What's Happening in Stonyford: Winter came with change of time

It seems like winter came with the time change this year.

We've had our first frost, and the leaves are falling like crazy. The day after the frost, we had strong winds, and it looked like it was raining leaves. So, we're spending a couple of hours bringing firewood up onto the porch.

I moved my easy chair right next to the wood stove. Larry has his recliner all the way across the room. That suits us both.

The storms will soon be here. Clean your gutters, and cover your delicate plants. Wrap any exposed water pipes. Get some easy-to-prepare foods on hand. Keep candles, flashlights or oil lamps handy for power outages.

There was a nice turnout for Bingo last Wednesday night at the Grange. Chuck was the caller and did a great job. We will continue to have Bingo throughout the winter and see how we do. It will be on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Next Bingo is Nov. 28.

We have been having Tuesday dinners at the Grange for a year now. It has been a challenge thinking of interesting foods to cook, but the hardest part was figuring out how much or how many to prepare for. We started off with spaghetti each week. That got old in a month or so.

We found hearty soups are popular in the winter, and big salads went well in the summer. Homemade breads and desserts are a hit also. The most popular dish may be meatloaf or pork roast or chicken enchiladas. We ran out of food on the pork roast day. If you have a request, be sure to let us know.

So, as a thank you to the community for supporting us for this last year, we are having a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings this next Tuesday. There will be turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans and sweet potato casserole, with pumpkin pie and cake for dessert. It will be free of charge, with a donation can available. We hope to see you there.

East Park Reservoir seems to still be open for the weekends, from Friday to Monday. Of course, this is always subject to change with changes in the weather this time of year. There is a number to call for information, 968-5267.

You can obtain information about Mendocino National Forest at 963-3128. They still have some areas closed since the Mill Fire this summer. Firewood cutting permits and Christmas tree permits are available. Or you can check the US Forest Service website: www.fs.usda.gov /mendocino.

Our next big event is the Christmas Bazaar, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1, at the town hall. This is always a fun event with lots of homemade crafts and goodies, lunch and good fellowship.

Put it on your calendar.