Christmas weekend is nearly upon us

GLOOMY--Our freezing weather finally released its grip on us, and the rainy weather showed back up, but they say we may have some dry weather coming and we'll be dipping down in the 20s again! Of course, the other forecaster I heard said that if a front moves in, there will be snow in the mountains and some areas it would be down to 1000 feet. I am hoping that the snow stays away until all of our Christmas festivities are over, as traveling during the holidays is always a challenge! Even if we only have heavy rains this week, we do need to slow down and be aware of rocks that can come loose or water on the roads which can make one lose control of your car, so let's hope for the best, but just be prepared for the worst!

PRAYERS SENT--To all those with loved ones in the path of the massive fires in California, we want you to know that we are sending our thoughts and prayers their way. More and more strong winds have shown up in the last few days and spread the Santa Barbara fire even further than before and hundreds of homes have burned and many more thousands have had to evacuate, including their zoo, a museum with all its historical treasures and a mission, to name just a few.

Also, there was a terrible train wreck just north of Nisqually on Monday, with train cars piling into one another and then going off the overhead trestle and down onto I-5; what a disaster! It was a sad time for those families who lost family members who wanted to take their first ride on the new route, but instead, had it be their last. It was amazing that more people weren't killed on the highway as it's always just packed in those morning hours, and with almost every car off the track, it's hard to believe more weren't killed. Many were injured however and we are thinking of all of them.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating their birthdays from Dec. 21-27 are Gwen Gorley, Tyler Gorley, Linda Price, Wendy Lechner, Jose Castillo, John Hoven Jr., Libby Thomas Ravander, Caylin Fritzie, Kyla Gribskov, Grant Turner, Steve Smith, Dan Bardsley, Michele Smith, Garret McClain, Chris Johnson, Arve Ronninghaug, Toby Bell, Sherry Stewart, Emma Pedersen and Ron Clement. Here's to some happy birthday celebrations!

Celebrating their anniversary this week are Mr. and Mrs. Danny Eaton; enjoy!

THE BUG--I am still hearing about folks who haven't felt real great and it ranges from aching backs, to bad colds to a stomach bug, etc., so I hope you're all feeling better as this big holiday approaches! Some of our family members in Seattle, the Pete Sechler gang, were out of sorts for a few days but seemed to bounce back okay and managed a tour of the lights and huge gingerbread display downtown that they have up that way. The group of 10 also rode the big carousel that's down on the waterfront before they all went out to dinner, so they made a real fun night of it.

RETIREMENT--We want to say thank you and congratulations to Sharyl Iblings as she has been our mail carrier for over a quarter of a century, but plans on retiring this year, so good for her! We will miss her and her friendly service to us, but we wish her a calmer life without driving miles and miles each day on her route, which included going clear out to Pillar Rock, so that's quite the trip and after all those years, well, it's nice that she can kick back at last. We wish her the best.

BLOOD DRIVE--As the new year will be coming right along, there's one thing that you can do to make the beginning of 2018 a good one, and that's to donate blood. I know not everyone can do that, depending on medical issues, but if you can, won't you consider it? The American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at the Assembly of God/River of Life Church at 45 Main Street, as you enter Cathlamet, on Jan. 5, from 1 to 6 p.m., so they hope to see you there. Often times after the holidays, there is an urgent need for blood, so we hope you can help fill this need. Please mark that down on your calendars today!

GRANGE--The Skamokawa Grange #425 wants to remind you that their building is available to rent, and you can contact Grange Master Levi Helms at 360-431-9506 if you'd like to set up a rental for your special event or gathering in the future. Pearl Blackburn is their secretary, so if you can't reach Levi, maybe you can give her a quick call at 770-298-7164. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 5:30 p.m., and all are welcome to attend.

VALENTINE DINNER--Speaking of the Sk. Grange Hall, the Wahkiakum County Fairboard's annual Valentine Dinner will be held there once again this year. This will take place on Feb. 3 from 6-8 p.m., so they hope you'll support this annual fund raiser and buy a ticket, which are $25 each. They can be purchased at the Bank of the Pacific, and they'd even make a great Christmas gift!

NOW CLOSED--The Friends of Skamokawa would like to remind you that the hall is currently closed for the winter. They were very happy that their "River Reflection" calendar was a big hit, and if you didn't get one, you can still purchase one at the Skamokawa Store or at Daisy Chain Floral in Cathlamet. They are very nice, and the pictures were taken by local photographers.

The reopening of the hall will take place on March 9 and 10, and that reopening will coincide with their annual Antique and Vintage Sale. If you'd like to take part in this, please call the hall at 360-795-3007 and leave your name and number. The sale will take place upstairs in the River Life Interpretive Center where there's lots of room to display things.

BIG DAYS AHEAD--Indeed, we are headed into the Christmas weekend, so I do hope your tree is trimmed, your cookies made and your ham and turkey are ready to get cooked up! For me, it's hard to believe that Christmas is here already, as Thanksgiving just happened, as did all the other holidays! This year certainly flew by it seems, and once again, we're coming to the end of another year. But until next week, I certainly do hope you'll all have a very Merry Christmas holiday!