The Annual Don Q Awards for 2014

As I have done for many years, my last article of the year, each year, is to present the Don Q Awards for a number of different reasons. Those reasons include such assorted things as: Outstanding, memorable, good, not so good, questionable, bad, serious, funny, dumb, head-scratching, are-you-kidding, etc.

These awards are presented to all kinds of people or places or things for what has occurred throughout the year.
It’s a fun way to end the year for yours truly.

So, without further ado, here are the 2014 Don Q Award winners:
Best Birthday Present:
The surprise arrival of our good friends, Barry and Susan Drury of Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada to help me celebrate a special birthday. I had no idea they would be in Carson City and was blown away by their unexpected visit.

Best Breakfast Pastries:
A repeat winner: "Donuts To Go" on North Carson Street in Carson City. Their tasty pastries are the best, with nobody even in second place. My two personal favorites are chocolate bars and apple fritters.
Best Looking Front Yard:
That was what we were told by a Carson City Public Works employee when he drove by our brand new front yard lawns and flower beds. They were the result of a lot of hard work and money but well worth all the effort and cost.

Best Reason For Having Multiple Freezers:
Our friend Barry Drury has three (3!) freezers filled to the brim with Black Bear, Caribou, Moose and Musk Oxen meat, plus fish such as King Salmon, Halibut, Arctic Grayling, etc. I sure would like to be his next door neighbor!

Best Source For Local News:
Hands down, it is website Carson Now Kirk Caraway and Jeff Munson do a great job of making that website the best place to go for the latest and most complete news about Carson City. Well done, guys!

Best Surprise Of The Year:
Don Hettrick of Carson City, who started a fire in his fireplace, only to have the creosote-filled chimney catch fire and belch flames five feet into the air.
The Fire Department came to the rescue and everything turned out AOK.

Best Waiter:
If you go to Bodine's for breakfast or lunch, ask to be seated in "Michael's" section. In addition to Bodine's great food, Michael is one of the most personable waiters you will ever meet. Remember: Ask for Michael!

Best Wildlife Visitor:
The buck mule deer with his huge, impressive 4x4 antlers, who became a frequent visitor at our cabin. He loved to lie for hours in the shade of our Quaking Aspen Trees, even while we looked down at him from our deck.
Congratulations:
To Wyatt Law, 15, of Carson City, who got a very nice buck Pronghorn Antelope on a rifle hunt with his dad, Kevin, in Northern Washoe County.
It was his very first, but you can bet that it won't be the last.

Favorite Place For An Overnight Getaway:
The Virginia Lakes area, near Bridgeport, Calif., where we stayed in cozy Cabin No. 07 at the Virginia Lakes Resort and then hiked to Blue Lake to enjoy the scenery and the fun-filled, fishing for small Brook Trout.

Favorite "Q" Cocktail:
It is a large glass, filled with ice cubes, whiskey, a splash of water, an orange slice and a Brandy-marinated cherry. It makes a great sipping drink on warm, lazy, sunny afternoons, while we are seated on our front porch.

Favorite TV Show:
"Alaska The Last Frontier," which is about the Kilcher Family (Atz, Otto (our personal favorite person), Bonnie, Charlotte, Atx Lee, Eivin, Jane and Eve), who have homesteaded on the shores of Kachemak Bay, near Homer.
God Is Trying To Tell You Something:
The last three times, Bob "Slick" McCulloch of Carson City has gone big game hunting, he has come home sick with lung problems. I think he is a slow learner, but I am afraid to tell him not to go big game hunting anymore.

Many Thanks:
When we flew to Honolulu in late February with my son and daughter-in-law, Jim & Kathi had arranged for Elaine and I to fly in first-class with them, as a surprise for me. It was my first time and now I'm spoiled forever.

Most Fun-Filled Photo Activity:
Elaine and I spent many hours poring through hundreds of photos to create special 2015 photo calendars for close friends and relatives. Those Costco calendars make awesome Christmas gifts, which can be enjoyed all year.

Most Interesting Weather Cam:
It is at website www.fairbanksalaska.com/goldenheart/. The images change every few seconds and you can watch pedestrians, vehicles, chimney smoke, clouds, etc. You're looking at the city square next to the Cheena River.
Most Interesting Weather Forecast:
It is http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=CAXX2567 for a remote weather station at Eureka, Canada. It you want to see cold, go there and be prepared to shiver. Brrr!

Most Spectacular Sunset:
From the lanai of our condo at Kuhio Shores on Kauai last February-March.
Elaine got a great photo of the setting sun, that was perfectly framed by the fronds of the large palm tree just outside our condo.

Most Unforgettable Experience:
Riding in Rob Bounamici's jeep to near the top of Genoa Peak (9,000+ elevation) and being able to see the spectacular views of the entire length and width of Lake Tahoe plus the big peaks to the south in Douglas County.

Newest Friends:
Jerry and Kelly Dankbar of Roseville, Calif., who have been busy remodeling their cabin, which is a very short distance from ours. We have spent enjoyable times together, enjoying cocktails at either cabin.

Saddest Sight No 01:
Our streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, reservoirs and lakes which have been decimated by our prolonged drought. We desperately need a huge, prolonged winter snowfall. Keep your fingers crossed that it happens.

Saddest Sight No. 02:
The dense smoke that covered our area for days and days, from the man-made King Fire in Yosemite National Park. It burned more than 150 square miles and was fought by more than 8,000 fire fighters.

Saddest Sight No. 03:
The body of a Black Bear cub that was lying alongside of California S.R. 70 near Beckwourth. It had apparently been struck and killed by a passing vehicle, while crossing that busy highway.

Special Get-Away Location:
The Quilici cabin located on a steep hillside near Davis Lake, California.
We totally enjoy spending many weekends there, while enjoying the cabin comfort, neighbors, scenery and the area's many different kinds of wildlife.

Special Wildlife Friend:
The doe mule deer that ran up to be patted on the nose by Elaine, when we were enjoying a 4:00 p.m. cocktail on our cabin's front deck. This year, her twin fawns also took a liking to Elaine. It made for some great photo ops.

Thanks For All The "Goodies":
Chuck and Barbara Van Hise of Carson City, who very generously allowed Elaine and I to pick all kinds of peaches and apples from their trees and tomatoes and squash from their impressive garden.

Weirdest Sight:
The lady who walked past our small cabin at the Virginia Lakes Resort, while pushing a baby carriage. In the carriage was not a child but a Toy Collie dog! It's true: Pushing a baby carriage with a small dog in it!
Why are they more important:
The two locations on Stewart Street where flashing lights are used at pedestrian crossings. Could those be more important than all of the other pedestrian crossings in the rest of Carson City?

Why Pick On Us:
We were very proud of our five, brand-new flower beds with all of their colorful flower varieties, until deer discovered all of the tasty goodies in them. They ate the flowers and also wiped out Elaine's tomato patch. Curses!

Worse Kept Yards:
The two shabby, dying yards in our neighborhood where the tenants rarely water and mow the lawns. IMHO, the landlords, who live in Carson City, are only interested in rental income and could care less about their rentals. Sad!

Worse Parking Lot:
The U.S. Post Office main office, 1111 S. Roop St. desperately needs re-striping and pot hole repair. It is an adventure going to get your mail with vehicles coming, parking and leaving from every direction.

Yipes:
If you ever plan to visit Honolulu, be sure that you have lots of money.
Here are just two examples of our visit there: Breakfast for four was $101 (coffee was $4.50 per person!) and dinner for four was $271.71.

Finally:
A very Happy New Years to you and yours. May all of your resolutions for 2015 come true.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor editor. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilci@hotmail.com.