More snow (and crab)

ARE YOU READY? I was hoping that the frigid, possibly snowy, forecast would have warmed up and all the warnings for the super cold temperatures would have gone away by now, but nope— forecasters are still saying temperatures are going to plummet by the time you read this and you may need to be chipping ice or shoveling snow or both. My plan is to stay put and stay warm and I hope all of you who actually have to be out and about in the cold weather will find a way to stay warm and safe. Please keep your vehicle loaded with all the supplies you need, just in case you get stuck in for one reason or another. I hope everyone will turn your headlights on; it helps us see you. And slow down and give yourself plenty of time to get to where you're going; it's better to arrive a little early than not at all!

SPECIAL DAYS. Celebrating birthday this week are Kelly McClain, Erla Crouse, Holly Lindsey, Vanessa McClain, Roy LaBerge, Kara McNally, Joey Moore, Jan Silvestri, Russ Durrah, Cindy Lloyd, Jerod Moore, Jake Collins, Elaine Robinson, Brittney Robbins, Kyler Sause, Patty Calvert, Bill Mahitka, Isabella Hendrickson, Jason Rainey, Angela Grim, Ty Finkas, Chris Norton, Holly Pedersen Norton and 67er Enid Martin Fountain. Celebrating wedding anniversaries are Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bergseng, Mr. and Mrs. Glen Holt, and Bill and Krista Blix McGuire. May you all have a wonderful time celebrating your birthdays and anniversaries this coming week.

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST. Meanwhile, if you're reading this on Thursday, Jan. 11, I do hope you'll head to the free community breakfast at the Skamokawa Grange Hall from 10 a.m. to noon. You can bring in a goodie to share or just sit and have a cup of coffee and chat. They are collecting Christmas wrapping paper for next year, so if you've got some extra, you could donate some of it for the Shoeboxes of Joy event that was such a big hit this last couple of years. It was great to be able to pick up some from the Cathlamet Pharmacy as a donation and I'll be sending my own bundle as well, so here's hoping they get restocked on that and boxes too, as the list definitely grew this year.

BIG WEEKEND. I hope that the cold weather doesn't prevent the Flea Market at the Wahkiakum County Fairgrounds this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More and more goodies are added to the sale all the time. If in doubt, you can call the fairgrounds and leave your number. 360-795-3480. This Saturday evening there will be bingo at the Norse Hall, beginning at 6 p.m. with doors at 5:30 p.m. If you want to check to see if it's still happening (due to possible weather issues) give Jan a call. 360-431-1705.

FAIRGROUNDS CRAB FEED. Time is ticking away already and it won't be long until our first crab and oyster feed is in the area, so mark Jan. 20 down for that event. For more information and to secure some tickets, contact Diane Dyer: 360-465-2825. Tickets are available at Marias' in Cathlamet and the Naselle Hardware store on the west end.

NEW OWNERS. Well, I see we are going to be having some more changes in Skamokawa as the Columbia River Kayaking company on Steamboat Slough Road now has new owners. Congratulations to Lance and Shannon Britt; they are the operators of the Skamokawa Resort, which includes the store, the hotel rooms, the conference room and the condos, so they aren't strangers to the area. They say that CRK will be back to full swing next year, but that the Road Scholar programs will continue with the current owners in 2024, plus limited public tours and some coaching opportunities. Meanwhile, we hope you'll spread the word about this wonderful experience right here in our back yard.

CONDOLENCES. We want to offer our delayed sympathies to Rhonda Heiner as she lost her brother, Raymond Irving last month.

GOOD TIPS. This paper published a nice list of things to do during the cold weather, under the header, “Winter Weather Preparedness.” It was put out by the Washington State Fire Marshals' office. I hope you took a look at those and are making notes of what needs to be done prior to finding yourself in a bind. They can give you more information if you need it at 360-596-3929.

LOCAL HELP. We also have folks here to call about such things; you can contact the Wahkiakum County Department of Emergency Management here in Cathlamet. To reach the Wahkiakum County Emergency Information Line, with a recorded information message, you can call 360-795-3911 or 1-877-795-3910 for special road conditions, extreme weather alerts, emergency information. You can also email Beau Renfro at renfrob@co.wahkiakum.wa.us or check out the website under Wahkiakum County. Don't wait until it's too late to get supplies for you and your animals. Meanwhile, let's just hope we get just a puddle of rain, a slight skiff of snow and absolutely no ice whatsoever, as we all want to avoid any drastic weather-related accidents. Stay safe everybody!