Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Articles written by Kay Chamberlain


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  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Sep 11, 2025

    DAMP BEGINNING. Well, as this week begins, I know that many of you aren't too keen about the dampness falling from the sky but there are a whole lot of folks who are relishing in the cool down and the "sprinklers" from the sky. Our yards are pretty parched and our forests are tinder dry, besides, it's September and aren't we supposed to see a shift away from the hot days of summer? SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from Sept. 11 through Sept. 18 are Brittanie Helms-Lampitt, Rex Gilbertsen, Conner Parker, Renee Robert, C...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Sep 4, 2025

    CLOUDY START. Well, it’s a cloudy start to this week at the end of yet another month, and I’m loving it, as the heat we had was too much for me. We even had a splash of rain here and there this past week, so that was nice. This first week in September looks pretty dry but the warmest day will be over by the time you read this so if you’re a sun lover, I hope you enjoyed it. SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays from Sept. 4 through 11 are Jade Havens, Tristan Collupy, Troy Davis, Edward Johnson, Carla Keilwitz, Jamie Nielsen, Britt...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Aug 28, 2025

    PLENTY HOT. If you made it to the fair last week, you will have to agree with me that it was a tad warm, as we had temperatures up to 100 degrees at my house and the fairgrounds, too. We were definitely feeling the heat while we were there. We hate to complain, though, as sometimes it’s been pouring down rain and that’s not so great either. I was happy to see some big fans get brought in as the poor animals that are usually enjoying some wide-open spaces were confined to tighter quarters than they are used to, so I’m sure they were happy to ge...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Aug 21, 2025

    WET/CLOUDY START. As I begin this column, it’s been a very wet start to this Sunday morning for us out here in West Valley, but then things dried up a bit and it wasn’t too bad. However, the last couple of days of last week saw us wading through almost three inches of rain, so it was pretty soggy. Considering we’ve had such dry conditions, I was more than happy to see this rain come down. Because it started out nice and easy, it gave the ground a chance to soak up the water and not just run off, so I was truly grateful for that. I’m pretty...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Aug 14, 2025

    DRIED OUT. The beginning of this week was supposed to be pretty hot, so I hope you have all managed to get through that heatwave without any issues, as more moderate temperatures are expected to be in place by the time you read this. It should go without saying that we all need to be very careful with any heat source right now that could cause a fire, as it seems there are currently massive fires burning in many areas. We don’t want to join the trend, so please be extra careful with any heat sources right now. Don’t forget to check those tow ch...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Aug 7, 2025

    CHANGE IS COMING. If the weather folks are correct, it looks like we will have some cooler temperatures coming this week along with some moisture, and while many may hate to see the rain arrive, I will be happy to see it. Everything is so dry, my lawn is a lousy color of brown, and with fires everywhere, I think a drink for the plants and trees would be great. By now, all of the hay growers should have had enough time to get their crops in, and maybe we can get these showers out of the way before the big county fair takes place a couple of week...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jul 31, 2025

    JUST RIGHT. I have to say, concerning the recent weather, the last few days have been just perfect for me: cloudy in the morning hours, then sunshine later on. No crazy hot temps, and cooler temps in the evening, so my house doesn't heat up too much either; I have really enjoyed it. Now, I did hear that there were some showers in Cathlamet, but surprisingly, we didn't get them, which was amazing as we folks in Skamokawa are usually the ones who get the most rain! Actually, we could use some rain, so if it shows up, I will be quite happy. By...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jul 24, 2025

    CLOUDY START. As this week begins, it’s a cooler and cloudier day and I’m just loving it. It’s the perfect kind of weather for doing yard work, so one doesn’t get too hot or sunburned, and it sure beats sweating half to death like we did last week when it was over 100 degrees here. That was miserable. If the forecast holds true, it appears to be in the 70-75 range, with a bit more sun and decent temperatures. In my opinion, that’s perfect. Hope you enjoy it! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from July 24 through 3...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jul 17, 2025

