The holiday season is upon us; are you ready?

COLD BUT WARMING--The last few days of November were pretty chilly in West Valley, as temperatues were down to just 19 degrees and the frost was very thick on everything a couple of mornings. With that kind of cold weather came some restless nights with little sleep, as many of us have to deal with keeping our water flowing so as not to freeze up! So when it warmed up Saturday night, we weren't complaining a bit. We did see just a skiff of snow here on Sunday morning and a couple of inches on top of Beaver Creek, but at least it wasn't dumping on us like other areas, so that was fine with me and my stuffy head and runny nose!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Dec. 5-11 are Hank Bassi, Jai Snow, Carol McClain, Collin Parker, Dennis Reid, Rick Foster, Julie Iverson, Kitty Speranza, Hollie Burns, Meg Wright, Ron Hendrickson, Derek West, Kathy Hanigan, Julie Doumit, Amy Prestegard, Julie Burdick, Tyler Johnson, Nora Sorenson, Kayrene Gilbertsen, Clair Meyers, Gabe Pedersen and Patrice Holtz. Belated birthdays go out to Samantha Everest and Obed Rodriguez.

Celebrating their anniversary this coming week are Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Vik; enjoy!

DID YOU SEE IT?--A very bright meteor was spotted in our area this past week, and reports have it that it was about the size of a basketball and that it fell right into the Columbia River; how cool is that?

Speaking of the Columbia River, that was pretty cool to have Puget Island mentioned on the TV show, "Jeopardy" last week and even cooler to have someone from nowhere close to here, be able to come up with the correct answer; amazing!

SAD NEWS--As you've probably all heard by now, Skamokawa has lost a couple more great folks recently and we are just so very sorry for their loved ones, as well as for ourselves, as we'll truly miss them. Jill Hatier, who you may remember worked for the Friends of Skamokawa for years, left us recently and was remembered this past Wednesday evening at a gathering at Redmen Hall. If you've been to the hall recently, you may have noticed a handrail that was recently installed, and that was due to a generous donation by Jill. She was in charge of a lot of the displays and events held at the hall until health issues made her take a step back from working. She was a kind and gentle soul and will truly be missed.

MORE SADNESS--Another person in the Skamokawa area that passed away suddenly, was Stevan Morgain, husband of Kathleen Morgain, who you may know as the couple who own and operate Twin Gables B&B. The news of his death took us all by surprise and we were shocked and saddened by this latest loss of such a talented and good-hearted guy. You may not be aware, but Stevan was a fantastic photographer and his photos were in various newspapers and magazines for years. You may remember that he had even written articles and included his photos for this paper several years ago. When he and Kathleen moved from the Seattle area to Skamokawa, they took the old Russell house, turned it a quarter turn, and then added a dozen feet or so and connected the neighboring house, to form "Twin Gables." The massive undertaking and the amount of woodwork inside shows off one of Stevan's many other talents, as it seemed he could build anything. Folks can share their memories and stories of him at a gathering on his behalf at Twin Gables on Dec. 14 from noon to four. We send our deepest sympathies and regards to his wife, Kathleen and the rest of his family.

FRIDAY MOVIE--The Free Friday movie will be held at 7 p.m., Dec. 6. Head to the Community Center in Cathlamet for a cheap date night! Free popcorn along with a free movie and you can bring in your own snacks if you want; great deal! The movie this week is a documentary, not rated but listed for everyone. Stop by the center at 101 Main Street to find out the title and what it's all about. They can also tell you about ordering pizza ahead of time and having it delivered to the center so you can eat dinner while watching the movie. Enjoy!

DEC.11--If you happen to be in the Rosburg area on Wednesday morning, Dec.11, why not stop by the Rosburg Store and have "Coffee with a Cop" and share your concerns, voice an opinion or just get to know your local police officers. They will be there at 8:30 a.m., so stop by and get acquainted!

COMING UP--Here's hoping you'll head to Skamokawa on Dec. 14 for the monthly Flea Market held at the fairgrounds in the Youth Building, as they have new things and used things and hopefully you will find something you like while you're here. If you have an abundance of things, maybe you'd like to buy a table and set it up for just $10 and sell some of those good but unused items, and make a little extra spending money for Christmas. If interested, leave a message on the fair phone for Patty at 360-795-3480.

JUST TWO MORE--The Friends of Skamokawa hope you will stop by and check out the goodies in Redmen Hall's second floor, the River Life Interpretive Center, as there's only two more weekends before they close for the winter. Currently some vendors have their artwork, woodwork, homemade items and some edibles, so go check it out! Don't forget the books and other goodies in the FOS book and gift store on the first floor. Remember, Dec. 15 is fast approaching and the hall will be closed until the first weekend in March! They are open Thursday through Sunday from noon to four and you can call 360-795-3007 for more information.

PM ON 14TH--From 3 to 9 p.m., on Dec. 14, you may want to head to the "Lighted Christmas Parade and Holiday Market" that will take place in Cathlamet/Elochoman Sl. Marina. If you want to be in the lighted parade, you must be preregistered by Dec. 12, so contact the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce to get your registration form, which is also online, and get that turned in ASAP! Anything can be in the parade but it must be lit up with holiday lights. The holiday market starts at 3 and the parade starts at 6 p.m., sharp. For more information, call Paige Lake at 360-269-6737.

NO BINGO--Even though the community calendar has it listed, I was told by members of the Sons of Norway, that there will not be any bingo in December this year, so you have the evening of the 14th off to go to the lighted parade in the marina. Members of the lodge are reminded that they will hold a potluck holiday dinner this Saturday evening, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., at the Norse Hall on Puget Island.

GET WELL--Laurie Miller is one of those folks who wasn't feeling so good and after a trip to the ER, is dealing with some newly discovered health issues and we want to wish her the very best as she deals with those. Judith Pedersen took a tumble and hurts all over, so we hope she recuperates from that; Rick Foster will make a brief trip to the hospital so we trust he will feel much better after he has this procedure completed.

Just before they were headed home, Stephanie and Kyli Prestegard were in an accident in Mexico and got a bit shook up, so we hope they are now on the mend after this unexpected event.

Classmate Keith Lawrence and his wife, Karen, have been under the weather lately and hopefully by the time this goes to print, they will be "fine and dandy" as it's no fun feeling puny when there's work to be done and holiday doings going on as well!

LAST MONTH--We are struck by how fast this year has gone by and how quickly our holiday season activities are arriving! We also realize how many of our close friends and loved ones will not be here this holiday season, and it certainly makes us sad. Having lost my father on Christmas Day, I can relate and I can tell you, the Christmas holiday was extremely difficult to get through for several years, as once he was gone, my Mom left town to go to work and those big sudden changes were pretty tough. So, let us remember to "stress less" this holiday season and relish those that are with us now while we can. Here's to some great gatherings with family and friends in the weeks to come.

If you're not done with your shopping yet, please don't forget to shop local. We'll all be glad we did!