Lots of events on tap for this weekend

CHANGES--We've gone from freezing temperatures to warmer ones, but with that comes the rain. As we begin this week, it wasn't too bad but they say in the next few days we're going to get quite a bit of it, so by the time you read this, you'll be sure to have the umbrellas out and the boots on. The tides have been very high so I hope that doesn't mean we'll be dealing with some flooding issues in our area, but with heavy rains due, it wouldn't hurt to be vigilant if you're in a low-lying area.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those having birthdays from Dec. 11-17 are Seth Kuljis, Tom Bosch, Elaine Lindsey, Paul Stewart, Melanie Quigley, Erik Anderson, Breanna Smith, Abby Buennagel, Jimmy Webb, Tyson Webb Foster, Tracie Souvenir, Sandy Bergseng, Joyce Cothren, Ruth Linquist, Christina Luthi, Tyler Johnson and a couple of 67'ers: Elaine Munson Rolf and Sharon Stout Servis. Hope your birthdays are super special this year!

Happy Anniversary wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Gary Backman and Brian and Misty Havens. May your celebrations be memorable!

MULES--Tonight at the Wahkiakum High School gymnasium, the Mules will take on Winlock with both JV and Varsity teams playing. The JV's will play at 5:45 p.m., followed by the Varsity team unless otherwise noted. They will be playing away at Mossyrock on Saturday and at Elma on Monday, then back home on Tuesday, the 16th, with Morton/White Pass and then away on Thursday. Needless to say, these boys will be running their shirts off, so we hope they stay hydrated and can keep up this grueling schedule.

The Lady Mules play their next three games away, Dec. 12, 13 and 17 and then back home on Dec. 19 against Napavine. Again, these kids will be hustling and we wish them a good game and safe travels during this busy basketball and holiday season! Be sure to check the sports page of The Eagle for any last minute scheduling changes, or call the school to make sure things haven't changed before you travel.

SAYING GOOD-BYE--This is a sad month for those of us who are regular users of our Skamokawa Post Office, as not only are we going to see some major changes in hours soon, but we will be losing two favorite ladies behind the desk. Lisa Mooers, who has worked part time behind the desk for some time now, will be leaving the job in the next week and we will certainly miss her cheery smile and helpfulness in all our postage matters. I hope you get a chance to stop by and say good-bye before she's gone; she will be missed!

Needless to say, we are all going to miss our post mistress, LouAnn Hedges who has been here for years and who we have come to know and appreciate, as she has helped many of us with our postal issues over the years and always listened to us as we vented about our daily lives as well. LouAnn has done a lot of things for different individuals over the years and we knew we could count on her, so we just hate saying goodbye to her after all this time! She will be leaving for good on the last day of the month and we hope you'll stop by and say goodbye before she is gone as well. I believe there will be a little something special planned for that day, so watch for more about that in the next week or two. Again, we are so sorry to see LouAnn replaced by a stranger and we wish she could stay and continue to give us that personal touch that we have grown used to after all these years. Thanks LouAnn, you will be missed!

LAST WEEKEND--The Friends of Skamokawa want to remind you that this weekend will be the last of their "Deck the Hall" Holiday Open Houses, as all their specialty vendors will be packing up after the hall closes on Sunday, Dec. 14. When I went up there, I thoroughly enjoyed the music and pretty tree, which was donated by the McCoy Tree Farm, owned by Bim and Nancy McCoy, so that was very nice of them. The hall will take its usual winter break and winds up reopening in February, so we hope you'll get up there right away and pick out some great local gift items for those who would appreciate items that are unique to the area. Everybody loves a good book during the long dark winter evenings, and there's a nice selection of those. We hope you're taking time to "shop local" as this keeps our small towns alive and these items are extra special to the ones who receive them. Come check out the hall, Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4!

