I must apologize — I haven’t written anything for a month.  I thought about it from time to time, but I never even managed to sit down and wish my readers a Merry Christmas. At least it’s not too late to wish you a Happy New Year. I hope 2019 brings you good times and happy days.

A fun holiday time was had by all at the Bidwell Mansion Association “Christmas with the Bidwells” event on December 7th. I write short dramatic vignettes that our volunteer actors portray inside the mansion. Here is our wonderful crew:

Our merry mob of Mansion actors. Left to right: Alex Hilsee (Katie), Nick Anderson (John Bidwell), Robyn Engel (Annie Bidwell), Mike Swann (“Cheyenne” Dawson), Kathryn Aarons (Minnie), Matthew Dick (Guy Kennedy)

And yes — that’s how short Annie Bidwell was — 4′ 8″, just like Robyn.

I had hoped to have my new picture book biography on Peter Lassen out by now, but I ran into a snag. My friendly neighborhood graphic designer, Carla Resnick, sent the pages off to the printer over a month ago. We weren’t happy with the proof that came back — the colors were off. And in a book that has color illustrations on every page, that’s important.

First proof on the left with the brown too reddish. Improved version on the right.

Carla adjusted the colors and the next proof looks better. But we can’t expect anything to happen over the holidays, and it will be 2019 before I have a new book to show.

It was a busy month — December always is. I always add a bunch of extras at Christmastime — sewing, baking, decorating, and shopping for the grandkids. The fires in our community added many opportunities to volunteer and help out, so I was doing some of that kind of thing.

On three successive Saturdays the A-team (A for ANCHR) did three presentations on our new book, Ten Miles Of Roadside Archaeology Along The Old Humboldt Wagon Road. Here we are making a donation toward the restoration of the Gold Nugget Museum in Paradise.

Left to right: Josie, myself, Michelle Rader, Ron Womack, Dave Brown, Arno Martini — the A-team

The “check” is drawn on the Bank of Butte County and signed by John Bidwell himself!

Josie Reichschneider-Smith, on the left, didn’t want it to be just any old generic check, so she came up with this special edition.

And I promise that you will see a new blog entry here before another month goes by!