Antique show and sale at Redmen Hall

STILL WET--When Spring officially started last Sunday, we had some sunshine grace our area for part of the day, but Spring showers showed up again and as our work week begins, it's rained all day long out here in West Valley. In spite of the warmer temperatures, it feels just as cold to me due to the wind and dampness. I'm hearing a lot of rumblings from folks saying they are headed to warmer parts of the country. Did someone say it was 80 degrees in Hawaii first thing in the morning? Ah, that sounds quite inviting!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from March 24-30 are Sharyl Hjaltalin, Aaliyah Montgomery, Leif Carroll, Judy Bates, Hans York, JoAnn Prestegard, Dave Whitney, Jordyn Wirkkala, Mary Dominique, Ray Toste, Buzz Moore, Sandi Cik, Gordon Souvenir, Pam Emery, Leroy Leasure, Makenzie Anderson and Emily Tanksley. Happy Anniversary to the Brian McClains!

NEW BIRTHDAY--Judy and Cliff Garrison have a new great granddaughter named Izabella, who was born this past weekend and who weighed in at just five pounds and 14 ounces and was 18 inches long. Congratulations to the family on their latest addition.

NEW ANNIVERSARY--Skamokawa resident Mike Vincent married Tina Ray last Saturday at the golf course building in Cathlamet. Our heartiest congratulations and best wishes to them as they begin their lives together as husband and wife. One of their guests included our former reporter Sunny Manary along with her hubby, Doug; a nice surprise.

REDMEN HALL--I hope you'll head to Redmen Hall and check out the antiques there, many for show and some to sell, so if you're in the market for a lovely antique of sorts, check them out. They are open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Call 795-3007 for more details.

PIONEER CHURCH--Head to the Bank of the Pacific for tickets to a new musical at the Pioneer Church this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited so while there could be tickets at the door, it's best to get those tickets ahead of time. Spring into the Classics sounds like a lot of great music with cello, piano and voice, and when you have local folks like Jennifer Hanigan and Andrew Emlen playing and singing, you know it will be great.

SYMPATHIES--Paul "Root" Mosteller passed away just recently and we want to offer our condolences to this entire family.

GET WELL--Mike Balch, the Keithley gals, Delores Cochran, Mary Jacobsen, Kelly Heiner and others are all in need of some "get well, hope you feel better soon" wishes as they are all a bit under the weather. I hope they are all doing better by the time this comes out in print.

VISTA PARK DEADLINE--If you are a vendor of any kind, or would like to have an informational booth for your organization at the Vista Park Market on July 30, don't forget to get registered by the end of this month. After March 31, the Port will seek other vendors from outside this area, but with so many folks here with so many different talents, I can't imagine not having plenty of local booths. There are no set up costs this year so it's a great opportunity to show off your wares and get your information out there. The park will be busy with people that weekend so you'll have a built-in customer base. Ideally, you should call Kayrene Gilbertsen locally at 849-4421 or you can call the park and talk to Janet, but hours are limited: 795-8650.

ACROSS THE HILLS--Last week, hubby Bill Chamberlain headed across the mountains and up the river to the Tri-Cities area, where he visited for a few days with his dad, Veryl Chamberlain, formerly of Grays River. Veryl is still having a morning gab session with the boys at coffee and so Bill enjoyed the talk around the table there, just as he does when he's at the Duck. Only thing about being over there, they're all talking about crops and planting in comparison to the fishing and logging and construction gab that is going on here.

WINGS--A group of women at the River of Life Assembly of God church in Cathlamet call themselves "WinGS," which stand for: "Women in God's Service." The ladies have been busy with several fun things, besides their usual mission work, and that included going to the The Berry Patch to celebrate Susan Rawls' birthday in January. In February they had a potluck and dessert auction and the boxes that held the desserts were all decorated and the gals voted on which one they liked the best. Janet Bryan's box with red ribbons and bows and lace hearts wound up getting the most votes, so she was declared the winner. The WinGS bible study group meets on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

GRANGE--The next meeting for the Skamokawa Grangers is Monday at 7 p.m. At the last meeting on March 14, it was decided that we will show The Princess Bride at our next free movie night. We hope you'll bring the kids and have a good time; a date will be set soon and we'll let you know when we get that set.

MUSEUM--Our wonderful museum in Cathlamet could use a little help before its reopening on April 30. If you have a little time to spare, why not come down and do a little dusting and cleaning of the exhibits? Bring your new duster gadget and show it off as the museum gets all shiny and new looking for its opening next month. If you can help, call Kari Kandoll at 360-562-1925.

PLANT YOUR OWN--With so many folks worried about who grew it, what did they use and how fresh is it, it makes sense to grow your own veggies and spices and things, but many do not have a space to do so. There is a place where you can have a 10 by 15 spot of land to grow your own food. These plots include free access to water and the tools needed to enjoy the fruits of your labor. There are even workshops to help you out if you are new to gardening. If you're interested, call Melissa Wong at 795-6207.

Do you want to buy those veggie starts local? Stockhouses Farm has just the thing for you beginning the middle of next month but if you need them earlier, I imagine you can make some arrangements. Contact them at 849-4145.

If you have a spot at your home to grow your own plants, but have questions on how to get started or maybe trouble with certain garden pests or whatever, you can call 795-3278 or email Carrie Kennedy at: cakennedy@wsu.edu and get those puzzling questions answered.

If you're like me, and you have no green thumb whatsoever, but you still want fresh veggies without the work, head to the Two Islands Farm Market on Puget Island along West Birnie Slough beginning May 6 and enjoy all the fruits of somebody else's labor!

IN OUR THOUGHTS--As the world watches the horrific scenes coming out of Japan, it goes without saying that we continue to keep the people there in our thoughts and prayers as having to endure everything they are going through after this massive catastrophe is just heart-wrenching. We hope and pray the nuclear reactors there can be brought under control soon, for their sake and our own.