    WARM ENOUGH? I’m one of those people who loves a nice day, but when it goes from pleasant to miserable because it’s so hot, well, then I’m not really a fan of that, as I have to hide in the house in the AC, so it might as well be raining! Anyway, I’m sure all the heat lovers, who think the more sun the better, are really enjoying this week of mid-80s and more. Let’s hope we don’t wind up with water restrictions, as many water source levels are dropping, which is not a good thing for any of us. On the brighter side, it appears that we may have...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jul 10, 2025

    SUNNY START. As this week begins, we have more sunshine on the way, although my one weather app suggests a sprinkle might arrive mid-week. However, at this point, it’s hard to know if that will come true or not. As it is, the sunshine and the wind have made for some good haymaking weather, and I hear the tractors running full speed ahead around our area! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this coming week from July 10 through 17 are David Shrum, Mallory Bosch, Melissa Robbins, David West, Sharon McKie, Sunny Manary, Kevin Fitzpatrick, J...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jul 3, 2025

    WARMED UP. As this week begins, we’re definitely soaking in the sunshine after experiencing some drizzly weather at the end of last week, particularly in the morning hours around here. Of course, I heard it was dry in Cathlamet, so I guess we’re just special out here in West Valley — when no one else is getting the wet stuff, we often are. With a dry spell coming up, I’m thankful we had the moisture we did. But now, it’s haymaking time, so this dry stretch is very welcome for those trying to get crops cut, let to dry, tedded, raked into wind...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jun 26, 2025

    DECENT START. As this week begins on Sunday morning, I’m seeing some sunshine that’s making the wet grass and trees sparkle, so it’s a nice change from Saturday, when it poured on and off all day. We had an inch of rain by noon here in the West Valley, so it was definitely soggy. This last weekend in June is looking much nicer… fingers crossed! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating their birthdays from June 26 to July 4 are Lance Britt, Cliff Garrison, Don Speranza, Sandie York, Austin Luthi, Tanya Cleveland, Heidi Boehler, Andrew Nortrup, Cooper...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jun 19, 2025

    CLOUDY BUT DRY. As this week begins, it’s a bit cloudy, but at least it’s not raining... not yet, that is. However, by the end of this week, the chances of rain showers are looking to increase. While we may not like to see that happening so late in June, I’m thankful it will help deter the chances of wildfires here. Many areas are currently reeling from these fast-spreading wildfires. I really won’t complain about the rain, as it adds to our water systems and waters my plants, so I don’t have to. SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jun 12, 2025

    SUPER NICE. As last week ended and this one began, it was super nice outside and plenty warm. I’m not a heat lover, but for those who are, it looks like you’ll enjoy several days of sunny weather. By the time you read this, the hottest days should be behind us, and that won’t hurt my feelings any. The heat meant watering those plants a little extra this week, so I hope you didn’t forget, as it’s frustrating to buy a bunch of new plants or have a bunch of garden starts come up, only to have them all dry up, and you have to start over. Here’s to...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Jun 5, 2025

    NICE NOW. As I begin this column, we are beginning this new month with some sunshine for the week ahead. We ended the month of May with a nice day too, although we certainly wished the day before had been a bit nicer, as the morning hours were pretty soggy, and it didn’t make for a great day for the Car Show on Saturday morning, which was a real shame. Thankfully, things cleared up so that those cooking fish over at Norse Hall only had to deal with some wind. It was great to see a decent crowd there, and we all seemed to be enjoying the fish d...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|May 29, 2025

    CLOUDY BEGINNING. Well, as this week begins, our sunny Saturday has been replaced by a cloudy, dry Sunday—not too bad. My weather app for the week only shows a couple of days with a chance of showers, so that would be great—it certainly beats a week of rain! We may catch up on some yardwork, as there seems to be a six-inch growth spurt of the weeds every other day… tough to keep up with all the grass and weed-eating these days! SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays the May 29 through June 5 are Serene Snow, David Michaels, Jeanne Pauls...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|May 22, 2025

    DAMP. This past weekend was a bit soggy but how soggy depends on where you were located. One friend of mine was experiencing "buckets" of rain just a few miles east of me, while I was just sitting under some clouds with occasional sprinkles and a dash of sunshine thrown in. Now, nighttime was a different story, as it poured off and on Saturday night. I'm hoping that by the end of the month we have some drier weather showing up since there are many events planned and they are much more enjoyable when the sun is shining! Regardless, we are much...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|May 15, 2025

