NICE ONE--It was great to see the sunshine return last weekend but beings those days were accompanied by freezing temperatures at night, I hope any new plants you got anxious to put in the ground wound up making it through the nippy temperatures okay. By the time you read this however, our rainy weather is supposed to have returned, so it looks like we still have to drag those umbrellas around. Of course, with more snow falling back East, and temperatures in the teens, we are certainly happy that we aren't dealing with their temperatures and snow!

SPRING IS HERE--With flowers blooming and hummingbirds returning, it's definitely looking like Spring. According to experts, the most important thing you should be doing right now is weeding those flower beds, and secondly, well, more weeding. Did you know that planting tomatoes right now is not recommended until it warms up a bit more, unless of course, you're fortunate enough to have a nice greenhouse. Then you can do whatever you want! With my red rhodies starting to bloom, and my primroses looking great after a long winter of neglect, it's definitely looking like Spring time! Must be about time to pay Danny Silverman a visit at the Skamokawa Gardens Nursery on Steamboat Slough Road.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays this coming week are Aaliyah Montgomery, Leif Carroll, Mike Carroll, Linda McClain, Judy Bates, Pam Emery, Ron Rust, Richard Backman, Bob Brons, Sandi Cik, Gordon Souvenir, Buzz Moore, Crystal Davis, Jason Wallin Jr., Juanita Rodahl, Karen Bell, Nathan Pedersen and Dawn Pedersen.

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Mr. and Mrs. Brian McClain, the Mike Phelans and Joel and Pam Moore. Hope you have terrific special days everybody!

SEE THEM?--On Monday morning there was a roar in the sky and after looking around a second, we saw the cause of all the noise, three very large airplanes! They were headed west and were going quite slow, all in a row, thus the very loud sound. I'm not sure what kind of planes they were but if anybody knows, give me a call as it was quite curious to have them all flying like that together and at such a low altitude.

REDMEN HALL--In case you didn't know it, the Redmen Hall is not open right now as they are in the midst of some renovations and so until those are done, the hall will remain closed. But not to fret, I'm sure they will get everything done soon and they'll be open once again in time for the summer crowds.

COMING SOON--The Skamokawa Grange Hall will soon be the place to get into shape as Stephan Miller will be hosting some excercise classes there soon. The current plan is to meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. For more information, you can call him at 360-560-1983.

GREAT RIBS--Last weekend the Duck Inn offered up a new special and that was your choice of pork or beef ribs. I have to tell you, the pork ribs literally flew out the door, so even though we got there early, there were only beef ribs left, so we got a half rack. Now mind you, they were good, but as we all know, they are just a bit messier to eat than the pork ribs, so while I was sure my face was smiling with barbecue sauce, I still kept on eating until they were all gone!

SYMPATHIES--We were sorry to hear about the passing of Mike Brusco recently and send our sympathies to his entire family. Back in the day, I was one of their babysitters when they lived down the road from my house on North Welcome Slough on Puget Island. They are holding a service for him on April 5 at the JA Wendt Elementary multi-purpose room. Also, I was sorry to hear about Jeff Olsen, as he was the younger brother of a classmate of mine. His family is holding a service this Saturday, March 29, at the JA Wendt multi-purpose room. His family has our sincerest regards. We learned that Donna Moody recently lost her brother Ed in California, so we send our regards to her and her family as they deal with the loss of their loved one. Many folks seem to have lost family members recently and our thoughts and prayers are with all of them during this sad time.

LIONS CLUB--While you're doing some of that Spring cleaning, don't foget to take those old glasses and hearing aids that you had in the "catch all" drawer, and put them in the Lions Club box that is located in front of the Cathlamet Pharmacy. For those on the west end of the county, there is also a drop box located in the library at the Johnson Park Center. These lenses get screened and then sent out to those that could really use them all around the world and so you'd be cleaning out a drawer and giving somebody else the chance to see again.

WATCH OUT--April is coming and has some special things to watch out for like "April Fool's Day!" The time for gags will be taking place on Tuesday, so be wary of those tasty treats left out on the counter, as they might not be "tasty" at all, or the good ole "whoopie cushion" or " fake spider" tricks. You just never know what your friends or family members might pull on you, so watch out!

