Wine tasting fund raiser Sept. 14 at Redmen Hall

CHANGING--As Labor Day week began, we had a super nice day on Sunday, if you like it hot and sticky. There was a lot of sunshine, which made it a bit warm for me, but it was great for all those who had gone camping and enjoying the outdoors and of course, the BBQ folks were not threatened by any rain. On Monday however, we began with clouds and light sprinkles in West Valley, so a big difference between the two days, although it did wind up clearing up and wasn't too bad by Monday afternoon. If you were up late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, you may have witnessed the sheets of lightning that ripped across the sky and looked more like a sky you'd see in a war zone....oddly enough, there was no thunder; strange!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from September 5-11 are Tristan Collupy, Fred Bennett, Carla Keilwitz, Orville Lindsey, Jasmin Lindsey, Brittanie Helms, Ed Johnson, Mike Rose, Shirley Rose, Jade Havens, Cora Irving, Troy Davis, Amanda Poler, Kay Buennagel, Sheryl McMahon, Jo Reed, Art Vik and Scott Baldwin. Happy Birthday one and all!

Happy Anniversary wishes this week go out to Jim and Betty Koziel, Mr. and Mrs. Brad McNally, Larry and Debbie Holland, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Johnson, Jim and Darlene Almer, Mr. and Mrs. Buzz Moore, Trude and Floyd McClane and Scott and Jenny Pedersen. Enjoy your special days everybody!

MULES THIS FRIDAY--The first Mules football game is this Friday, Sept. 6 at Mossyrock. Varsity games held on Friday nights begin at 7 p.m., while the JV's, who play on Monday nights, begin at 6 p.m. Fire up mighty Mules and show 'em what you're made of! Go Mules!!

VOLLEYBALL and CC--The Mule volleyball team will begin their season with a match next Thursday with Naselle here at home. Cross Country runners will be seeing some action this month, but it's all away, beginning with a La Center Jamboree on Sept. 9. We've got busy teams this year once again and we wish them all a lot of luck as they begin this new season. If you plan on going to a lot of games, remember to buy your season pass and that will save you a few bucks!

SCHOOL ZONES--Now that our schools have opened their doors for the 2013-14 school season, everyone needs to be vigilant while driving near a school, as speed limits that have been lifted during the summer months, are now going to be enforced and tickets in those zones can be particularly costly. So, whether you are in our town or traveling somewhere for a game, be sure to slow down and drive carefully in areas where children are likely to be present.

IN OUR THOUGHTS--Mike Rose is recovering after a recent trip to the hospital for some surgery and so we want to send him some well wishes for a full recovery. Also, the Nettles family has been asking for prayers for their family and we'll gladly keep them in our thoughts as well.

Sad times for a couple of local families, as the Parke's and Prestegard's have lost a four-legged member of their family recently. It's always a sad day when that occurs and having "been there, done that" a few times over my life time, I can certainly understand how they feel.

GRANGE--The Skamokawa Grangers will meet this coming Monday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. for a potluck, with their regular meeting at 7 p.m. At their last meeting, they went over their success at the Wahkiakum County Fair, and on which days they were able to sell the most tickets for their holiday basket. With the free holiday dinner not scheduled until Dec. 14, the Grangers felt they could take a little breather during the next couple of months from all of the activities they've been involved with all summer long. We're open to suggestions as to another kind of fund raiser that people would like to see happen and would be willing to attend, so give me a call with your ideas and why you think it would go over well in our area.

NEW EXHIBIT--This Saturday, Sept. 7, there will be a new exhibit on display at Redmen Hall and the talented photographer and carver, Mike Collum, will also be on hand to show you some first-hand carving techniques. Not only will he be there for the opening of this wonderful new display, but he'll also be showing up on most Saturdays to give demonstations of his craft. He'll also be showcasing some beautiful landscapes that he took of the Pacific Northwest, besides what he saw while he was recently in Europe, so come to the hall and check out this latest artist and his wonderful artwork.

COMING UP: WINE TASTING--A quick reminder about the Friends of Skamokawa's Wine Tasting and Auction event that will take place at the Skamokawa Grange Hall on Sept. 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. I've already mentioned that they have great wines and great food, not to mention fabulous auction items, both silent and live, so I'm not sure what more I could say that would bring you down here! However, if you're one of those people that think this is a stuffy, "only wine drinkers" kind of doings, you would be very wrong, as there are a lot of people who attend it, that enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage that is also offered, and just have a whole lot of fun taking part in the exciting bidding wars and they make it a social night out in the company of their friends and have a wonderful time. Of course, many love to come just so they can go home with a great deal by having that last, winning bid, while others are more than happy to "get something" while they are still supporting the historic Redmen Hall, which is truly a treasure in our county. So, if you haven't been here before, gather up a couple of your friends and come on down and enjoy a wonderful, adults only, evening! Remember, advance tickets save you five dollars!

PROUD DAD--I got a call from son Pete Sechler in Seattle, and it seems son, Luke, was off to the races recently, when he took the first pass of his school's preseason football game, and ran it for a touchdown; woo-hoo! Better yet, his Dad had his camera ready to go and caught all the action first hand, so the Sechler family felt pretty happy with how things started out for their youngest son, and of course, this Grandma was happy to hear the news as well.