One Williams Lake couple happily going about their business this Valentine's Day will be Denise and Dave Skarra.
The couple were married in a ceremony in Williams Lake's St. Peter's Anglican Church on May 21, 1983. They will have been married for 42 years this spring.
It may have been a bit of luck which brought them together, when Denise had her choice of two jobs, one in the Northwest Territories and one in Terrace.
She chose Terrace, and ended up working with Dave's sister in recreation services. While Dave was from Terrace, he didn't live there at the time, but the two met through his sister and the rest is history.
The couple lived other places after Terrace, going where work took them. The couple were married in Denise's hometown of Williams Lake, but moved first to Prince George once they were married. An opportunity to move back to Williams Lake came up, and the couple returned to the Cariboo in 1992 and settled permanently.
While Denise initially had reservations about returning to her hometown, she said having her parents nearby was a great asset for her and Dave as they raised their two daughters Katrina and Nicole. Both daughters have since married and have children of their own now, with one daughter in Kamloops with her family and one in Williams Lake with hers. Since returning, both Dave and Denise have enjoyed living in the lakecity.
"We have no regrets," she said.
Denise was able to pursue her love of cross-country skiing, thanks to the growing network of trails over the years and now well-developed facilities at Bull Mountain. Dave has a love of old cars, and restored a 1970 Camaro.
Dave was not a skier, and Denise said she was never really into old cars.
But throughout their marriage, Denise said they have supported one another's different pursuits.
While Dave may not have been a skier at first, when Denise became involved with the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club at Bull Mountain, Dave still found his niche. Dave spent his time helping out using his skills to groom the trails and maintaining the piston bully groomer. This was a large commitment with the older donated groomer, as it required a lot of skilled mechanical work.
Now when Denise is up volunteering in the lodge or giving lessons, Dave will often be found taking their husky for a skijour on the ski trails or in the shop ensuring the grooming equipment is ready to go. He still does a lot of grooming on the trails, but thanks to their new piston bully, this is less time-consuming than it used to be.
While Denise may not be a car-person, she joins Dave on road trips in the summer, as the two caravan tour with the Cariboo Vintage Car Club. Dave has developed friendships with the other volunteers who help groom and maintain the trails at Bull Mountain. Both enjoy the great people they have met in their spouse's hobby groups.
Each one gets to do what they love, with the person they love.
What more could you ask for?
