White Tail Run this Saturday, 8:30 a.m.

GORGEOUS--If you've been wanting to do yardwork and garden work and you've been stopped by the pouring rains we had last week, you certainly have had no excuses this week, as it's been beautiful out there. A little light breeze was blowing on Monday morning and along with that wonderful sunshine, I thought the temperatures were just right. With tornadoes in the midwest, snowstorms in Colorado and fires raging in the drought-stricken state of Texas, I almost feel guilty for enjoying this wonderful weather that we are currently experiencing.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from May 15-21 are Kerrie McNally, Betty Koziel, Linda Mahitka, Bryce McClain, Marty Kuller, Kris Parke, Tina Vincent, Patrick L. Thompson, Mark Phillips, Nikki Hoven, J.T. Luthi, Julie McKinley, Courtney Helms, Ellen Anderson, Kevin Wirkkala, Steve Doumit, Masen Anderson, Signe Peterson, Doris Takko, Donna Moody, Rachael Reynolds, Rian Blain, Lainie Ferguson, Brenda Ferguson and Brandon Chamberlain. Hope you all have wonderful birthday celebrations this week! Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Deal and Mr. and Mrs. Ron Leingang.

BIG WEEKEND--It's another big weekend around the area as the 30th annual Great White Tail Fun Run is taking place this Saturday around the JBH refuge, with registration taking place at Skamokawa Vista Park at 8:30 that morning.

Happening on the Westend that day is the quadruple event up at the Grays River Valley Family Center, which will feature a bake sale, book sale, plant sale and a soup lunch, so that's a whole lot going on at one time. If you want more info about that, contact Penny Gregory at 360-465-2775.

The teenagers in our area will be attending Prom Night and so we wish them a very fun evening, which we trust will be a safe and sane one with only wonderful memories of a traditionally fantastic evening!

Local Skamokawa musician, Layton Elliott, will be playing at the Duck Inn this Saturday evening, where he will be playing some of his new music and celebrating the release of his new CD. He'll begin at 7 p.m., and if you'd like, you can purchase the CD at the Skamokawa Resort.

BIG SHOW--Also this weekend, some of our talented local folks, like Adele Baker-Swift, Cheryl Nelson and Lesley Horman, will be taking part in the three day Cabaret event which is a fund raiser for some very worthwhile causes. I understand that Adele (our former Skamokawa Follies director) is in this show quite a bit and we all know how great she is, as well as the raspy voiced siren, Lesley, and the toe tapping Cheryl.They are all terrific! Seniors are able to take all of this talent in for just $15, which is a fantastic bargain, as regular tickets are $25 for adults. There will be three evening shows, May 15 (tonight), 16 and 17, with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m., so we hope you are able to attend one of these performances and support our local talents and charities!

STILL SHOWING--The Rock 'n' Roll Congress' "Art by the Ages" exhibit that is currently showing in the Hotel Cathlamet's lobby was to have been displayed at Redmen Hall but due to maintenance and construction, had to be held at this substitute location. It can be viewed Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 4. Now in addition to the art exhibit, the FOS is currently running a membership drive to raise money for Redmen Hall, so if you'd like to preserve this historic building, why not become a member? Don't forget, members do get discounts at the gift shop and to other events, so there are some real good perks in becoming a member! However, if belonging to a group just isn't your thing but you'd like to help, please make a donation to their building fund. Don't have time to stop by the hotel for all the paperwork? You can just drop a check in the mail and send it to: Friends of Skamokawa, P.O. Box 67, Skamokawa, WA 98647. Your help would truly be appreciated.

COUPLE OF WEEKS--As is the tradition, the big car show at the Wahkiakum Fairgrounds will be held the weekend after Memorial Day, so it will only be two Saturdays from this one and we'll be enjoying yet another Rods and Reels Car show with funds going towards scholarships for our seniors at WA-KI-HI. There is no fee to get in and look around, so come on down and enjoy the music, the cars, and you can purchase some food and some raffle tickets, and just maybe you'll be a winner of one of the big prizes being given away that day! If you have any questions, give Lee Tischer a call 430-4377 and he can clue you in on all the details! Don't forget, the kids will be able to go fishing in the big trout pond that gets brought in every year, so you just might want to bring an ice chest for their catch of the day!

GREAT DAY--I hope all of you Moms had a wonderful Mother's Day last Sunday. I haven't had a chance to talk to too many Moms but I do know for sure that Peggy Pedersen had a terrific day. With sons, Tim (Margie) and Mark (Rhonda) coming to visit with flowers, food and goodies in hand, with laughter and witty conversations to boot, how could it be anything but great! Peggy learned that newly married grandson, Gabe Pedersen and wife, Annie, will soon be coming through the area as they head to Yakima to go to work, so they'll be a little closer now, as they had been in California. Also, grandson Jonas would be graduating from medical school next week and would be coming from back east and interning in a Spokane hospital so he'll be a whole lot closer to us now as well. Grandson Adam and his family would be making a trip from back east with their almost one year old daughter, Bailey in the next couple of months too, so that will fun as she's running all over the place since her last visit here. So, it was all good news for the Ralph Pedersens that day and so Peg was certainly happy.

