Lots for free activities to enjoy in the county

NICE SURPRISE--I was so happy to see that our Easter weekend weather was not the drippy one that we had all feared, but instead we enjoyed some very wonderful sunshine and warmer temperatures, so that was awesome! Nothing cheers a person up like having sunshine to bask in during a time when family is coming for dinner and the little ones look forward to outdoor Easter egg hunts, so, this was a great weekend indeed!

We woke up Monday morning to temperatures below freezing once again, so that 27 degrees made outdoor morning chores a bit nippy. I hope you were able to enjoy the first part of this week as it appears that by Wednesday, we're looking to be a bit wet again through Saturday. Fingers crossed they're wrong!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from April 8-14 are Kylie Thacker, Andrew Emlen, Brent Mahitka,Wendy Westover, Timothy Parker, Rafael Gilbertsen, Trygve Gilbertsen, Patrick Thacker, Nikki Danker, Liam Thomason, Chris Doumit, Mike Crouse, Hudson Heiner, Savannah Burdick, Sara Havens Brown, Aspen Cothren, Kael McKinley, Stephanie Olsen, Pat Dennis, Lyle Nielson, Sean Miller, Phil Doumit, Jackson Ratcliff, Sylvia Blix Link, Misty Shook and Carolyn Pedersen.

Belated birthday wishes go out to Pam Emery, whose birthday was last Tuesday; not sure how I missed that, but I hope it was a good one!

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to the following this coming week: Mr. and Mrs. Ed Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Tim Parker and Edward and Annie Watters. May you all have wonderful celebrations on your special days.

Belated anniversary wishes go out to Dan and Julie McKagan who celebrated 34 years together on April 1.

WANT TO BE INCLUDED?--If you'd like to have your birthday or anniversary listed in my column, and it's not already on the Lions Club Calendar, or I've not mentioned it, please give me a call a week prior to your special day and I'll try my best to get it in. Due to scheduling conflicts, I often have my news done and turned in by Monday afternoon, for the current paper that comes out on Thursday, so it's great to have anything you want mentioned, called into me either Saturday or Sunday. If I'm not home, please just leave a message. I try to return all calls, but once in awhile, if two calls just happen to come in at the same time, one doesn't seem to come up on my alert screen so, I'm not sure what's up with that, but it has happened a time or two. Technology; usually awesome, but not always!

THIS SATURDAY--Don't forget, the second Saturday of each month is Flea Market time in the Youth Building at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and even if it rains, it's nice and warm and cozy in that building. You can rent a table for just $10 and sell your items as well. Contact Patty by leaving a message at 360-795-3480.

NOT HAPPENING YET--While it may be listed on the current 2021 Calendar of Events put out by the Wahkiakum Chamber, the Sons of Norway are still not holding their monthly bingo games at the Norse Hall on Puget Island, but they hope to be able to soon. As soon as I hear they'll be holding it again, I'll let you know!

NEXT MONTH--I'm going to give you plenty of "heads up" here, as next month is May and that means there's going to be another big holiday: Mother's Day! It is a bit earlier in the month this year, so keep May 9 in mind as that's just a month away, as you'll want to be sure to do something special for your Mom/wife or other special lady in your life that day. Whether it's ordering some flowers from our local business, like Daisy Chain Floral, or getting a gift from one of our local shops, or a gift certificate, or setting up a special dinner at one of our local eateries, please try to shop local as all our wonderful business owners would certainly appreciate it, and we appreciate them and want to keep them here!

On that note, I'd like to give a shout out to all those folks who are working to serve us that are keeping their sunny dispositions and who go out of their way to help us while we shop. I know how easy it would be to get a bit grumpy from all the demands made of you, but please know, we see you and we really appreciate you!

DISC GOLF ANYONE?--With so many new people in the area, I thought I might mention an activity that many may not know exists here, and that's "disc golf." We have one of these courses in Skamokawa, as out towards the end of East Valley Road, lies the Lucky Mud Disc Golf course of the Inn at Lucky Mud, and with its fantastic wooded course, it's a wonderful walk in nature besides playing a great game. This is currently operated by Adam and Sarah Fletcher and they can be reached by calling 360-795-8770 or email them at: theinn@luckymud.com. If you'd like to set up a tee time, which is required by the way, just give them a jingle and then enjoy your drive out to 44 Old Chestnut Drive and the only disc golf course in the county!

