DRY SPELL--Last Friday was the beginning of the burn ban for our area, and with all this dry weather we've been having, and blazes all over the western states, it's definitely not the time to be lighting a fire to burn any brush. As we head into another stretch of nice weather they say, here's hoping you've been paying attention and not gotten yourself a fine by burning when you shouldn't!

Last Friday's cloudy morning and cooler temperatures were just right for working outside, although my back wouldn't really agree with it much, as it's definitely letting me know I should take a break! Sunday saw a wide variety of temperatures depending on where you lived, as when I was out and about, it was 65 and cloudy one place, partially sunny with temps in the 70's in another and further east, it was about 80, so if you didn't like the weather where you were, all you had to do was head in another direction and find one that fit you!

NO EXCUSES--The heat is coming back for the weekend they say, and with continuing acts of children and animals being left in hot cars, it begs the question, "Who are you kidding?" Everyone knows that if a car is left in the sun, even for a short while, and you go to get in it, you immediately open the windows and turn on the AC if you have it, as it's hot in there! A two year old can figure that out! So, let's stop with the lame excuses, of not knowing it would be so hot or "I forgot." Let's show people that a small town can hold a big event and not one person had to be turned in for leaving their child or dog in their car, because we have the common sense to know better!

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from July 13-19 are Marietta Montgomery, Jamie Hjaltalin Kincaid, Pam Elliott, Jerry Ledtke, Luke Schmidt, Randi Curtis, Mary Ann Nelson, Sharrel Mooers, Janell Seaberg, Mary Schroder, Marsha Cleveland, Mike Clark, Brysen Coleman, Denise Parker, Kaisha Harris, Cameron Havens, Darlene Hoven, Eric Ferguson, Kelsea Blix, Kalei Myers, Ron Miller, Dan Cochran, Lonney Kubacki, Jensen Finkas, grandson Kyle Sechler and 67'ers Doug Wright and Sharon McKie.

Those celebrating anniversaries this coming week are Lance and Shannon Britt and Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Prestegard. Enjoy your special days!

ENJOYED THEIR SPECIAL DAYS--Classmates Elaine Munson Rolf and Greg Lloyd let me know that they both had wonderful anniversary celebrations this year. For Elaine and Phil, it was a trip down to Tualatin to enjoy a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant, where they enjoyed celebrating their 30th anniversary; kudos to them! Greg said he and Cindy had a wonderful day as well, and so we wished them a Happy 11th Anniversary and we hope they enjoy sharing their happiness for many more!

THIS IS IT--This is the big weekend a lot of people have been waiting for as Cathlamet hosts the one and only Bald Eagle Days in the nation! Not only will we have all the vendors and a parade and fireworks on Saturday, but it's usually a time when former alumni or relatives come home to see everybody! One such person will be Gwen Good Ronninghaug, who has come from Norway to visit her sister, Kari Good Claussen, so I will be anxious to catch up with the two of them and visit a little bit! The "Rolling on the River" parade begins at noon, so we hope you'll all get in your favorite spots to watch it a little early. Remember, Main Street is going to be closed early on Saturday and not opened until later in the afternoon. For the first time, the Duck Inn will be serving up Pork Sliders at this event, so stop by and try them out; they sound yummy!

If you want to check out our wonderful museum between activities, Saturday will be a good day to do that and you can have your kids take a ride on the little train that zips around the back road. You can also support the museum by buying a root beer float from them, as they do not get any funds from the county and rely on us to help preserve our county's history. Hope you have a great time and we hope to see you there!

67'ERS MEET UP!--This is the last reminder for those who were ever in school here in Wahkiakum County, and were part of the Class of 1967, as we'll meet at Dale Jacobson's house at 330 2nd Street, Cathlamet at 1:30 p.m., this Saturday, July 15. This potluck gathering, with a laid back, easy-going theme, is also a "bring a chair if possible & bring your own favorite beverage" thing as well. Main dishes, side dishes and cake will be on hand, but if you've got a favorite dish or snack, bring it with you! This is the big 50 Year Reunion for the Wahkiakum Class of '67 & they'd love to see all of you show up and say hello. All we can say now is, Where oh where did the time go?!

SONS OF NORWAY--All you bingo lovers can head to the Norse Hall in the evening while you're waiting for it to get dark enough for the fireworks, so bring all your family and friends and enjoy some rousing games of bingo. The Sons of Norway will be happy to pass out those cash prizes to the winners.

