Super Bowl game had exciting finish

 GRAY--Last weekend was a perfect example of how different the weather can be from one day to the next. Saturday started out foggy but we had blue sky and sunshine all day. That was a mood booster for sure! However, by Sunday morning, we had drizzle and heavy cloud cover and it made for a very good day to sit inside and watch football. It was too cold, damp and yucky out there to want to do much outside.

Did your favorite team win the Super Bowl? I can't say the first half of the game was too thrilling, unless you were a Ravens fan and loved the stomping they were giving the 49ers. But after the 49ers woke up in the second half, they really made a game out of it! Toss in the unexpected power outage, and that gave everybody something to talk about for awhile. I'm sorry the West Coast team didn't win, but I'm glad they made that second half a real race to the finish.

 NICE VISIT--Speaking of the Super Bowl, the Ralph Pedersens had a super surprise for Super Bowl Sunday when son Mark and grandson Gabriel came up from Vancouver to watch the game with "Dad-G'pa," so that made the day more fun. Top that off with a pizza from Sharon's Pizza and More and the day was a hit, with the exception that "their" team didn't win!

John and Mary Gustafson enjoyed the Super Bowl with friends at their home, so the party of seven enjoyed a lot of tasty goodies including homemade chili and the wonderfully tasty "Knock Ya Naked Brownies,” which ended the meal in a rich, chocolate, caramel and nut indulgence. Yum!

 VALENTINE DINNER TIME--This is it! The annual Valentine Diamond Dinner is occurring this Saturday at 6 p.m. and I hope to see you there. Tickets will be available at the door if you haven't purchased them already at the Bank of the Pacific. It's always best to pre-buy them, but if you were unsure about your plans for the weekend and you've just now decided to attend, you've still got time to go to the bank and get them or to get them at the door. Volunteers have been busy all week with the checklist of things to do to get ready for this event. The Skamokawa Grange Hall will be decked out in a Valentine theme, ready for you to enjoy a wonderful dinner, dessert and glass of wine. Who knows, you might be the winner of the diamond bracelet gift basket which includes some chocolates and a nice bottle of champagne! Tickets are $25 and proceeds will go to support the Wahkiakum County Fair.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays this coming week are Bailey McKinley, Bob Montgomery, Reese Gullickson, Tyler Havens, Ethan Havens, Lucas Havens, Wendy Havens, Bret Hart, Ronnie Cothren, Mykall Stensland, Hailey Blain, Scott Pedersen and Annette Healy Miller.

Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to Mr. and Mrs. Randy Montgomery, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Lorenzo and Mr. and Mrs. Reno Smith. Enjoy your special days, everyone!

 GRANGE MEETING--This coming Monday evening, the Skamokawa Grangers will be meeting once again at the Skamokawa Grange Hall. A potluck will be held at 6:30 p.m. and our meeting will be at 7 p.m.

 ONE LAST TIME--A couple of weeks ago, the trio of Cliff Garrison, his wife Judy and her brother, Ray Wood, got together with their guitars and drums and played at the Oasis Tavern. Sadly, Ray is losing his battle against a nasty disease. One of his wishes was to perform one last time with his sister like they did in the old days. It was great that they were able to make that wish come true for one last performance together. Ray has been a real fighter and as of this writing, continues to wage his war against illness. Here's to you, Ray!

 GREAT GAME--The last home game of the regular season for the Mules teams was last Saturday against Adna. Senior night is always pretty special for those players who would never play before their home crowd in their home gym again. It's one of those teary-eyed nights for the parents for sure as it means our little ones are all grown up and will soon be leaving the nest. We were all happy to see both teams come out on top at the end of the evening and finish their seasons with a win. We wish the Mules good luck as they head into district playoffs. Let the Mule Train roll on!!

 EASTER COMES EARLY--Did you realize that Easter is in March this year? I'm never happy about that really, as I always think of March as my green month, with St. Patrick's Day in the middle. April is my pink month with Easter and spring and pastels and all. However, Easter falls on March 31 this year and so the big Easter Bingo event put on by the Wahkiakum Fair Board will be taking place on March 22. Prizes include a turkey and a ham. So mark that day down and come to the Wendt Elementary multipurpose room that Friday evening and you could win your dinner or one of many other great prizes that will be available that evening. If you'd like to donate something, give Maureen Zacker-Bockius a call at 849-3441 or let me know.

 STURGEON DERBY CANCELLED--Calling all cars, calling all cars- yes, we mean you! If you're a car owner and you've got a sharp looking ride that you want to show off, you've got the perfect opportunity to do so on June 1 when the annual Dollars for Scholars Car Show comes to Skamokawa. Over the past few years, there has been a great showing of fabulous cars lined up in the county park next to the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds and this year, we expect the same. Sadly, the other half of this event, the Sturgeon Derby, has had to be cancelled due to fishing restrictions. There will still be everything else that is always at the car show, including food, music, a trout pond for kids, and of course, the good times, so we hope you'll spread the word and bring those cars out in full force for a wonderful day at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds!

 I've been asked about becoming a sponsor for the Car Show. If you'd like to see your name on this year’s Car Show shirts, you need to make a minimum $200 cash or prize donation. Lee Tischer is the man to talk to about everything related to the car show, so look him up if you have any questions.