NOT SO SUNNY--Well, as this week begins, I think everyone was looking forward to the forecasted nice day on Sunday, which we assumed meant some sunshine, but as I begin this column, so far we have only seen cloudy weather out here in West Valley and no hint of sunshine at all. Of course, it's not raining, so I guess dry will have to do. However, as I am adding to this on Monday evening, we're getting a light layer of snow coming down, so obviously winter is not going to be leaving before its time is due. Think Spring, which starts March 20! We will definitely take the sun that is shining this Tuesday morning, but with temperatures in the mid-20's out here this morning, the sun is quite deceiving as it's pretty but certainly not warm out there!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from March 8-14 are Quin Bassi, Sr., Mark Whitaker, Azery Gribskov, Gretchen Meyer Mahitka, Tyler Hoven, Mikaela Sause, Rhiannon McNally, Sandy Wirkkala, Philip Vik, Larry Bonds, Kim Nettles, Al Harris, Susan Cothren, Mary Cothren,Oliver Bacon, Danielle Cooper, Colin Stewart, Paul Ehrensberger, Kelly Zink, Shannon Meeker, Jean Wallen and Amy Bernard. Here's to many wonderful birthday celebrations for all of you. Celebrating their anniversary this coming week are Frank and Cynda Webb. Enjoy your special day you two!

REUNION MEETING--This Saturday, those who want to help plan the Mule Train All School Reunion, will be meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce site in Cathlamet. Time is flying by and we really need to get some things nailed down, so we hope you can find the time to attend and help pull this huge event together on August 4 up at the Wahkiakum High School. Help spread the word via phone calls, mail, email, Facebook and Twitter.

For more info, or suggestions if you can't be there, contact Susan McClain Kuhn at sjmcq1@yahoo.com. Needless to say, we need to do some major planning if we think we're going to have that many former WA-KI-HI alumni in town or even half that, so getting this reunion thing solidly planned is a must right now.

THIS IS IT--Yes, indeed, it's time to head to the Bank of the Pacific and buy yourself some tickets to the big crab and oyster feed over on Puget Island at the Norse Hall this Saturday put on by the Wahkiakum Chamber. Tickets this year are $30. There are multiple seating times, so that makes it easy to fit it into your time schedule for the day. With over $3,500 in donated items, they have a ton of prizes to give away including the big prize, which is a new stainless steel barbecue!

NEXT WEEK--Don't forget to head back to the Norse Hall the following Saturday evening, which is St. Patrick's Day, when the Sons of Norway will be putting on a great Irish feast for you, so come and get your corned beef and cabbage dinner beginning at 5 p.m., cost is $10 and includes dessert.

CONCERT--At the end of this month, March 31, which is the last Saturday as well, the Skamokawa Grange Hall will be alive with a great Americana music, when Cowgirl's Dream will be on hand to put on a great musical concert for you. If you've heard The Celluoid Cowboys or Detour in other places, then you may be familiar with some of this group under those names, but now, Kristi and Steve Nebel, Toby Hanson and Mike Friel are now Cowgirl's Dream and we hope you'll come down to hear them play; cost is $10 at the door, with all the great music beginning at 7:30 p.m.

WINNERS--The Friends of Skamokawa held a raffle last summer during Skamokawa Vista Market Days for a dinner for six at the Inn at Crippen Creek with owners Don and Kitty Speranza, but the winners didn't want to hold the dinner until the winter time, so just recently the Speranzas had the winners and their guests out to their home for a very fun evening. The winners of this wonderful dinner were Rick and Char Damitio of Puget Island and their dinner guests for the evening were George Exum and wife, Carol Carver and Franz and Meike Eykel. They had a wonderful evening I'm told.

A fund raiser for the Wahkiakum Historical Society over Valentine's Day, which was also a dinner out at the Speranzas, was won by Carol Ervest, who has been a very lucky lady indeed, seeing at how she also won the diamond necklace at the Valentine Diamond Dinner held by the Wahkiakum Fair Board. Way to go Carol!