SHOP LOCAL--While we're talking about shopping local, don't forget to pick up a gift certificate for a loved one at the Duck Inn, as you know, all wives like a night away from the stove, so all you guys out there would be popular if you put a nice gift certifcate in her stocking come Christmas morning! The Skamokawa Resort will gladly make a certificate for you as well, as maybe you're having out of town guests coming this month and so that would be a nice treat for them. Be sure to call for availability soon as holidays are always a busy time of year for travelers. We have several other unique places to stay in town, so you want to get a gift certificate at "Twin Gables B & B" located right along Skamokawa Creek, where hosts Kathleen and Stevan Morgain are there to greet you. Kathleen loves to bake and her pies and breads are always in demand. If you like the quiet of Middle Valley, you might want to check out the Inn at Crippen Creek, where they put on dinners for several guests at a time or you can spend the night as well, so a gift certificate from them would be a nice treat for a family member or members. The Inn at Lucky Mud is at the end of East Valley and it is unique in its appearance and surroundings, so a stay out there might be just what suits your style. The Inn at the Skamokawa Landing is awesome and just out Steamboat Slough road and features a stay in a historic building, as well as huge apartment style rooms and high ceilings overlooking the Columbia. All of these places can be found in the phone book or on-line and a stay there might be a wonderful idea for a gift.

Don't forget that glassblower, Treasure Collupy of Skamokawa and "Collupy Glass" will be displaying his works in the Hotel Cathlamet's lobby this Friday and Saturday. There will be several other participating shops that will be open until 7 p.m. for your shopping convenience, and they are calling it "Holiday Hoopla" on Main Street, so that should be interesting as well.

SKAMOKAWA GRANGE DINNER--According to Sk. Grange President, David Blalock, the grange hall will be opening their doors at 4 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 13 and they'll begin their holiday festivities with Christmas carols. Santa will make an appearance and there will be gift bags for the kids. They will serve their community dinner from 5-7 p.m. The merriment continues until 9 p.m., so we hope you'll come and enjoy the festivites at the Skamokawa Grange this Saturday evening.

REOPENING--Some of our local artists have had their works in Tsuga Gallery but it had to be closed for awhile during the foundation work, but with that now done, they are going to reopen this week in time for the holiday season. They will reopen tomorrow (Friday) and will be open from 11 to 7, while they will have holiday hours from 11 to 5 daily. However, they will have a special Holiday Open House and Grand Re-opening celebration on Saturday (Dec. 13) from 5-7 p.m. with music by Kathleen Peterson and refreshments as well. The gallery will be showcasing all new exhibits by various artists so go and check that out.

SONS OF NORWAY--The Norse Hall was "merry and bright" last Sunday and Santa Claus even made an early showing so he could listen to the little ones' wishes for Christmas. While some were quite specific, like a "pink umbrella with cats on it," to a "gingerbread man, because he comes in a gingerbread house," to one who thought he would simply enjoy anything that Santa gave him as it would be a surprise; how very nice! The children had many fun things to do while they were at the hall, as they could win a prize playing the bean bag toss game, write a letter to Santa, color a picture, play bingo or even decorate and eat their very own cookie, so they had plenty to do while they sipped on punch and had a goodie.

The members of the Sons of Norway will have their Christmas gathering at the hall for a potluck dinner on Wed., Dec. 17 at 5:30, so all members are urged to attend and bring one of your favorite dishes with you. There is no gift exchange, just an evening of fun with maybe a game or two involved.

NO BINGO SAT--CHILI FEED--As a reminder, during this busy holiday season, the Sons of Norway lodge will not be holding Bingo this Saturday evening at the Norse Hall. However, they are planning to start the year off by having it back on Jan. 10. This will also be accompanied by a special event prior to the Bingo games as there will be a chili feed held at 4:30 and the Bingo will follow, so keep that in mind for next month.

LOSSES--Recently we have had a couple more people pass away that we have known for many years and one of those that I've known since I was little, was Inez Danielsen. I was so sorry to hear of her passing last Monday from her daughter, Virginia Ostling. We certainly send our sincerest sympathies to the entire family. As of now, her services are pending.

We were also sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Prever, former PUD manager. His services will be held next month sometime. Our condolences to his widow, Ginny and the rest of his family. Many folks may remember Violet Centers, who we knew as Vi a long time ago and who also passed away recently and who, as of this writing, also has services pending. Again, our condolences to her family members.