DAMPNESS--It was great to have a little bit of moisture this past weekend, although I'm not sure everyone agreed as there were a lot of things going on, like people camping and fancy cars and trucks headed to car shows, that would rather have had it dry. The beginning of this week was due to be dry and warm, while a cool down and maybe even a few more showers may be falling upon us by the time you read this. However, as we all know, the weather is subject to change from one day to the next.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Sept. 14-20 are Frank Bosch, Adam Fletcher, Jay Mace, Conner Parker, Sarah Phelps, Lori Bergseng, Penny Paulsen, Gerry Brennan, Renee Robert, Jim Spitzer, Linda Roseberry, Bruce Holland, David L. Vik, Rhonda Heiner, Roger Reed, Suzy Ekstrom, Adam Pedersen and Susan Peterson Shook. May all of your birthdays bring you sweet memories!

Those celebrating anniversaries this coming week are Quin and Christeena Bassi, Dan and Carla Keilwitz, Eric and Sandy Bergseng, Ray and Judy Danielsen, Mike and Samantha Wright and Adam and Samantha Pedersen. May your anniversary celebrations be super special this year!

Belated anniversary wishes to Kelly and Tyna Zink and belated birthday wishes to Glenn Weist and Janet Seaberg.

FRIDAY MOVIE--If your age falls in the youth category, you'll really enjoy the movie happening at the Community Center in Cathlamet this Friday, as it is a fantasy/drama.

MULES--The Mules football team has won two in a row now, as they soundly beat Ocosta at their first home game, so "Way to go Mules!" This Friday night they will be headed to South Bend to play and we wish them continued success!

The Lady Mules will be at home against Naselle in their next volleyball game so we hope they can pull out this win at home. Go Mules!

FAIR CHECKS--If you happened to miss the first day to pick up your fair checks, your next chance is Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon at the fair office. After that, they will get mailed; however, picking them up helps keep mailing costs down and gets them in your hands right away!

ART WALK--This is a big weekend in Cathlamet for all the folks who enjoy art, as Tsuga Gallery presents the very first "Cathlamet Art Festival: A River of Art." There will be a welcome reception and music on Friday evening from 5-10 p.m., and then Saturday, there will be a complete day of doings from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be numerous places for you to stop by and see various artwork and demos and workshops, along with art and craft vendors and music. Stop by the Tsuga Gallery for the full schedule or check out their website at http://www.tsugagallery.org.

CLASS OF 1962-- Just a quick reminder for all members of the WA-KI-HI Class of 1962, as you will be holding your 55th reunion at the Duck Inn here in Skamokawa with a dinner at 5 p.m. Don't miss it!

KITES A'FLYIN' SOON!--The very first "Skamokawa Vista Park Kite Festival" is coming soon--next Saturday, Sept. 23. This should be a fantastic event, complete with vendors and lots of colorful and varied kites. Remember, you can take part and fly your own kite for fun, as there is no cost, just a fun day for all, so come on down to Vista Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, call 360-795-8605.

WINE/AUCTION WRAP-UP--It's always great to see a full house at the annual Wine Tasting and Auction event held by the Friends of Skamokawa each September and this year was no exception. This is a fun event, complete with a silent and live auction and good food and a variety of wines and other non-alcoholic beverages as well. Throughout the live auction, there were several lively bidding wars, and I was thoroughly enjoying them when I was part of the mix!

During the first part of the evening, the Friends of Skamokawa, with President Pam Emery leading the way, recognized a couple of people for their work and contributions in various ways to the FOS over the years, and one of those people was Russ Durrah, and one was yours truly, Kay Chamberlain. I really appreciated their recognition and thoroughly enjoyed receiving their goodie bag and nice plaque and I'm sure Russ did too.

There are so many people who have done so much to get the hall up and running from when FOS first got formed and everyone is truly appreciated and are worthy of recognition. Of course, the hall continues to need everyone's help in keeping it up and running, so if you weren't able to come to the wine tasting and auction and take part in this fund raising effort, but would be willing to help with the costs to keep it up, then you can always send a check or money order to: Friends of Skamokawa, P.O. Box 67, Skamokawa, WA 98647.

HURRICANE IRMA--It seems like there were a lot of us with either friends and family in Florida and of course, with Hurricane Irma being this massive storm, well, we were all worried sick. So far, all my family and friends have made it through the storm but haven't heard all the particulars about their homes. Classmate, Sharon McKie left her home in Naples and went inland she said, and was able to tell us that she was just fine, which was certainly good to hear. Prior to my time to turn in my news, she had yet to get back to us on the condition of her home in Naples, which had gotten winds up to 142 mph. Valle Mae Ledtke seemed to come through this storm alright, so her folks, Jerry and Becky Ledtke of Skamokawa, were quite relieved!

If you had family and friends there, I trust they are all okay and still have their homes left in one piece, and I truly hope that Hurricane Jose opts to fall apart and veer northeast prior to ever making it to the south eastern coast again!

FIRES RAGING--So far we have yet to lose any family members or friends or their homes in the multitude of wild fires that are raging in several states. With all the other things going on, Montana is almost never even mentioned, nor is Idaho, while Washington and Oregon manage quite a bit of publicity with a bit from California. We want to thank all those that are working these fires in horribly hot, miserable conditions and we hope all of these fires can be controlled soon. One person who you may know that got sent there, is Crystal Davis' son, Trystan Mendez, as he is a National Guardsman and was one of 150 brought in to help. We trust that he and his company, as well as all the others fighting fires, stay safe while tackling this massive undertaking and we thank you all!

One gal said of the Eagle Creek Fire in the Columbia Gorge, "Are you telling me that all this destruction is from one little firework?" Ah, naivety. "Yes my dear, that's all it takes!" Please be careful with your cigarettes, and the hot mufflers on lawn mowers, quads or tractors or anything else around grassy areas. As we have seen, it can all go up in flames in a flash!

FEMA--I listened to the director of FEMA earlier this week and he was truly dismayed and upset that people are just not preparing themselves for these huge weather events, in spite of having a lot of forewarning to do so. No matter where we live, there are weather factors that could affect our well being, and yet many people have not taken one step to prepare for either a power outage or no gas, or no water or bathroom facilities, or cooking! People came to the shelters in Houston with nothing. That is totally negligent on their part as we are all told to have "grab and go" bags. These might not hold everything we need, but they have "something," and with the days and days of forewarning that these big storms have afforded people, it's ridiculous to be so unprepared. In areas where hurricanes and tornadoes are commonplace, why would you not have a plan or take precautions and made preparations or have provisions on hand? With talk of not allowing homes to be built in such places or in such a manner that they are prone to destruction, I think it's time for a big wake-up call to all of us. We all need help from time to time, but when it's "every time, with every thing," well, something has to give. Winter is coming our way. Ask yourself, "Am I ready?"