Downriver Dispatches

Commentary: I am a Texan at heart. It doesn't make me love this area less; it makes me appreciate it more. My favorite spot there is the Bussey family ranch in Weatherford, west of Ft. Worth. They are my foster family and I remember well when they bought that ranch which now has given joy to four generations so far. My husband's family was from Colorado, a place I learned to love in 1963 when I worked on a remote dude ranch out of Durango, Colorado. When I was first married, we lived in Gypsum, Colorado, at the time a stunning ranching area west of Denver, with few people. The small population of mostly ranchers lived on mostly large ranches and spent much of their time in the high country. Then I came to know Montana where ranchers lived much further out of town with mailboxes on the county road miles from the house, so the rancher's wife had to drive miles to get the mail. In 1967 we moved to Haines, Alaska and lived there almost 20 years. Now I'm in SW Washington after living in Seattle for another 20 years. When we "moved south" to Everett in 1985, the highway from Everett to Seattle was through mostly agricultural land. Edmonds was a nice Sunday drive from Seattle after we moved near the University of Washington in 1987. God has shown me the glory of his creation many times over, but in my 77 years, I have also observed the harmful changes man has made to God's earthly paradise. I can only speak for my years on earth, and I can only imagine what came before and testify to what those special places have now become. Like our old growth trees that disappeared so buildings could be built here and elsewhere, we now see the loss of land mostly due to concrete often because of the lack of environmental planning and it saddens me. I believe the earth is our home and our responsibility to steward. However, I believe that if we continue to live our lives in a continual state of war over and over, we will eventually destroy ourselves. The earth will remain and in time, I hope it will be able to return to the garden God intended it to be. I pray we can work together to protect it, for in doing so, we protect the future of all mankind.

So why this lengthy introduction? One hope I have for our county and indeed, our country, is that we learn to accept all people and all creatures as God's creation and to be open to each other, accept each other, and value each other as members of our earth family. I value each new person who buys land here, or moves here to work or retire, or just enjoy with the grandkids. I support and value all entities that try to maintain the health of the land, the ocean, the sky, the animals – and the children - because it's our duty to ourselves and our children's future. So, if you are new to the area, please feel welcome. If you are a fellow land lover, sea, and river lover or one who loves to fly in clear skies, please share your stories with us, educate us and help us see our county's future as people from all sorts of places, coming with all kinds of history and in all colors. "All God's children got a place in the choir." – Pete Seeger

Photo of the Week: A good example of diversity can be found in Naselle at the new antique store, owned by Joe Rodgers who has collected antiques and collectibles for years. We now benefit because his store next to the Post Office in Naselle on Knappton Road behind Okie's Market, is a fun place just to walk through and explore. Joe opened just before Thanksgiving, as I remember, and it is still open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for those who want to stop by and look at all he has for sale. Last weekend, I visited him in the store and took a photo of his large collection in the old Grange building in Naselle where there's plenty of room for him to set out items for sale. Stop by and check it out if you haven't been there yet.

Another new place is the flower shop at end of the Hair Villa building. Jennifer Penttila has opened it and is ready for business, as seen by her sign advertising flowers for Valentine's Day. Please do check with her to see the new shop.

Another highly successful group is the new Grays River/Rosburg Gardening Club as discussed in last week's Eagle. That group will be "growing and productive" so hopefully the food raised will feed many local families and teach children how to raise their own food. It's an exciting idea and opportunity for all of us. Thanks, Nicole Langer, for getting it started.

I haven't heard about many events in February, although it appears bingo is a great one on both ends of the county. There are always sports and games at the Naselle GRV School. A great place to sit with friends and support all kids in sports.

An important monthly meeting that needs your presence is the Naselle GRV School Board that meets the third Tuesday of every month in the school library. While there are usually some folks attending from the community, there aren't as many as could be there, so with the important policies being discussed, issues of parents and teachers, board members and community input, it's time well spent. You can speak up and share your concerns and questions. Please join me and others showing support for our kids and teachers.

Coming Events:

Mondays: Naselle Lutheran Church sponsors knitters/crocheters at 1 p.m.

Wednesdays: AA meeting at the Grays River Grange at noon.

First Thursday of the month: Gardening group meets at Johnson Park at 6 p.m.

First Thursday of the month: Caregiver Support Group at Naselle Library with Ocean Beach Hospital staff from 1-2 p.m.

February 21: School Board meeting at 6:30 in school library.

CAP Senior Lunches: CAP/Thursday Senior Lunches are located inside Rosburg Hall at noon.