Smoke Signals – Picnic Celebration

Smoke Signals – August 12th 2012
Greetings from Chief Graeagle, sending “Smoke Signals” from Long Lake in Beautiful Plumas County.

What a difference a year makes! 20 feet of snow last year and only 5 feet this last winter! What will next year bring? One thing for sure, we will be having the best picnic celebration as always.

After considerable research by Squaw Peggy Ross and Chief Graeagle we have determined the the first year to hold these picnics was in 1965. What this means is that the celebration of Graeagle Lumber Company Alumni now stands at 47 years. Wow, thanks to all the alumni, family and friends that continue to support this great event annually.

We are attempting to bring some sanity to the buffet. We are asking that we all support something new for the picnic.

Those with the last names starting with A to H will please bring Main Course items including beans. Those in the I to Q will bring salad & bread. Those in the R to Z will bring desserts. Each year we will rotate the list and announce it in the “Smoke Signals.” We hope this will even out the grub brought by the many tribes, so we do not have too much of any one thing and not enough for others. Thank you for your patience and help in this endeavor.

As we have done in the past we will start the day of with some seet tooth fixings and great Sierra Mud! At 1PM the grub line will form for what has become the best feast this side of the Mississippi! Please remember our new *rotating schedule* and bring generous portions of your grub category. Don’t forget your plates, napkins and eating tools.

As most know, we have had a change in the “Refreshment Tent.” Again, this yearwe have Squaw Sue and Rosemary from the Hangtown tribe. They will have their wicked Bloody Mary’s along with soda’s, beer, wine and of course, Graeagle ditch water. We wish to thank them for their long journey to the North. As soon as lunch is finished we will start the raffle. Squaw Janice Rogers and Chief Graeagle have just finished a big Pow Wow and have everything in order for a great raffle. Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.

Squaw Peggy Ross received smoke signals from Squaw Lisa Thompson that she will be unable to lead the picture board committee at this time. This part of the celebration has become very popular with the young, and not so young. It takes us back to the “old days” and back to the present. If we could get a chairperson for this part, the Chief would be very grateful. Let him know if you can help.

As we gather for this 47th annual picnic lets say Thank You to the grandparents, Parents, Brothers & Sisters who have left before us to sit with the great spirit and to those that we lost this year. You have truly left us with the “Gift of a Lifetime”…..
DEAN LANTRIP * ANDY STEVENSON * SHIRLEY WEST * ED LONGABAUGH

P.O. BOX 708 Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 622-2962 pjross@bigvalley.net