PHOTO WORTHY-- Lance and Shannon Britt were pretty pleased when their business, the Skamokawa Resort, was featured in a well known magazine recently, "Northwest Travel & Life - The Outdoor Adventure." They even used a photo that Shannon had taken while they were out in their boat and looking back at the resort, so that was super special as well! The article about the resort is "A Tranquil Getaway in Skamokawa, Washington." Nice job Shannon!

FAIR PASSES--Kayla Bowcutt of Skamokawa is our fair princess, so if you see her or hear of any of her fund raisers, please help support her. She also has fair passes for sale at $6 for all three days, but they will be $7 at the gate, so buy them now, and help support her effort to go from a princess to a queen and save yourself a buck in the process! If you want to get ahold of her, it's best to contact her by leaving her a message via Facebook she said.

FOS--The Friends of Skamokawa are currently trying to raise money to help paint the historic 1894 building, which started out as a school house and is currently listed as a historic building called the Redmen Hall. After the FOS was formed, a lot of work ensued, and the building was beautifully refurbished and houses a Book and Gift Shop on the lower floor and with a wonderful wooden staircase installed, the second story was turned into the "River Life Interpretive Center," which houses some terrific historical panels of days gone by. It is also a wonderful place to view the surrounding area, and to hold events, which range from book readings to musical events, and everything in between. Those who can handle stairs can then head up to the bell tower and behold a fantastic view of the Columbia River and surrounding area. However, after many years, the building is in need of sprucing up and in much need of a new paint job, which isn't cheap these days! With only one major fund raiser a year, the Sept. Wine and Auction event, they have come up with a new idea, and a new way for the computer age people to help out, and that's by setting up a Go Fund Me account. So, if you'd like to help keep this historic building looking good, and you're into doing things on the computer, you can now easily donate by going to: https://www.gofundme.com3wcxmgo and doing so. If you're like me, well, you can still do things the old fashioned way, and just write out a check or buy a money order and mail it to: Friends of Skamokawa, P.O. Box 67, Skamokawa, WA 98647. Your help would be deeply appreciated!

If you'd like to learn more about the hall, you can also check out FOS and Redmen Hall on Facebook or their website, which is easily reached by just typing in their name. This building has weathered a lot of storms and we'd like to see it continue to do that with a new paint job before winter; please help!

NEW EXHIBIT--The last exhibit that the current FOS exhibit co-ordinator, Jill Hatier, is setting up will take place this Sunday, July 16. The opening of this new exhibit will be joined with many of the exhibitors and refreshments as well. This exhbit was open to anyone who wanted to take part and wanted to express their views about our area, the Lower Columbia Basin, in any form, and is called, "For the Love of the River." There will be everything from sculptures, to textiles to poetry and more on display, and you're invited to come and check it out. This exhibit will run until September 3. The hall is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., and can be reached by calling 795-3007.

We'd all like to say thank you so much to Jill for all her hard work over the years, as putting together and setting up all these exhibits is a big job and she's really done a great job at it, so the Friends of Skamokawa will surely miss her!

HOME AGAIN--We'd like to say Welcome Home to Jamie Hjaltalin Kincaid, as she moved back to Skamokawa after being in the southeast area for 13 years. We hope she'll enjoy coming back home, starting her new job and upping the population with her sons in tow and enjoying this country life that our little county has to offer. Hopefully I can bump into my former neighbor during Bald Eagle Days! She also has a birthday tomorrow, so it's nice for her to be home with her family to celebrate with them this year.

SAYING GOOD-BYE--While one resident returns home, another couple is leaving the area, and that's Layton and Pam Elliott. According to the couple, they have recently sold their home and will be moving to Garibaldi, Ore., so we want to wish them well as they get settled into their new surroundings. They will be playing music during the Bald Eagle Day doings, so maybe you can say goodbye and wish them well yourself on Saturday!

COMING SOON--There will be another "Open Mic Night" at the Skamokawa Grange Hall next Friday night, July 21, so you are welcome to bring your instrument or friends with instruments and play or sing or both. Remember, you are welcome to come to their meetings which are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the each momth at the Skamokawa Grange Hall located at 18 Fairgrounds Road.

We've also got the Silver Buckle Series going on July 22, and the Wooden Boat Festival on August 5 and 6, so there will be a few things to do before the big Wahkiakum County Fair takes place August 17-19 and with time flying by, it will be here before you know it!

NEXT FLEA MARKET--There won't be a Flea Market at the Wahkiakum Fairgrounds in August but there will be one Sept. 8, after the fair is over, so you may want to mark that on your calendars. If you've done any Spring and Summer cleaning and you have some good stuff to get rid of, you could always donate it to them to sell, or rent your own table and sell it yourself.