LOYALTON — Honey lovers in Sierra County will be pleased to know Queen Bee's honey by Loyalton's Goya and Jose Vasquez hit the shelves at the Sierra Valley Home Center this week. With the United States losing 40% of honeybee colonies over the last decade, it warms the soul to know that in our county, honey is "collected right on the edge of town," packaged and distributed at a retailer near you.

As it happens, the medicinal properties of honey are bountiful. According to Scottish author and nutritionist Mike McInnes, "Honey burns body fat even while you are sleeping. It is one of the best foods for losing weight". A tablespoon of this golden substance in the morning increases metabolism, an excellent help for weight reduction. (A nice tip to offset those unwanted pounds brought on by holiday snacking, right?).

In addition, honey prevents stress and soothes the brain. Parents with children taking piano, violin, and drum lessons may want to invest in a case to ease the pain of hearing Für Elise just one more time. Honey is beneficial to skin and hair.

Remember, Christmas shopping is never an issue when you aren't waiting for a cargo ship to deliver the goods. So, support your local economy and pick up a bottle of Queen Bee's at the Sierra Valley Home Center. Manager Marco Folchi currently lists the 8 oz. bottle for $15 and the 16 oz. for $22.

"Mark Twain" aka Loyalton resident Chuck Jackson relating a story to a young, engrossed attendee of the December 4th Holiday Market.

Meanwhile, on December 4th, the Sierra Valley Home Center and Lombardi Mercantile co-hosted a Holiday Market, a family affair exchanged for the long-running annual "Ladies' night." Activities included pictures with Santa, a hot chocolate bar, kid's storytime with Mark Twain (when Santa needed a break), the creation of casual toasts at the complimentary Glühwein (mulled wine) station, demonstrations of chain stitching by artist and embroider Kasey de Caussin on her vintage Singer sewing machine, Christmas tree sales by sophomores at the Loyalton High School, and present wrapping by LHS juniors.

In addition, Riley's Jerky sold out of their delicious product halfway through the event, as approximately 1,000 curious and festive souls traversed the grounds. Riley's lost their factory to the Dixie Fire in 2021, but 485 days after the fire, they were officially back open for business in Greenville.