WHEN IT'S NICE--In case you're new to the area, and you haven't been to Skamokawa yet, then you haven't been out to our little "jewel" along the river, which is Skamokawa Vista Park; it's really a place you need to visit! Folks from all over come here to camp with their RV's, rent a yurt or even set up their tents, as they enjoy this fantastic view of our beautiful Columbia River and see the massive ships cruise by so close, that one often thinks they're coming ashore! There's a beach to play on and to explore, as well as some trails to check out and the kids have a playground to enjoy and you can play some hoops or even tennis, so when people say "there's nothing to do," send them down here and unleash some of that pent up energy by taking part in free activities. The park has also added more horse shoe pits than they had before, so you might enjoy that as well.

There's really no reason to be bored in this neck of the woods, as you can also ride your bikes around Steamboat Slough/Brooks Slough road and enjoy the scenery while avoiding a lot of traffic. For those with a little more ambition, it's a good place to walk or jog too, so while it's nice, it's time to get outdoors and take in that fresh air and clear your mind and soak in all the goodness that nature has to offer; and it's all free! As a matter of fact, there's the "Great White Tail Run" taking place on May 15, so you can always check out all about that by contacting the 4-H WSU Extension office at 360-795-3278.

NICE UPGRADE--Hooray for our Skamokawa Fire Department volunteers, as they recently were able to get some lockers in order to store their boots and gear, so that is certainly a nice addition to organize their equipment.Needless to say, during an emergency, the last thing you want to be doing is trying to find "your" boots, so having each person's gear in their own space is going to be a real benefit to them. We certainly appreciate all our volunteers and they in turn would like to invite you to come and join them as there's never too much help during a fire or other emergency call out. They meet at the Skamokawa Fire Hall each Thursday evening at 7 p.m.

SAD NEWS--It was a sad day last Friday when we learned of the passing of one of our WHS 1967 classmates, Rich West in Milwaukie, OR on Thursday night. Rich had been in a nursing home/rehab setting for over two years after a bad fall, and unfortunately, he just never fully recovered from it enough to get back home. Our deepest sympathies go out to his sister, Mary Baldwin, who lives here in Skamokawa, as well as the rest of his family members.

Special condolences are also being sent to his life-long friend, and another classmate, Greg Lloyd, as the two of them had been best friends "forever" and often said they were like "brothers from another mother." In the early years, they did a lot of things together but later on, even though they lived miles apart, they always had the telephone to keep them in touch with one another for over 50 years. So, it's with a heavy heart that we say good-bye to another classmate and one of the "good guys." Again, our sincerest sympathies to all of Rich's family and dear friends.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1946, the first four days were cold and rainy and just not nice at all. Thankfully, it cleared up and was just beautiful and lovely for the last three days, which included Palm Sunday back then. This week marked the 10th birthday of Ralph Pedersen and the 17th birthday of his cousin, Patricia Shane on the same day. The Shane family, who lived in Seattle, all came down that day to visit the Everests in Cathlamet, where they enjoyed a nice visit and birthday cake for the kids. The family took a trip down to Seaside and Cannon Beach while they were here visiting.

A couple of "big deals" took place with the Krist Pedersen family that week, as the lady of the house (Carol, my Mom) got a new Bendix washing machine and Krist (my Dad) got to head to Seattle and get his new teeth!

That week, Marian Healy gifted her mother, Elsie, with some goldfish. However, within a week, they were already dwindling in numbers. Later on, it was off to see George and Avis Walker in Longview with Marian driving her Mother there, as George (her brother) had been in the hospital and was finally home.

It was during this week that Cathlamet resident, Bill Althauser had to be taken to the hospital as he had been having quite a sick spell recently.

National News was all about the dedication of F. D. Roosevelt's Hyde Park home as it was being dedicated as a National Memorial with Harry Truman speaking at the dedication on April 12 of that year. FDR had passed away the year prior.

All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's 1946 diary.