Christmas Morning by Ida O’Keefe

Since we are still in the Christmas season here at CBR, I thought Ida’s new poem would be a welcome addition:

Christmas Morning
by Ida O’Keefe

On Christmas Night
Suddenly and Swiftly
From far away
We hear the sound of bells

And then a little red light glows
Then a peek of deer comes
We say, “Here comes Santa
On his sleigh!”

The jingling of bells gets louder
We pretend to sleep
So Santa comes

When we wake up
Our stockings are filled
With candies and delicious treats

That morning was happy
And so was the following night
When we went to sleep
We had a little treat
It was a box of popcorn!

Book Announcement: Cornelius O’Keefe

I found the following new book announcement recently that will be of great interest to all rhinoceri:

Image of Historic O’Keefe Ranch, with lighting by Rhino Designs
from The Historic O’Keefe Ranch website, http://okeeferanch.ca

Cornelius O’Keefe:
The Life, Loves, and Legacy of an Okanagan Pioneer
Amazing Stories by Sherri Field

An entertaining biography of cattle baron and land magnate Cornelius O’Keefe, founder of the Historic O’Keefe Ranch. From humble beginnings to a life of prosperity in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, Cornelius O’Keefe is best known today through the historic ranch in Vernon, BC, that still bears his name. Established in 1867, the O’Keefe Ranch was at one time the largest cattle ranch in the region, with thousands of head of cattle grazing in the vast open ranges. By the early 1900s, the ranch had grown to over 12,000 acres, and Cornelius O’Keefe had built quite a legacy for himself. Known as a tireless worker who dabbled in a number of professions in addition to cattle ranching—from mining to operating a general store to being a postmaster—O’Keefe also had a full personal life. He married three times and had seventeen children. His family continued to live on the ranch until the 1960s, when it was opened to the public as a heritage site and tourist attraction. This concise biography brings the dynamic figure of O’Keefe to life and illuminates a fascinating period in BC history.