The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 15, 1995 - Bt i:

: ERR ACE STANDARD

| “INSIDE”. SECTION B
: COMMUNITY JEFF NAGEL
638-7283

EVENTS B2

HERE BY CHOICE.
FAE COLLINS MOONEY .

The phantom
in my attic

AVE YOU ever had the

feeling you're being

watched? Somewhere, you’re

sure, unseen eyes are fixed on
your every move,

Last winter I had that eerie feeling.

Working at my word processor up here in the
attic | sometimes felt I was not alone...

Working late at night up here it sometimes
seemed that shadows at the edge of my
peripheral vision — moved.

I'd try to dismiss it, reassuring myself that I’m
just tired.

- But the ceric feeling would not go away.
Somewhere, lurking in the shadows or
recesses of the room, I was convinced, a litile
_ critter was watching me.
Night after night, I worked with a sense of un-
ease. From time to time I’d stop, glance over
my shoulder and scan the room.
Night after night through the long winter, cach
time I thought a shadow moved, my heart
skipped a beat.
_ However, I had no direct evidence to support
my suspicion.
-. Nonetheless, I strongly suspected I was shar-
ing this space with a mouse.
I‘ named my shadowy suspect associate,
Phanlom.
- ’ Jt was somehow comforting, and a bit reassur-
ing; in attaching.a name to this unknown entity.’
Even so, I continued my sleuthing.
By. day I searched for clues, evidence. It
_ wasn’t my overactive imagination, ] was sure,
~ And Lwas right!
"One night I saw it. Big Mickey Mouse ears,
_ black ‘beady little eyes, long twig of a tail...
Phanny. was for real.
~ But ne was so well-behaved, and so cute.

T decided to Ict him stay.

After all, what harm can one little mouse do?

- We learned to trust one an-

other. And | found myself
looking forward to meeting
him each evening.

Our relationship over those several winter
months was a good one, and watching his
mousy performances late at night created for me
brief diversions from the mundane... ;

For several months he and I shared my office.
He had his self-prescribed area, and I had mine.
We learned to trust one another: And I found |
myself looking forward to meeting him each
evening,

Then one moming I noticed someone had pic-

nicked on my houseplants during the night!
’ Surely nol my little Phanny!

Assuredly not -

However, Phanny got into the house, Another
did alsa.

And Another was the wrong sex (or should I
say, the right sex.)

Before I knew what had happened my office
had become an adventure playground for a fam-
ily of twelve!

Little Phannies were popping up, peeking out,
poking into, skiltering across, climbing up, leap-
ing over, streaking pasl, getting inte...

And scaring me out of my wits!

None was as well-behaved as Phanny. And
not one was as quict as a —

T must admit, though, they shared my taste in
literature: Yes, they chiselled and chewed and
sampled most of my favourite books and maga-
zine collections.

Then they decided on some house Tenova-
tions! a new exit here, and another’ over there,
and...

And!!

Eighteen traps got smeared with peanut butter.

During the night I’d hear then SNAP.

My trusting little Phanny was the first..,

One by onc they succumbed to the peanut but-
ter,

All of them, but one,

It doesn’t venture into my office anymore, But

I hear it from time to time gnawing behind the -

walls...

Mice!

I still haven’t discovered how they're getting
into the house.

This time, though, they’re here by thei.
choice. Not minel-. ;

This time, even one is one too many. °

This time, all of them have gotta go!

Boe cake Stet PTR GEOR Ft

; i rt : HH
& Hot off the press
CHILDREN’S AUTHOR Brenda Silsbe has lust. published her faurth book — The Waicher. Printed

by Annick Prass, it's available locally through Misty River Books. It's in addition ta her other chil-
dren's books — Just One Colour, Winning the Girl of the Sea, and The Bears We Know,

HIKING CLUB leader Vicki Kryklywyj died of leukemia last
month at age 65, but not before she finished her last hike.

By JEFF NAGEL
UNDREDS OF local
people gained an ap-

preciation of the out-

doors from one
woman who knew this land like
the back of her hand.

Vicki Kryklywyj, the pillar of
the Terrace Hiking Club, returned
to the elements — always her
favourite place —- when she died
of leukemia Jan, 21 at the age of
65.

Vicki was known for her love
of the outdoors and her en-
cyclopedic knowledge of the
Skecna wildemess.

“She opened up a lot. of
people's eyes to the beauty of na-
ture around here and because of
that a lot of people care a lot
more for the environment,"
Jorma Jyrkannen says.

“In my opinion, she really
made a big difference with her
life and her hobbies.’’

