Flea Market at Fair Grounds on Saturday

DRY ENDING/WET BEGINNING/SB--As January came to an end, the sun was shining and it made for a perfect ending to the month.

It was also perfect for those who stood in line waiting for the doors to open of Rosburg Hall where the folks who were hungry for crab and oysters were treated to another delicious feast. The oysters were just the right size and for the most part, were easy to open, and when you topped off the meal with a little dessert, well, it was a fantastic meal! Kudos to those who put the meal on and worked the event as well. It's always a lot of work and it's much appreciated! Our group had three prize winners in it, so we did okay but the luckiest guy with three winning tickets was Shawn Jacobs of Cathlamet.

As February began it was definitely a different weather story, as it was wet right from the start. Needless to say, we didn't really care, as almost everyone was going to be inside anyway, as it was Super Bowl Sunday of course! Sadly, we all witnessed what will go down in Super Bowl history, as the stupidist call ever made on a first down with only a yard to go, as we threw the ball instead of giving it to "the beast" who was just offered ten million bucks due to his talents, and yet we didn't use him! However, as Super Bowl games go, it was one of the better ones, as it was not a runaway game or a boring game, so it was still a great game to watch. Plus, the Seahawks are the still NFC Champs and unlike many other teams, they did make back to back appearances at the Super Bowl, which most didn't think would happen, so we, 12th man, are still proud of them!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Feb. 5-11 are Ed Stornetta, Bob Montgomery, Bailey McKinley, Terry Ostling, Reese Gullickson, Betty Brons, Terrie Eaton, Mykall Stensland, Ethan Havens, Lucas Havens, Tyler Havens, Alivia Lindsey, Daniel Rose, Ronnie Cothren, Bob Wegdahl Sr., Bret Hart, Crystal Stanley, JoAnne Nortrup, Kim Jones, Annette Healy Miller, Dave Pedersen and Scott Pedersen. Happy Birthday one and all! Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Jason and Jami Rainey and Mr. and Mrs. Randy Montgomery. Enjoy your special days!

NEW BIRTHDAY--We've got another baby to add to the birthday list as Reese Noelle Brown was born Jan. 19 in Boise, Idaho and of course, her parents, Brock and Mollie Brown just love that new baby girl of theirs! She weighed in at eight pounds and four ounces and was 21 inches long. Her grandparents, Kerry and Susan Brown of Puget Island are just thrilled with this latest addition, and shared pictures of her with me. She's a keeper for sure! Great grandparents include my neighbor, Ann Brown here in Skamokawa and Puget Island residents, Ralph and Jean Kenner. Congratulations to all on this latest addtion to the family!

THIS SATURDAY--Don't forget that the monthly "Flea Market" will be held at the Wahkiakum Fairgrounds this Saturday, so if you're looking for something unique, you might try looking down there. I understand that Pam Elliott, who designs and makes various jewelry will be showcasing her latest valentine creations, so that might be a great spot to get your honey a little something for Valentine's Day. Or ladies, you can just pick something out for yourself!

GOODIE TIME--If you're looking for pies or chocolates, the Hotel Cathlamet or the Tsuga Gallery will be the places to go on Friday the 13th! The annual Royal Chocolate Extravaganza will be held in the lobby of the Hotel from 4 to 7, with proceeds to benefit the Charlotte House, and across the street, the Cathlamet Woman's Club will be holding their annual pie social at the Tsuga Gallery from 1 to 4 p.m., so you can get your sweetie a nice treat at one or both of these places and save yourself having to do the cooking or baking!

BIG DAY IS COMING--Do you have your plans all set for the "red letter day" yet? Of course, that being Valentine's Day, and you gentlemen out there had best be having something special planned, or I think you're going to be in big trouble! Hopefully, you have opted to bring her to the Valentine Diamond Dinner being held at the Skamokawa Grange Hall, which your lady will enjoy. It's a fund raiser being held for our local fair, that we'd like to see continue. The dinner is actually being held on Valentine's Day this year, with doors open at 5:30 and dinner served from 6 to 7 p.m., while the fun continues with the entertainment, prize drawings and visiting with your friends. We hope you plan on buying lots of tickets for the Grand Prize, of a basket of champagne, chocolates, wine goblets, candle and topped off with a beautiful diamond bracelet. Good luck to all of you who purchase tickets. Tickets for the complete filet mignon dinner are $25 and can be purchased at the Cathlamet branch of the Bank of the Pacific. Buy yours today!

