Downriver Dispatches

Hi, neighbors. If you are a senior and want a flu shot, the County's Health Department will be giving shots from noon to 1 at Rosburg Hall today. If you read this early enough, you might make it down there. Flu shots are more important than ever now as we head into another flu season with covid 19 still out there, so get that flu shot even if it's not something you would usually do. We have lost too many to sit back and assume we won't be ill this winter.

Rain: I am hearing that we have the possibility of rain and wind on Saturday and more rain predicted most of next week. It seems to be feast or famine. Animals are telling me they are thirsty, from the birds coming to the birdbath, to the small animals coming to drink at my little pond and then deer coming through my yard to get to the river. The apples have disappeared from my little apple tree, so I hope the deer have enjoyed them. Ben dog is barking all night so I am bringing him into the house tonight, which he won't like, but I want to help animals get water if I can. And I still need to get lawn furniture out of the yard and put away, so that will be a job, I suspect, for all of us. What a long summer we've had. But the ground is rock hard dry. Add hard wind and I can't even imagine what the dust bowl of the Great Depression was like.

Photo of the Week: Judy Johnson, resident of Rosburg for almost 20 years. I was able to spend time with Judy Johnson yesterday at her log house at Devil's Elbow on Grays River. She is very well educated and knowledgeable about marine life and plants. She has a passion for plant research, especially berries, using her own property to conduct plant research for herself and for companies that will use her data on varieties of berries. Judy attended Fresno State University, then moved to the Moss Landing Marine Lab for her Masters, then on to University of California at Santa Cruz for her doctoral work. She is now an adjunct professor at Oregon State University focused on water resources. She continues living an academic's life as an advisory board member to the Corden College which she helped to found, a new college for agricultural study in the Pacific Northwest. She has contracts working for various commercial plant companies who produce, as an example, strawberries. She is interested in plants growing in water and has a green house set up for that method. She is a busy woman living in a beautiful setting. I'm so pleased she's now on the Enhancement Board for Grays River.

She is active in Valley Bible Church and is now serving on the newly organized Grays River Habitat Enhancement District's Board. Judy believes strongly in saving agricultural land in the area so that landowners can use their land as they wish. With the price of food going up every week, we could all be saving money by growing vegetables on our own land. One possibility Judy wants to explore is the idea of growing cranberries on her own land. Since her land floods regularly and her land is flat and close to the mouth of the Grays, that may well be a grand idea. I hope she tries it. She plans to contact the University of Washington for good information. For those with land that floods, that may be a good option. She is a fine resource for all of us and certainly for the Grays River Habitat Enhancement Board. I look forward to watching her leadership.

Johnson Park updates: Trick or Treat event is cancelled due to other Halloween events. The Johnson Park Library has new hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1-7 p.m. Get your Prime Rib Dinner ticket there during those hours.

Puzzles: As the rain comes back, it's getting to be puzzle time for many of us, but especially for John Footh. He is a one-thousand piece addict. I prefer 500 myself, and there are others who may want more or less pieces. I hope our seniors will bring puzzles to trade when coming to senior lunches. We need John to have another one as his current one is about done.

Calendar of Events:

October 20: County Health Dept gives flu shots at Rosburg Hall from 12 to 1 during Cap lunch.

October 22: 50th Wedding Anniversary Party for Brian and Linda Elliott at Rosburg Hall – 2 to 5.

October 29: Rosburg Christmas Bazaar at Rosburg Hall. Hours 10-2.

October 29: Kids' Halloween event from 5-8 at Naselle Community Center.

October 29: State Patrol office in Naselle has candy for kids from 3-6.

October 30: Finnish American Folk Festival Board meets at 2 at Naselle Community Ctr.

November 2: Senior Lunch at Rosburg Hall at noon.

November 5: Prime Rib Dinner at Johnson Park catered by Country Catering/Travis Boggs from 5:30 to 7 with To-Go orders picked up at 6 p.m. Kids $8 and Adults $18. To pre-order tickets call Denise Blanchard: (360) 355-0472 or (360) 465- 2310 or a Board Member.

November 7: Put your clocks back one hour.

November 9: Grays River Habitat Enhancement District at 5:30 at Johnson Park.

November 12: Holiday Bazaar at Naselle Lutheran from 10-2.

November 12: American Legion Breakfast at Rosburg Hall at 8 a.m.

November 12: Appelo Archives annual Harvest Dinner and Auction at Rosburg Hall at 5 p.m.

November 19: American Legion Ladies will sponsor a bingo at Rosburg Hall at 6 p.m.

December 2: Tree lighting at Naselle Community Center

December 3: Bazaar at Naselle Community Center.

December 4: Christmas concert at Deep River Church, home tour and soup supper.

December 10: Craft Day/Make a Christmas Centerpiece at Johnson Park 11 – 2. (360) 355-0472.

December 11: Christmas Baking classes at Naselle Community Center.

December 18: Tour of community lights – get those lights up, guys!

December 31: New Year's Eve 2023 at Johnson Park from 9-12 p.m. Potluck, games with family and friends/ Weather permitting.

Senior Lunches: CAP/Thursday Senior Lunches are now located inside Rosburg Hall at noon.The next Wednesday Senior Lunch will be on November 2 at Rosburg Hall at noon.