I'm pretty sure Sharon Buennagel had a nice day as she was down along the Oregon coast taking a little R & R trip with hubby John, as they had been celebrating their 20th anniversary a couple of days earlier, so it was a double whammy holiday weekend for them, with an anniversary and Mother's Day going on. "Congrats" to John and Sharon on their 20 years together!

Fellow classmate Leeann (Elaine) Rolf had a very nice Mother's Day she said, as her daughters gave her a whole bunch of red geraniums, like 40 of them, which has become her signature flower out in her yard. Then it was seafood dinner-time out on the town, so that was enjoyable as well. The only sad part to the wonderful weekend, was having to say good-bye to daughter, Kim, who had flown up from LA to spend the weekend with her Mom.

FANTASTIC TIME--I have to say, I had a great Mother's Day weekend as well, as it was combined with the college graduation of my oldest grandson, Kyle Sechler from Washington State University over in Pullman last Saturday. One thing about Pullman, it gives you a lot of excercise beings it's all on a hill, and so you're either climbing stairs or walking up up a steep slope, so you don't have to be feeling guilty about all that great food you ate! Between daughter-in-law Katie and Kyle's girlfriend Susie, there were some wonderful eats for the brunch we went to with the Sechler/Nollan bunch at Kyle's place Saturday prior to the 3 p.m. ceremony at Beasley Coliseum. The weather was perfect for all the outdoor pictures we took, which included one of Kyle sitting on the goal posts down on the Cougars' football field which now features a huge outdoor screen, which is certainly a fantastic new addition. The smaller cougar sculpture that had been there when I was there last, has now been replaced with a very large one, and the line to get pictures with the new Coug, the grads and their families was always lengthy but well worth the wait. There were a few tears as we watched Kyle accept his diploma but mostly there were broad smiles and beaming faces of pride for the new graduate in the field of finance. While the Sechler/Nollan crowd all left that evening, Bill and I waited until the next day, where I happily enjoyed flowers and goodies from my kids and dinner out to boot, so it was a wonderful weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS--The Mules Golf team certainly earned our heartiest "congratulations," as they claimed their eighth straight SW 2B league championship last week! In order for a team to win, they (Austin Good, Zach Calvert, Elliot Haney, Brady La Berge) all must play well, and they certainly did that. Way to go boys! This grandma was super proud of grandson, Austin, who medaled with a 41 last Thursday when they played for the championship on a miserable day in Raymond against Willapa Valley, Adna, Raymond and South Bend.

THINKING OF THEM--It seems we always have a long list of folks who could use our thoughts and prayers as they deal with different health issues in their lives, whether from just feeling bum to more serious issues, so while not naming names, we'd like to let them know that we are indeed thinking of them at this time. If you know somebody in need of a little cheering up, be sure and let them know in some way: send a card or make a phone call; they'll really appreciate it!

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1944, it was a mixture of nice days and horrible ones with rain, wind and hail. Two shows were playing that week in town and Grandma Elsie Everest and daughter Marian went to see "Girl Crazy" with Mickey Rooney and "Salute the Marines" by herself later in the week. It was a week of canning fish, meetings like the Junior Matrons, and the BPW Banquet with the Cathlamet Business and Professional Women in the Armed Forces with Second Lieutenant, Donna Hatton and Staff Sergeant, Bleda Whitten. President of the group was Maren Tholo who gave the welcoming ceremony with Ruth Flood and Irene Foote playing a piano duet and Jessie Sawyer singing the service medley.

In 1949 this week, there were several dry, decent days but they had cold wind accompanying them. But by the end of the week, it was back to rain. Once again, Grandma Elsie was canning fish and going to the show "One Sunday Afternoon" which she really enjoyed. She was also training a new person at the telephone office as Della Lund Knaus was in training as an operator. Her first day was May 21. The family of Ole Rodahl mourned his passing that week. Grandma held an early birthday party for granddaughter, Donna Palmer. She liked the cake but she liked the doll she gave her the best.

In 1954, there was only one wet and nasty day towards the end of the week but it was very hot at the beginning of it. It was not a great week for the family as both George Everest and Marian Everest Healy were in the hospital while Ralph Pedersen was headed to the doctor with suspect appendicitis. Grandma traveled to Naselle with the O. E. Johnsons where they visited the Swansons and enjoyed their "Sweeden Room." From there they traveled up to Radar Station which Grandma found interesting and then enjoyed a birthday lunch at Betty Anderson's. All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.