Mules play at Winlock on Friday at 7 p.m.

SUPER NICE--In spite of some early morning fog, the weekend weather was certainly dry and nice and it's going to be missed, as rain is scheduled to take its place by the time you read this. Then again, we are nearing the end of October, so I guess we have to expect that our nice weather can't last forever. It sure was nice while we had it, and with a little luck, we won't stay in a rainy pattern too long and be able to enjoy some more nice Fall days soon.

SPECIAL DAYS--We wish a Happy Birthday to those celebrating their special day from Oct. 25-31 and they are Valle Mae Ledtke, Maury Mooers, Nathaniel Norris, Mike Wright, Don Wages, Maddisen Clark, Tim Dickson, Calvin Grasseth, Christie Davis, George Essen, Tim Patching, Ellee Crouse and a special rememberance to our gone, but not forgotten, former Duck Inn owner Skamokawa Pete Peterson, whose birthday would have been today.He is truly missed!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Greg and Lori Parke, Ty and Jennifer Norris, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Bain and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gorley. A hearty, Happy Anniversary to all of you.

GREAT WINS--Whether you're a University of Washington Husky fan or Washington State University Cougar fan, this was a good weekend for you, as both teams won. They also had some really exciting times, as the Huskies were only ahead by one point for awhile, so things could easily have gone sideways for them, but they hung on and beat Colorado! The WSU Cougars looked to blank the Oregon Ducks, which they did in the first half, but then the Ducks charged back and made the game a real thriller, so by the end we were all watching intently and were super happy when the Cougs made some fantastic plays and came out on top. Woo-hoo Wazzu! Beings I happen to have a couple of grandkids over there, I was watching the crowd shots closely, and when the masses came onto the field, I was sure I spotted my granddaughter, Tessa Sechler! Later on her Dad confirmed that she had indeed been on the field, so my eyesight isn't totally gone I guess. Beings this was a first prime time, live game broadcast from WSU, they definitely made it memorable for the fans that were there in massive numbers and for us at home too!

FRIDAY MOVIE--The free movie and popcorn deal continues this Friday, Oct. 26, with another adult film, which is a drama and is not suited for the younger audience. Movies begin at 7 p.m., and you are allowed to bring in your own snacks. Stop by the center to check out the title of the upcoming movie.

MULES--If you want to cheer on the Mules football team, you'll have to head up the highway to Winlock where the game will take place this Friday evening at 7 p.m. We will send our cheers their way as their season begins to wind down. Go Mules!

The latest news I have on football player, Beau Carlson, who had been seriously injured in a game earlier in the season, was that in spite of a serious brain infection and more surgery, he was improving. I know we are all wishing for his continued improvement and a full recovery for this brave, outstanding young man. Go Beau!

THIS IS IT--This Friday evening is the start of the Haunted House at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds. All the days and hours were posted in my column last week, are listed on Facebook and listed by the fair manager, Patty Dursteller in her column, so check those out. Remember, the Haunted House is free but they certainly appreciate donations. The Halloween Carnival, which is a separate event, is happening on Sunday at 4 p.m. Bring the kids down this weekend and have a lot of fun.

CHECK THEM OUT--Local area restaurants/lounges/bars will have their Halloween doings this Saturday night, so it's hoped that you'll support them and have some fun as well. As usual, contests will be held and prizes given away, and some will have live music too, so here's to a fun time where ever you go!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT--The next big night for all ghosts and goblins is Halloween, which is Wednesday, Oct. 31, and thus, the official night for all the little kiddos to go trick or treating; fun, fun! As always, we all need to be a little more wary when driving through the busy areas of town, as the young ones will be out in full force and we don't want to hear of any accidents involving children and cars. Here's to a fun-filled occasion and a good time for one and all. Don't forget the costume party/contest at the Bank of the Pacific that day. It should be "spook-tacular!"

LEFSE TIME--If you want to learn how to make lefse, you will get your chance as members of the Sons of Norway will start that process on Nov. 1 and working through Nov. 3 at the Norse Hall on Puget Island. They will also make other Norwegian goodies, so whether you want to stop by and help them make some, or buy some, be sure to stop by. The bigger selling day is on Saturday. Contact Susan Brown, Jan Silvestri or Cheryl Nelson if you want more info.

REMEMBERING JIM--In case you missed the notice last week, a gathering will be held in memory of Jim Koziel on Nov. 3 in Skamokawa at the Roadkill Saloon from 4 to 7 p.m. If you're new to the area, you may not know that Jim and Betty Koziel owned The Oasis Tavern for many years but currently, it is known as The Roadkill Saloon. It seems only right that all those who knew and loved Jim come back and share their memories of him at one of the places where he and Betty lived and worked and made so many memories. Those were some great years indeed! The family would be happy to see all who knew and loved Jim there next Saturday.

VENDORS WANTED--Do you make soap, jewelry, wood items, or have some other type of craft item that you'd like to sell? Here's your chance to set up a table and sell your wares, as the annual "A Christmas Country Bazaar" will take place at the St. James Family Center on Nov. 17 from 10 to 4, and they would certainly love to include you in this fund raiser for the center. If you're interested, please call Christie at 360-849-4489. Also, they are accepting donations for their kids Christmas store so the kids can shop for just a buck. If you have some things, they'd certainly be happy to accept them.

GET WELL--I just heard from Susan Brown, and unfortuately her Mom, Jean Kenner, took a fall and broke three ribs. Needless to say, it was a trip to the hospital for her, but after an all night stay, she is now home recuperating. We certainly hope she mends quickly and feels good as new real soon!

SYMPATHIES--We'd like to send our condolences to the family of Janine Tischer-Strock, as she passed away recently after a long battle with cancer. Many of you may not have known her, but you have probably heard of her brother Lee Tischer, who is well known in this community as he has served on the school board, port board, bus driver and the major force behind the car show we held here. So, to all of the Tischers and the Strock family, we send our deepest sympathies. Her services will be held this Saturday, Oct. 27 from 2 to 4 at the Kelso Elks.

FAMILY LOSS-- Our family lost one of our family members recently, as a cousin, Patricia Shane Ballard passed away in Seattle last week. Her sister, Sue Edminster, says that Pat's family is planning a Celebration of Life service on Nov. 17 with more details on that to follow. Pat's Mom, Jean Shane, was the sister of my Grandma Elsie (Walker) Everest. We send Pat's immediate family, which includes her four children, James, Shirley, Judeth and Janet and multiple grandchildren, our deepest sympathies as they lost a truly wonderful part of their family.

AN AWAKENING--I often mention being prepared for disasters, especially during the winter months. You know, like reminding everyone that they should have plenty of supplies on hand and be able to sustain themselves with all the things they might need in case you are stuck at home for a couple of weeks.

Well, there's another kind of preparedness that I have overlooked that was brought to my attention recently, like knowing what to do when you're in a motel/hotel and the fire alarm sounds. We've all probably gone on vacation and are so busy enjoying ourselves that really, we barely think about what we'd do if an alarm were to go off, especially in the middle of the night. I can tell you, that unless you're one of the handful of people that practice midnight fire drills, the sound of an alarm going off when you've been sound asleep is very confusing for a few seconds, or even minutes. It is so unexpected and you are so groggy, that the things we would normally do if we had been awake, just don't kick in right away. This could be fatal.