilet T-Issue” of the Fawnskin Flyer, all I have to say is that last night’s meeting of the Fawnskin Chamber stunk. Although I got to the meeting a little late due to unexpected delays down-the-hill, I still go to partake in the banter followed by some tasty treats while getting the low down on the Big Bear Regional Water Agency. Thanks to Steve, Shari and Joe for their time and talent!

During the tour that followed, some chamber members were temporarily overcome by the stench in one location of the plant. However the good news is that the breeze picked up and we got to enjoy the wildlife inhabitants along with getting interesting behind the scenes information. If you don’t know what is going on you can get on their mailing list or just visit: http://bbarwa.org

In other non-news, the rumor mill seems to be going strong. Let me just set the record straight—if I have something to say to you, I will. Who knows it might even show up in the Fawskin Flyer so stop the heresay business because it is inaccurate and untrue. It isn’t interesting enough to put in the Tall Tale section but other stuff is…like people insisting the hawk soaring over head being mistaken for the Fawnskin Air Force. That is just plain silly. They are just the forestry service spotters.

Fine Dining in Fawnskin
For those of you who miss the fine dining experience in Fawnskin, I am happy to report that Bear Creek Nut & Coffee is now offering FABulous dinners once a week. You need to make reservations for Saturday’s sumptuous selections so stop by or give them a holler. They have been doing special event dinners on Sundays so don’t forget to inquiry about that possibility if you have a distinctive occasion down the road.

Wiki-Up Mystery Disclosed
Well, not really. But I did have a tongue in cheek submission about the structure pictured in yesterday’s online edition so I added the caption:

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Good morning. I had a nice morning walk and visited the little ducklings–only now they are not so little! They have left mom and are swimming around together in groups of two and three. Amazing how fast time goes by–it is already August. Locals are looking forward to football season and starting to think about preparing for winter.

This morning I got an email from Fawnskin resident, photographer Scott. He spends most days above Fawnskin following game trails and animal tracks and shared some great snaps of the local coyotes at the Fawnskin Festival.

Recently he came across an odd wiki-up type structure that is about 1/2 a mile above town. He showed the picture to the Historical Society and Tom Core and said, “Nobody has seen anything quite like it or knows who might have built it. The structure is built with twig’s, old hemp rope, burlap sacks cut in half and bark pilled over it.”

Does any one know the history about it? If so, comment below.

Scott also says that if you have a pet that gets lost in the woods that he might have better chance of finding them than anyone else and is always willing to help. I’ll check with him about posting his number or email me if you need the help.

I am wondering if a displaced person constructed it. Which brings up the fact that I just heard that Sister Annette has been working on a project soon to launch at St. Josephs Church. Did you know that there are an estimated two hundred homeless people here in the Big Bear Valley? I hope to chat with Sister Annette to find out what else we can do to help those families and individuals.

Sometimes I get irritated when people tell me how broke they are when they really are not. I remember a time when I thought my life was tough—-but by the grace of God I wasn’t living on the streets or in my car. My friends put me up, made sure I had food, and I rolled my last pennies to keep my phone on. It was really disheartening on many levels. It has been a long hard climb from there and that visceral knowledge of the process isn’t something I want to revisit. I hate to imagine how excruciating it is for those families and individuals here with winter approaching.

Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on what I discover from Sister Annette.

Also, a few of us have been kicking around the idea of video taping the town and submitting that to the television show, Extreme Makeover. Our firehouse lacks the revenue to upgrade and is in dire need of repair. There are several businesses in historic buildings that could use repair, too. Anyway, I chatted with mayor Lori about it yesterday and am going to get the requirements and info to submit to other town folk. Let me know if you are interested in being involved in the project.

Okay, I gotta go and get on with my day but don’t forget to comment below!

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Contrary to rumors, the Fawnskin Festival did not get rained out. However, the downpour ran a few of the vendors off and many people moved inside the Moose Lodge to keep dry. Flatlanders are not familiar with the mountain weather. When we say, “If you don’t like the weather just wait a while,” we really mean it! The downpour was over in about a half an hour and the rest of the day was great since it was not too hot and the ground kicked up very little dust!

The music was exceptional. Thanks to everyone who played. Although I didn’t hear about it until later the Women of the Moose decided to serve tostadas which saved the vendors! I also had a GREAT piece of apple/cranberry pie. Yum.

The winners of the apple pie contest were:
1st Place: Kim Dando
2nd Place: Randy Navarro
3rd Place: Dondi Van Horn

Congratulations!

Some how our firemen didn’t make it over to do the judging for the apple pie contest. When I queried the group, some didn’t know about it while others didn’t want to get wet. Of course, I HAD to give them a bad time over it. They could have put on their rain gear or jumped in a vehicle and still performed their civic duty…oh well, I’ll cut them some slack since they have two new captains and one new paramedic. They’ll get used to it sometime soon.

Remember my writing about “Brindle” The little lost dog? Well, Ed told me he found the owner. Unfortunately the woman is now homeless and living with friends down the hill and can’t take her. Her husband was supposed to take the dog to the shelter or rescue but he wasn’t thinking straight and dumped her off in Fawnskin. The pup’s name was originally, “Snickers.” Anyway, Ed has been taking care of her. I stop by to see her and romp around with all the canines AND neighbors (Andy and her husband) also make sure she gets attention and snacks. One of the things I like about this community is that people tend to take care of one another and the animals, too.

I got to do a quick blessing of the animals before the pet contest. I asked for the list of winners but nobody seemed to have them. I enjoyed meeting the furred friends and then just meandered around to visit the vendors and the pals I haven’t seen in a while. I don’t leave town much these days and people are starting to filter over to find me.

Thanks for all the kind comments on the flyer. I am still having fun even though it is a lot of work. One of the forestry officers wants to do a Fawnskin Forest Log (kinda like the sheriff’s log) so I’ll be setting up his page shortly. Stay tuned.

Keep those ideas coming. Someone also wanted me to rename one issue the Foreskin Flyer as a joke. Why that nickname comes up for this town I’ll never know. Let me know if you figure it out. I personally don’t like the idea…but you can comment below to let me know what you think about it.

I got the Doo Dah pictures but can’t seem to get my drive to read the disk. Special thanks to “Diane’s of Big Bear.” She does photography and graphic design locally and donated the photos for use on the Fawnskin Flyer. They are copyrighted so don’t use them without her permission. Just give her a call at (909) 585-6153. I’ll take them over to Colleen’s and see if her computer will open it–so stay tuned!

The Fawnskin Flyer chronicles life in the small mountain town of Fawnskin, California.

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