    NICE START/BIG CHANGE. As this past weekend began, it was pretty doggone nice, but as we all know, things can go from sunshine to soggy real quick around here, and well, as of this writing, that’s exactly the case. The sunshine is now “liquid sunshine” and is expected to last the week... let’s hope they’re wrong! I know spring showers bring spring flowers, but they also make some of my pretty flowers that have already bloomed turn to mush... ugh! Anyway, here’s to showers and no hard downpours. Maybe things will get a bit of drink and not dro...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|May 8, 2025

    DRY SPELL? I understand that there are a lot of dry days in the forecast this week, and I hope you’ll be able to get out and enjoy them. It’s that time of year when we’re trying to tame our lawns and get control of those weeds and such, which seem to grow ten inches overnight… ha! We may dry out quickly, so be very careful with any fires you may be lighting up around your property. For you folks who may be new to the area, a burn permit is needed if you’re going to burn on your property, and when you do acquire the permit, a call to the Sheri...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|May 1, 2025

    SUPER NICE. Well, if you like the sunshine, the last couple of days of the previous week were likely your favorite as the sun was shining, the temperatures were nice and warm, and it was a great time to mow that lawn and wash your car! It was also a good time to go out and about and enjoy the warmer temperatures with your friends on the beach or have a BBQ! This week, we have a mixed bag with some rain possible on a couple of days, cloudy but dry weather for a few days, and some in-and-out sunshine for a couple more. It looks like there's...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Apr 24, 2025

    WET START. It was a bit damp on Easter Sunday out here in West Valley, but I see folks in various parts of the county who seemed to have a bit more sunshine than we did on this holiday. Anyway, I’m happy that the Easter Egg hunts at the fairgrounds on Saturday wound up having a decent day, albeit a tad bit windy and cool at times, but that beats the rain! It also beats the areas east of us, which had sunshine one day, then snow, and even massive hail storms the next, causing extreme damage to hotel windows and car windshields and closing m...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Apr 17, 2025

    NICE BEGINNING. As this week begins, it’s a sunny Sunday following a fairly chilly evening and a foggy start, but boy, is it nice to see the sunshine. Better yet, our forecast looks dry for the entire week, so now we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it stays this way. I know the folks organizing Easter Egg Hunts, as well as those dressing in their Sunday best to get to church, would love to see some lovely, dry, sunny days this coming weekend. It would also be great for those who enjoy being out in their yards and sprucing them up a bit, as,...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Apr 10, 2025

    HALF AND HALF. The first half of this past weekend was just gorgeous, and I heard a lot of lawnmowers going and trimmers trimming. It was truly a day to get out there and soak up some sunshine… awesome. Then, here comes Sunday, and it was the flip side of the day before: super wet and nasty. Definitely a day to cozy up and watch a bit of television. However, if the forecast holds true, we may have a decent three-day stretch of weather, but even if it’s just two, I’ll be thrilled. For now, it’s time to put away the yard tools and keep those u...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Apr 3, 2025

    BIG STORM? We received numerous warnings last week about a major storm approaching. As time went by, more updates came in saying it was going to hit us pretty hard. However, not much happened except for some loud thunder and lightning, but nothing too awful. Hooray! I scrambled around getting everything nailed down and put away, but that’s ok as it’s much better to be prepared for the worst and have nothing happen than to be caught unprepared and now all your things are scattered far and wide. Always err on the side of caution, and you wil...

  • Skamokawa News

    Kay Chamberlain|Mar 27, 2025

    STILL SOGGY. As I write this column, a little later than usual, it’s another soggy day in Skamokawa. I hear that Tuesday is supposed to be nice, though, so I’m holding out hope for at least one decent day as the rest of the week looks pretty doggone-wet to me. Once again, keep the boots and umbrellas handy. If you live in a low-lying area and all this rain hits us, be prepared for possible flooding. However, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t materialize! SPECIAL DAYS. Those folks celebrating birthdays from March 27 through April 3...

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