GREAT FEED--Once again the American Legion Deep River Post, put on a wonderful Crab and Oyster Feed down at the Rosburg Hall this past Saturday. I was surprised to see an empty table this year, which is certainly unusual, as we are usually elbow to elbow in there, but then there were a lot of folks that were gone to Spokane for the basketball tournament, so that may be where some of the usual crab and oyster eaters were this year. That was OK though, as our two tables of friends certainly enjoyed eating their share of the oysters, which were just super delicious! There were new faces amongst the servers and those preparing and that's always encouraging as these events take a lot of volunteers to pull together, so kudos to all of them for working hard and making this another very tasty dinner indeed!

MUSICALE--The Skamokawa United Methodist Church will be hosting their annual Hosanna Musicale on Palm Sunday, April 1 at 3 p.m. and of course, you are all welcome to come. If you'd like to perform, I'm sure they'd welcome more singers as well, so contact a member or Pastor Curtis and let them know.

The members will also be serving up a tasty breakfast prior to the Rods and Reels car show on June 2, so mark that date on your calendar.

SPONSORS--The Skamokawa Grangers would like to try something new this year during their annual Smoky Water Follies June 29-July 1 and it involves major sponsors getting involved with us to help us pay for programs, tickets, etc. and they in turn, would have a skit advertising their business during the show. I always hear, "Well I would have done that if I'd known about it," so here's your chance to call me up. Please call me for details! Line-ads are still going to be just $10.

Remember, we're still looking for some folks that enjoy performing in one way or another. Call Sunrise Fletcher at 795-8770 today if you'd like to sing, act, play in the band, etc. We need you!

GREAT JOB--Congratulations to the Mules basketball team as they brought home some hardware from the State basketball tournament in Spokane, and they can be quite proud of that! I can remember the state basketball fever to this day from way back there in the 1960s, and it's something you never forget. For all those boys who got to take part in this over in Spokane, it's something you'll always remember and be able to share later on in years, as whether you played in it for 30 minutes or 30 seconds, you were there, you part of the magic and to take part of a win to clinch a title or trophy, well, that's super special--way to go!

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES--It's great to see the work being done to two of our Skamokawa businesses, as Logan Britt Enterprises, with his Bjorge Construction crew, will be bringing the old Duck Inn back to life with the reopening scheduled for May. The new roof went on this past week and now it's onto the inside work, I can't wait to see what it looks like!

I took a tour through the Oasis Tavern the other day and talked to Jason Wallin and his brother, Rick, who are renovating the place and hope to have the doors open by June. So, as the weather gets better and our gorgeous Vista Park gets filled up and our Skamokawa Town Center gets booked and the Paddle Center gets busy, the folks coming to town will see a our little hamlet along the mighty Columbia come bustling back to life as a couple of our old favorites turn into two newly renovated spots to enjoy a nice dinner or a drink and gather with friends for a game of pool and a few laughs. It's going to be a great!

ACROSS THE CREEK--If you'd like to take in a bit of music on March 25, you could head over to the Liberty Theater in Astoria, as the Portland Chamber Orchestra will be there for a special performance of All That Jazz with violinist, Lindsay Deutch and pianist, Jack Hyman. Yaacov Bergman is the musical director and conductor. Tickets run from $15 to $25 and can be purchased at the Liberty Theater box office throughout the week (Tuesday through Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.) or two hours prior to the show.

GAS STATION TIDBIT--Ray Danielsen gave me a call and he tells me that he believes the old Bowman Store on Puget Island did indeed have a gas pump situated at it. He was also pretty sure that Trygve (sp?) Tover had one as well. Anybody know about that? Also, Ray's family lived in the house near the Jack Maughn place in the latter 1940s and his thought was that it might have been the house they lived in, but wasn't sure. Ray also believes that the current residence of Hank Markovich is that of two of the former cabin rentals put together, which were owned by the Bowmans back in the day. So, there's a little more on Puget Island history. Love to hear it!

And to another former business on Puget Island, and one which I'd never heard about before, was found on the site that is now the Puget Island Fire Department; it seems that once upon a time, there was a cheese factory? Anybody else tell me about that or confirm it, as I knew there was one in Cathlamet at one time but certainly never heard about it on Puget Island! Give me a call if you recollect a cheese factory being there or any other businesses that we've long forgotten!