Santa's coming to town

COLD ENOUGH? I guess it depends on where you live, but out in West Valley we were down in the lower twenties this past week and that’s plenty cold for me! It looks like we will be warming up later this week, though, so by the time you read this, it will have rained for several days. I’m not sure I like that either, but at least folks might not be sliding off the roadways on black ice. There was also freezing fog, which can take drivers by surprise. (But Skamokawa didn’t get its name from nothing; it means, “Smoke on the Water.”) There were also multiple accidents on the freeways, so those freezing and slick conditions caught some folks off guard. Here’s another reminder to slow down a bit when the temps take a dip! However, we had some sunny, dry days. That part was nice to look at through the windows, and many folks used the dry days to go out and decorate their homes. Some even went out and got their Christmas trees while it was dry. With the current forecast, it looks like we’ll be putting on our raincoats and looking for an umbrella again. So as the countdown to Christmas has begun, which is just twenty-five days from today, I hope you’ll take care, be safe, and try to stay warm and dry.

SPECIAL DAYS. Celebrating birthdays this week are Mike Linn, Tom Webb, Menoka Martin, Maria Snow, Mackinzie Allen, Hank Bassi, Matt Helm II, Cindy Montgomery, Trace Tarabochia, Shane Souvenir, Dylan Cothren, Carcy Bardsley, J. R. DeBriae, Mark Slape, Jamie T. Jacobson, Johnny Burdick, Nolan Robinson, Willow Nortrup, Paul Hoven, Danielle Coleman, Karen Bertroch, Joyce Ower, Hollie Burns, Rachael Cook, Kevin Palmer, Kendra Finkas, Steve Finkas, Mark Pedersen and Gabriel Pedersen. Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Tom and Rosalie Webb, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Holland, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Clark, and Mr. and Mrs. Manual Dault. May you all have wonderful celebrations this coming week.

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST. There was no community breakfast at the Skamokawa Grange Hall last weekend due to Thanksgiving, but this Thursday, Nov. 30, Season Long and her crew will be there from 10 a.m. until noon to serve up something to eat and to fill up your coffee cups. You are invited to bring a little something to share as well! The hall is located at 18 Fairgrounds Road. Have a bite to eat and chat with your neighbors. If possible, please make a donation to keep the hall open. You can stop at the Bank of the Pacific and donate directly to an account for the Skamokawa Grange.

ALSO AT THE GRANGE. “Shoeboxes of Joy” is headed into full Christmas mode and would gladly accept your donations. Lots of goodies will be given to someone who may not usually receive them, so wrap up a shoebox­—the lid should be wrapped separately—and fill it with anything you think someone might enjoy receiving, like a new pair of gloves, a scarf, candies, a deck of cards, fruit cups, granola bars, fancy soaps, etc. You could even make two: one for a man and one for a woman. If you don’t want to make up a box, you can always donate things that others will use to make one; just bring your items to the Skamokawa Grange Hall. Want to help but don’t want to shop? You can stop at the Bank of the Pacific where they have an account set up for “Shoeboxes of Joy - Wahkiakum.” You can also contact them via email at shoeboxesofjoywahkiakum@gmail.com. Call or text 360-795-5208. You can also drop off your donations at the Video Store, the Bank of the Pacific, or the Duck Inn.

CHRISTMAS PARTY/NORSE HALL. On Sunday the Sons of Norway will present their annual Kids’ Christmas party, for kids up to eighth grade. Don’t pass up this chance to have a good time, get a treat, and a chance to take pictures with Santa. The festivities take place from 2-4 p.m. at the Norse Hall, Puget Island. Head that way to win prizes playing bingo, take part in the gingerbread walk, or decorate cookies, not to mention surprise raffles!

VISTA PARK LIGHTS. Vista Park will present a Christmas Light Display beginning Saturday at 5 p.m. You’ll get to enjoy it for a whole month!

SANTA RUN. The annual Santa Run, put on by our local fire department, takes place next Saturday, Dec. 9, starting at Skamokawa Vista Park. The run will begin at 1:30 p.m., traveling out to Monroe Acres, and then on to various parts of Cathlamet, before stopping at the high school at approximately 2:30 p.m. The parade of firetrucks will then head around Puget Island and end up at the Norse Hall around 3:45 p.m. and be there for about a half hour. While Santa is stopped, he will be picking up donations of food, clothing, money (checks should be made out to “Skamokawa Fire Association”). You can get a full schedule of Santa’s route by calling 360-355-7519 or email santarun@yahoo.com. Here’s hoping they have a good day

GOOD TIME? I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and your dinners were delicious and your football teams were winners, or at least played well! I loved seeing all the family photos online; I would have loved to have posted some of my own, but I happened to be under the weather, so my plans were cancelled. I also didn’t get to go to any of the sales or local events during the weekend. That was a bummer. It’s always fun to see everybody and get in on some good bargains but I try to shop local all year long. Time’s ticking to get all that holiday shopping done. Here’s to some more fun, upcoming bazaars, flea markets, and other Christmas holiday events...and to good health, which makes it all a lot more enjoyable!

MAIL EARLY. As December descends upon us, don’t forget that local post offices and other delivery services will be slammed with mail, so while you could probably get away with local things being mailed later, if you really want to ensure that your packages aren’t lost, try to mail them in this first week of December. Better early than late, plus, if they do get lost, you might have a chance to find them prior to Christmas. Also, if you happened to have moved since last Christmas, this is also a great time to mail Christmas cards.

Here’s to the spreading of holiday cheer, kindness, and generosity.