Downriver Dispatches

Funny points to ponder, the beach, and a penny for your thoughts

I only have one timetable and that is to meet my deadline for the Wahkiakum County Eagle, other than that I have no sense of time. I’ll give you an example and I have witnesses. On Wednesday I went to the Valley Bible Church for their potluck in association with the Naselle/Grays River Valley Seniors. I arrived a little before noon when they serve lunch. I usually see more cars by this time and many familiar ones, but today there were only about a dozen cars. As I entered the church I expected to be greeted to the smell of wonderful food emanating from the kitchen along with the chattering of people engaging one another. I stopped short of entering the dining room because in front of me were a dozen women sitting in a circle at tables with Bibles open. I assumed that they were having a bible study and inquired when the potluck was to start. They all laughed and said that it was yesterday. I now remembered it was Thursday.

The beach is a place of solitude, peace and comfort for many, even sleepwalkers. I fell asleep on the couch at a good friend’s house and awoke to discover he was a sleepwalker. He was sleepwalking, and I had heard that it is not good to wake them up, so I just observed his actions for about five minutes before he finally went back to bed. He woke me up early just to tell me about his amazing dream. He was so elated and excited as if he had just come from the beach. He described the sand beneath his feet and the feeling of being alone peeing on the sand. He sighed and smiled with a faraway look in his eyes and then left the house for work. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that last night he was peeing in the kitty litter and there was a trail of litter leading all the way back to his bed. I cleaned up the mess so he will never know unless he reads this. As for the cat, I am not sure he will ever be the same because he was watching Ken at the beach.

A penny for your thoughts is an old expression that we all take for granted, but we never have really examined. If someone wants to give me a penny for my thoughts and I give them my two cents worth, what happened to the other penny? Did I just overpay and am I entitled to that other penny? If I sue, my attorney will get one third, so I lose the penny anyway. So it’s not worth it. Why a penny for my thoughts? When this saying first came about a penny was equal to the price of a loaf of bread. In today’s world a good loaf of bread cost about $5. So if you ask me a penny for my thoughts, take in to account for rising inflation and offer me five bucks. That’s a little more of an incentive, just saying.

Any questions, comments, critiques, or ideas for future stories, please feel free to contact me at darrell@waheagle.com. I will try to respond to as many as I can via The Eagle with the editor’s approval.

News from the Westend and Naselle

Anyone interested in renting the Rosburg Hall is encouraged to contact Sonja Kruse at 465-2251 or Barbara Rose at 465-2251.

As noted above and remembered is that on Wednesdays the Naselle/Grays River Valley Seniors will have lunch prepared for those over 60 at the Rosburg Hall. For those who are wondering how it is done: It is all done by the humble volunteers who donate their time and energy to see that at least one meal for the seniors is a good one.

Thursday luncheon at noon at the Rosburg Hall is sponsored by the Community Action Program (CAP) out of Kelso/Longview. All vegetables are cooked at the Rosburg Hall while the main course is prepared by cooks in Kelso from Grounds For Opportunity. Marian Bradburn picks up the food for delivery for senior lunch in Cathlamet and Rosburg. This week’s lunch consists of sloppy Joes, French fries, tossed salad, and sliced peaches. Any questions, contact Denise Rae at (360) 425-3430 extension 259.

Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park

G.R.V.C. is your local community center located at Johnson Park. Johnson Park Advisory Board is a volunteer board that oversees the operations. The Library and Computer Center is open and free to the public, Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Tuesday Sew Room 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Public Transit is available with Wahkiakum on the Move which operates a full-service schedule daily Monday through Friday and a partial service schedule on Saturday except for certain holidays. For more information call 1-888-795-3101 (toll free) or fax 360-795-6212, wotm@co.wahkiakum.wa.us.

The Naselle Timberland Library is located at 4 Parpala Rd, Naselle. Coming events: Tomorrow (Friday) 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., children of all ages can make amazing Lego constructions, and display them at the library. All designs will be on display for one week after the program. Tuesday, February 5 at 6 p.m., free movie night with popcorn. Movies may be PG-13 rated and suitable for teen or adult audiences. Check with the library for this week's title. The Friends of the Naselle Timberland Library will meet from 6 - 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month. Join them to help plan library events and activities. On February 6 from 6-7:30 p.m., bean and seed art using glue, beans and seeds and making mosaic, and all materials will be provided. February 9 will be Valentine Open Studio from 1-3 p.m., in which you can make your own valentine cards for the ones you love and all materials are included.

Naselle-Grays River Valley Schools: Middle school boys basketball host North Beach Monday and Raymond on Wednesday. Comet girls and boys basketball finish regular season today (Thursday) hosting Three Rivers Christian; district tournament starts Monday for girls and Tuesday for boys with games yet to be determined. Friday--Middle school Knowledge Bowl in Grays Harbor College.