BINGO--For those die hard bingo players who don't have any Valentine dinner plans, you can always head over to the Norse Hall on Valentine's Day and enjoy some bingo. Cards are $5 each and winners win cash prizes. Doors open at 5:30 and the games begin at 6 p.m., so if you're a lover of bingo, head to Puget Island on Valentine evening and see if you can win some cash!

SAD NEWS--Our family received some sad news last week as another one of our Pedersen family members has passed away. Elinor Ellison Bridenhagen, daughter of Bella (Pedersen) and Erling Ellison, died Jan. 25, 2015 at the age of 80. A plan for a Celebration of Life gathering is in the works and will most likely be held in May at the Norse Hall. Ellie's daughters, Leslie Monroe and Paula Olson will be working things out in the weeks to come and I'll be keeping all of you posted as the plans come together. We offer them our sincerest sympathies as they were very close to their mother and her passing has deeply saddened them.

GET TOGETHER--Kathy Bond Peek came down from her home north of Seattle last Tuesday and met up with some 67'ers and others as she was delivering some of her homemade quilts to those who wanted them, and everyone shared lunch and had a good gabfest to boot! Kathy is one of those people who just loves to sew and she seems to make just about everything, in all kinds of designs, so she has a steady following of those who want something "special" as a gift or even for themselves. We were all happy to see her and glad she was able to make the trip down here to see everybody.

FEELING LOUSY--I have certainly heard from a lot of folks who have been dealing with the flu and I hope by the time they read this that they will be feeling better. With the flu going around and now the big scare due to the return of measles, it just makes one a little nervous as older folks like me and the little ones, can be in real danger if they contract either one. Here's hoping all the flu bugs pass you by and the measles outbreak stays far away from us!

CONCERT SOON--On Feb. 22, which is a Sunday, the Friends of Skamokawa will sponsor one of several concerts, starting with the "Vintage Gypsies" featuring Pete Davis, Beth Semar Sheets and Dave McKenzie. The concert will take place in the Skamokawa Store Conference Room so there will be places to park and it is easily accessible to all. The cost will be $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and will take place from 2-5 p.m. This will be the first of many concerts, readings, etc. that the FOS is putting on this year and they are going to be calling it the "Second Sunday Series," although this first one doesn't fall under that heading due to a scheduling conflict. However, the rest of them will be, so watch for further talents in the coming months. If you have any questions about this first event, or others that are coming, contact Jill at 795-8675.

REOPENING--The Redmen Hall will be opening with their fabulous Antique Sale on March 5, which has always been a big hit, so we hope you'll come down and check out all that they have to offer. If you're interested in selling things, call Redmen Hall and leave a message 795-3007. As usual, there will be craft items in the gift shop for sale and a wonderful array of books available with many written by local authors. Books make for great gifts for the upcoming Mother's and Father's Day holidays that will be here before you know it!

POST OFFICE--As a reminder, our Skamokawa Post Office now has new hours and new collection times in the lobby, so be sure to remember those as otherwise your mail may get delayed in getting out. The lobby hours from Monday through Friday are from 8 a.m., until noon, with the mail being collected there by 11:45. The USPS mail box up on the highway will be collected at 4 p.m., so if you've missed the lobby collection time, you should put your mail up there. Now on Saturday, the lobby mail is collected at 8 a.m., and the mail box on the highway will pick it up at 4 p.m.

I want to urge everyone to continue to use our post office and keep it as busy as possible, as while I've heard some people say that there's no way it would close, beings we're tied in with Cathlamet now, I don't want to take any chances, as I'm still thinking, "use it or lose it," so please use our post office and mail as much as possible. With Valentine's Day coming up, it's time to get some "hearts" in the mail anyway. Don't forget the Vets; they would love to get a Valentine from you!

Wendy Blix, who is the Cathlamet Postmaster, is now in charge of the Skamokawa post office as well and with her experience and easy going nature, I'm sure she'll be able to handle these extra duties and will be available to help with any questions you may have.