Grange contests coming in May

SOGGY BEGINNING--As this week begins, it's pretty doggone wet once again. We did have a couple of dry days last week though, so those were nice and we even got the lawn mowed, while some got their new plants planted, along with a few other outdoor chores. With forecasters disagreeing on just how wet we're going to be this week, I'm hoping that the one who says we're going to dry out for the weekend, is the right one! The only trouble with getting dry is, the temperatures usually take a nose dive and we get down towards freezing again so if you've just planted some things outside, well, you might want to give them a little shelter.

NURSERY--Speaking of plants, you'll want to check out our local Skamokawa Gardens Nursery on Steamboat Slough Road, as owner Danny Silverman always has a great array of plants for sale. I love looking through his greenhouses as there are always fantastic baskets with an array of colorful blossoms cascading from them along with huge, decorative pots with bursts of color springing up out of them, and a sea of gorgeous colors everywhere when all these wonderful plants come into bloom. When you get ready to spruce up your yard, or maybe get Mom that great gift for Mother's Day, we hope you'll think about shopping locally and head down this way!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from March 20-26 are Nova McNally, Sandy Quigley, Makenzie Anderson, Hap Anderson, Mary Dominique, Cathy LaBerge, Jordyn Wirkkala, Sig Hjaltalin, Sharyl Iblings, Emily Tanksley, Joanne Prestegard, Vance Miller Jr. and Mathew Kyle. Those celebrating anniversaries are Mr. and Mrs. Stan Woody, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Deaton, Mr. and Mrs. Aron Havens and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Backman. Here's wishing you all the best on your upcoming birthdays and anniversaries.

IMPORTANT MEETING--At the end of the month, for one day only, on Saturday, March 29, there will be a free Disaster Preparedness seminar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You must register to attend however, so contact Beau Renfro at 795-3242 or 465-2202 or email him at renfrob@co.wahkiakum.wa.us. You can also register online at: http://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us/Register.htm . This Community Partnerships and Awareness Training for Disaster Preparedness program will take place at the Wahkiakum County Courthouse and will help you create a Family Disaster Plan, tell you what to have in a kit, as well as several other topics. Remember, it is imperative to have a way to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours, as in a major emergency situation, help may not be available right away, so you need to be ready to take care of yourself and your loved ones. If you're not sure what you need, or what you should do, this would be a good time to find out, so sign up today!

BACK TO WORK--After quite an absence, our Skamokawa postmaster, LouAnne Hedges, was seen back behind the counter recently. While she's not back at the job full time, it was good to see her back at her desk once again. We certainly appreciate all the work that Lisa Mooers did while she was filling in for her, as getting tossed into a full time job like that is not an easy task.

GREAT JOB--It was great to see the header in the Daily News last Saturday about our Mules Golf team taking first place, so we applaud all of them for doing such a great job. Of course, as a Grandma, I have to say I'm super proud of grandson Austin Good, as he seems to be back in the swing of things as this new golf season begins. Here's to many more headlines like that one!

FOS ANNUAL MEETING--The Friends of Skamokawa held their annual meeting last weekend at the Skamokawa Resort's conference room and discussed many upcoming fund events, fund raising possibilities and other responsibilities that the membership has to deal with. The Board of Directors stayed as is, although they are looking for one more member to fill their ninth position and volunteers are always welcome. If interested, you can give them a call at 795-3007.

GRANGE CONTESTS--Donna Moody, the Skamokawa Grange's Family Living co-ordinator, wants to remind all those who have a talent for making things, that they have a chance to enter their items in the grange contests coming in May. This is open to the public so you don't have to be a grange member to take part. All your items are judged just about like they are at the county fairs, and the best go on to the state level where you've got a chance to win a bigger ribbon and even some money. So, whether you make quilts, take photos, make jewelry or bake, there's a category for you, so check it all out out online under the WA St. Grange contests, or you can give me a call and I'll try to help you out. The actual date that we will be taking items at our grange has yet to be determined but it will probably be during the first week in May.

ST. PADDY'S RUN--As is the tradition in Seattle every year, there is a St. Paddy's Run. This year, son Pete Sechler and his four kids: Kyle, Blake, Tessa and Luke, all made the run, along with the older boys' girlfriends and a cousin and some friends, and with them all sporting green hair, they were quite the sight! Tessa had the honors of beating her Dad, but not by much, and considering she's in her teens and her Dad is in his 40s, well, I guess that was to be expected! Sally Nollan, the grandma in Seattle, told me that her great grandson, Dominic (son of grand-daughter, Heidi) won a prize for best costume, so that was pretty special as well. Her late husband, Fred, really loved this race and all the fanfare of the holiday, so I'm sure he was smiling down from above as the family took part in this fun day. Later on, the Sechlers and the Nollans got together for brunch at Pete and Katie's and enjoyed a corned beef feast, which according to Sally, was deliciously prepared by grandson, Blake. He had also catered a basketball banquet recently for over 100 people and done a wonderful job at that, so his cooking skills have been top-notch lately.

ALL SCHOOL REUNION--I know this is quite a ways off, but some folks have already asked about when there will be another "WA-KI-HI All School Reunion" so, mark this date down and spread it around: Aug. 13, 2016. I hope to still be kickin' by then, and hope to see you there as it's fun to see all the folks you haven't seen in ages. Susan Kuhn is in charge of this huge event and if you'd like to help her out, either contact her or let me know and I'll pass the word along!

SPRING CLEANING--Beings spring officially starts today, March 20, then you might be doing some of that "Spring Cleaning." If you find yourself with an extra coat or some good, clean clothes that no longer fit or you are just tired of, then why not take them up to the clothing bank in Cathlamet? If you're putting off your sorting until a little later, there's going to be the big Puget Island garage sale in June as well as the Vendor's Market at the Skamokawa Grange hall in June, so maybe you'd rather try to make a few coins with your household items by setting up a table and getting rid of them that way. Either way is a good way to make sure you've got a little extra elbow room in your closets and cupboards!

DATE IS EARLY--Just in case you haven't noticed, the Wahkiakum County Fair is a little bit early this year. Usually it's held on the third week with a full Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but this year, it's on the second week due to scheduling conflicts with other fairs. Hope to see you at the fair with all your crafts and animals this summer!

OUT OF THE PAST--Back in 1944 this week, the week began real nice but after just two days of that, came a cold front which brought a lot of cold with it, and it wasn't long before the rain turned to snow for about three days. During that week, the Everests still had some company, with Frank Shane coming from Seattle and all the Doumits were stopping by with George and Maxine staying late to visit one Saturday night. When the PNWB telephone magazine came out that month, Grandma Elsie was surprised to see her name in it. The smelt were coming on strong in the Lewis River and so Krist Pedersen and many others were headed that way to fish for them. The show "Hi Diddle" played that week but Grandma said it was "no good" as she and daughter Marian had gone to see it one evening.

This same week in 1954 were all quite nice and much more Spring like with only the last day being wet. The Everests went to Longview where they took their son, George and wife Ruby out to dinner at the Golden Gate Cafe for their anniversary. Carol and Krist Pedersen headed to Seattle that week, while Ralph P. headed to Winlock. Grandma Elsie enjoyed a good time at the Rebekahs' meeting one evening and the next day attended Elva Mast's party. Grandma decided she was going to take her vacation the following month and she and Grandpa were headed back to Minnesota. They could hardly wait! All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.