NEXT WEEKEND--It's time to "Hook The Hawg," as the big Salmon Derby will be taking place next weekend with lots of prizes being given away. You can buy tickets at the Cathlamet branch of the Bank of the Pacific, Moore's Auto and the Elochoman Slough Marina. There are different prices depending on your age and kids under 10 are free, so join the fun and help our kids' scholarship funds. For more information you can contact the Wahkiakum Chamber at 795-9996.

COUPLE WEEKS--There's a couple of big events coming up in a couple of weeks. One of them happens right here in Skamokawa at the United Methodist Church, as they will be hosting their annual Hosanna Musicale on April 13, which is Palm Sunday. For as long as most of us can remember, this event has always taken a goodwill offering which then is donated to the St. James Family Center, so you'll be able to enjoy some great music and help a good cause as well.

Also that day, there is the annual Rosburg Club Chicken Dinner at the Rosburg Community Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it's always just delicious. They have a huge salad bar and a wonderful array of yummy desserts, so don't miss this dinner! Once again, you'll get to enjoy a great dinner with the proceeds going to maintain the hall.

THIRD WEEK IN APRIL--On Friday, April 18, there will be the much anticipated Easter Bingo held at the Julius Wendt Elementary multi-purpose room, and as usual, the Wahkiakum Fair Board will be putting this on, with all proceeds to go towards our county fair in August. This is always an evening of fun for the whole family and we hope you'll come out and try to win that Easter ham or some other great prizes!

Then on Saturday, April 19, the Lions Club annual Easter Egg Hunt at Skamokawa Vista Park will take place for the young ones. You'll want to bring down the kiddies a snitch early as when they say "go," they zip through the fields in a hurry, so don't be late! They will also enjoy a visit with the Easter Bunny and hopefully they'll be the lucky winners of a special egg which gives them one of the grand prize Easter baskets!

On that same day, only in the evening, you'll be able to enjoy the beautiful view that the Skamokawa Landing building offers, while you listen to the sounds of the Cathlamet Chamber Opera beginning at 7 p.m. Kyleen Austin, Carol Coal, Kathleen Peterson and our very own Andrew Emlen will be playing their various instruments and lending their voices for your entertainment. Tickets will be $18 at the door.

END OF APRIL--There is going to be a Lambing Management School at the end of April on the last Friday and Saturday of the month, but you need to fill out a registration form by April 15. You should contact the WSU Wahkiakum County Extension Agency about this event from their director, Carrie Backman at 795-3278. There will be a couple of doctors there, as well as farmers and volunteers to help you learn all you need to know about raising and caring for your animals.

THINKING OF THEM--Our hearts go out to the families of the passengers and crew that were on the Malaysia Flight that the experts now believe went down in the Indian Ocean with no survivors. This is a terrible and unexplained tragedy and we hope to find some answers to this mystery some day.

Also, we send our prayers to all those families who lost loved ones in that massive mudslide just east of Arlington, in the town of Oso last weekend. Unfortunately, as the days go by, the death toll seems to be rising, as are the number of people now listed as missing, and with the passing of time and more rain coming, the search for survivors grows more desperate every day. Beings we have some relatives living on a hillside within a relatively short distance from that slide area, we hope and pray this latest batch of rain doesn't cause them any troubles.

OUT OF THE PAST--Back in 1944, the month of March ended with several very nice, warm days, which were in stark contrast from the few days prior to that where the town was getting covered in snow! When April arrived, it wound up being the hottest April first in 65 years, so it was like summer. When March ended, so did the big smelt run. Marie Jacobsen got married and sisters Marian Healy and Carol Pedersen, along with her husband, Krist, all attended the wedding, while their Mom, Elsie took care of the children. Marian was celebrating her 26th birthday that very same day.

In 1949, March ended with some miserable cold and rain, with a little snow in the hills, while April began cold and clear. At the end of March, the local paper's headline said, "The Eagle Sold to Phelps and Tabor." Leon Healy was in the hospital that week but got home in time for his wife's birthday. Rev. and Mrs. W. W. Head celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house celebration. Rev. Head was the retired pastor of the Congregational Church in Cathlamet.

In 1954, March ended with a little snow in the hills, then cold and clear and then a "really lovely day" before it began to rain. The new month began wet but for the Everests it didn't matter, as they were headed back to Minnesota. The O.E. Johnsons took them to the airport but they stopped at the Holland House in Vancouver to eat prior to catching a late flight out. They had an enjoyable trip to Minneapolis with beautiful summer-like weather there for several days before leaving for St. Paul. All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.