NEIGHBORS : Jingle Bells : Some customers at the Little Bit Country shop have been working on next Christmas since last January.

Merry Christmas.

Too early you say?

Then check out the Little Bit Country ceramics shop on Ventura Avenue in Ventura.

Folks there--the owners and the customers--are already busy making tree ornaments and gifts for the holiday season.

“I’ve got some customers who have been working on Christmas since last January,” said Lee Hanson, who owns the place with her husband, Jeff.

“You can’t very well start right at the end of the year and expect to get everything done. Last year we had a few people come in here Dec. 15 and wanted their whole tree decorated. We said, ‘You’re kidding.’ ”

Hanson said many of her customers create their own ceramic pieces, while others seek help.

“If they commission me to paint for them, I will,” she said. “Of course, I charge them . . . dearly.”

Port Hueneme will be the center of activity on Saturday.

For one thing, it will be the first day of the two-day Chili Festival at Hueneme Beach. If that doesn’t heat things up enough, the beach will also be the site of a biathlon and a lifeguard competition.

What does the lifeguard competition involve?

Half a mile of swimming, three miles of running, two miles on a paddle board and 3 1/2 miles on a surf ski.

Said lifeguard Erik Bear: “Any lifeguard could do it. Finishing is not going to be a problem . . . it’s doing well that might be a problem.”

Don’t know about you, but I’d rather be downing some chili.

Congratulations to Ron Wood, Ventura County’s sole representative in the Special Olympics International Games held last week in Minneapolis.

He took a silver medal in the bench press with a lift of 181 3/4 pounds and finished fourth in the dead lift at 235 1/2 pounds.

Two weeks ago I got a copy of the July issue of the Better Breathers’ Newsletter, put out by the American Lung Assn. of Ventura County.

It tells of upcoming events, recent anti-pollution legislation, and smoke-free restaurants.

It concluded with the exhortation: “Please . . . remember the American Lung Assn. of Ventura County in your will.”

I didn’t think much of the request--beyond hoping they didn’t intend to collect from me soon.

But last week a colleague handed me the “Chairman’s Report” from Santa Ynez Valley Hospital in Solvang.

The report ended: “P.S. Please remember the Santa Ynez Valley Hospital when you are preparing your will or doing your estate planning.”

Do these people know something I don’t know?

Remember Ventura’s Laura Porakova, the artist who one day would like to follow through on her idea of making life-size female chess pieces?

She’s having a reception Saturday night at SEE’s Coffee Company in Santa Barbara to celebrate the opening of her exhibit there.

The fun will begin at 7 p.m. and will include live reggae music.

Talk about unfortunate acronyms:

The Exotic Animal Training Management (EATM) program at Moorpark College is offering some new classes next fall.

A press release announcing the courses lists them, in part, as Veterinary Procedures for Exotic Animals (EATM 24A), Exotic Animal Health and Safety (EATM 2) and Exotic Animal Nutrition (EATM 3).