Her dedication also stands out

For Vicki —

We walked across the lake today
And up into the hills.

We skied along the river trail
Recalling nature's thrills

Maroon Mountain, Sleeping Beauly, 7

Saven Sisters, Silvern Lake
Insect Look-out, mines-a-many,

By ‘the season’ we would take. eS,

| see you in these mountains, |
Lilting laughter at the sky,-°
Strong, healthy, individual! —

Determination in your eye!

And | see you In your garden,”

By your dream-house made of lags, .

- _— With much love and appreciation, :
- Shannon Mark

| see you fandly caring.
For your menage of cats and dogs.

Yoodle loodle loodle lool!

And | hear you share your history

- Of mountains, mines and lore.

And | hear your controversial mind

_ Which challenges for more.

Your life of vivid shapes presents
‘A model of fresh hopes, |

For those who choose to travel on

“Trails of. ‘lass trodden slopes’...

7 It's wintertime, so now you sleep

Untiithe snow is through.

Buti in the hills in summertime
“{'llexpect to hear..;.

an

Mam!

Challenge —

“4 issued

STEVE SCOTT'S looking for 12
healihy adults.

They’re to take part. in a
marasportathon challenge issued
by a like number of people from .
Prince Rupert.

The goal is to raise money
through pledges and sponsorships ©
for B.C.’s Children’s Hospital,
the Vancouver-based hospital ©
which serves children from
around the province,

Participants compete in seven .
sports over a- 24-hour period
March 18-19 in Prince Rupert.

‘We've had a successful time
just in Prince Rupert and by ex-
panding to Terrace we think it
could even be more successful,”
said organizer Doug Kydd.

“'We've got the venues booked
and waiting,’ Kydd added.

The seven sports are hockey,
curling, bowling, indoor soccer,
volleyball, basketball and water
basketball.

Participants should be fit and ~

_Scott and Kydd are looking for

people over the age of 35. “For
anybody younger it may not be a
great challenge,’’ he noted.

He’s already dealing with a per-
sonal challenge from Terrace
physician Dr, Geoff Appleton,

Kydd noted that the two-city
event is rooted in the children’s
hospital service to all over B.C.

Two weeks ago,:2 team from
B.C.’s Children’s Hospital was in
Terrace to conduct an EEG clinic.

Last year there were 133 visits
to the hospital from Terrace. chil-
dren and 138 frem Prince Rupert.

*'That puts us about even and |

makes the marasportathon eve
more relevant,’’ said Kydd, ,
"And he has. one bit. of advice for - eae

the Terrace team — hite a bus,

“They may not see the wisdom
of that on the bus there but be- |
lieve me, they'll sce the. wisdom
of that on the way back.”

‘The event is open to men and
women. Call * city recreation.
director Steve Scott at 638-4750,

Vicki shared her love of the wild

in his memory,

“She was always there on ae! 2
_ Tainiest days-waiting at the library.

to see who was going to show:up'
on Sunday mornings,’’ recalls
Jyrkannen. ‘‘Her passing will.
leave a big hole: in the. com-

“munity.”

Vicki planned the. trips and
most often led the hikes, giving
many people new to the com-
munily "an introduction to the"
aECA. .

“She literally was “the hikisig
club,’’ says Shannon Mark. ‘She
‘was ‘the one that knew when the
snow :was low enough to go,
when the flowers would be best.

“She was a tremendous source -
of knowledge for the outdoors in
this community.”

She also loved her garden and =
her cats, said to number more
than 70 stone point" -

She worked most of her life as a
confidential secretary, but Ied a
simplistic existence at home.

Vicki lived her final years in a
Jog cabin in town’ that she had
moved down from Alice Amn. |
She outfitted it with an-ancient |
stove from an old miner's cabin -
on Maroon Mountain:

“She's touched -a lot: of |
people,” Mark added, : “‘When
you got to-know her you couldn’t’
help but really admire her ‘and —
like her.’”

“She was very generous, | kind,
caring. and helpful to everyone,'’
adds Benita Chapdelaine. - -

“The one trip that was always
Vicki's lifelong’ dream ‘was. to
hike the Chilkoot Trail, the brutal

‘| route miners took from Skagway, |
Alaska to reach the Klondike —

gold fields,

Vicki finally made that arduous
trek Jast summer as the: cancer
was beginning 10 wear her down, ©

“She was way too sick to do
that trip,’ says Shannon “Mark,

‘But she did. And that was -
Vicki: If she waa: going ‘todo. *:
"something, she was m going & to do 2

ae | hace