NICE START--As I begin this column, the air is crisp at just 27 degrees and the ground is white with thick frost but the sun is shining and it looks like this Super Bowl Sunday is going to be a really pretty day. Unfortunately the work week looks to start out pretty wet and so does the coming weekend, but at least a few days in there should be dry, so it looks like we’d best hurry and take advantage of these dry spells while we can.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Feb. 17-23 are Vickie Reid, Jade Mahitka, Alyssa Stratton, Nyomie Kuljis, Milli Elven, Vicki Allenback, Debbie Beebe, Gail Steigleman, Vera Oman, Mac Johnson, Rebecca Costillo, Nick Tarabochia, Ashellie Elfers, Cindy Grasseth, Brody Brown, Loen Gibson, Christa Hoven, Dale Strueby, Melody Brown, Terry Neilson, Michael Watkins Jr., Sara Buennagel, Shari Gorman Parker, Justin McCarthy, Kris Baldwin, Morgan Spieth, David A. Pedersen Jr. and MacKenzie Pedersen.

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Mr. and Mrs. Steve Leitz, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Strueby and Mr. and Mrs. Victor Wiedermann. May you all have wonderful celebrations on your special days!

BIG CRAB FEED--If you’re holding tickets to the Crab and Oyster Feed put on by the Chamber of Commerce, then this is the weekend you get to put them to use! The last I heard, the 7 p.m. seating was sold out but there were still some spots open for the 3 and 5 p.m. seatings, so if you still want to go, contact the Chamber right away and purchase those tickets ASAP! You can go online to get them or call 360-795-9996.

REMINDER--The photography class at the Skamokawa Grange Hall will take place next Thursday, Feb. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m., and will be taught by Rene Westbrook. The cost is $20 and you do need to pre-register. For more info call 360-215-5281 or check out the Spear Up Wahkiakum website.

SYMPATHIES--We’d like to offer our sympathies to the family of Theo Ruth Ferguson, who recently passed away. She was the last living member of her generation on her side of the family. She leaves behind two children, Linda and spouse Tom Stiltz and a son, Chris and wife Jan and their families. Her services will be held Feb. 28, which would have been her 94th birthday, at the Steele Chapel in Longview.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES--I am currently experiencing some changes with my computer and emails, etc., so the best way to contact me with any news is via my telephone number listed above, or by FB Messenger. If you have my old email address, please do not use that as I won’t be able receive it. Thanks!

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1942, the first few days were really beautiful but then it rained, got nice and then ended the week on a wet note. On Feb. 21, there was a big parade of Longview National Guard and the high school band. Leon and Gene Healy attended along with Ralph Pedersen. Carol and Krist Pedersen headed to Kelso to do some fishing and attended the big dance on Puget Island later that evening. This was quite the week with San Francisco having a black out and Australia was bombed on Feb. 18. On Feb. 23, Cathlamet was ordered by officials to have their first black out. In California, the big news was that Santa Barbara had been shelled by a Japanese U-boat at 7 p.m. that evening. Everyone was abuzz with that news!

In 1952, it was cold and there was snow all around in the hills, while up north of Cathlamet in the Centralia area, they were blanketed with snow. There was five inches of the white stuff in Olympia. On Feb. 19, storms caused telephone lines to go down and all but three lines were out. The Grays River leads were all broke and the toll leads were “broken all to pieces.” On Feb. 22, the people of Rosedale asked to join the town and an Annexation Paper was filed with the town council. Cathlamet pioneer Clinton Olmstead passed on Feb. 22. He was born in 1879 to Homer and Lillian Olmstead. They opted to homestead out in the remote area of the Elochoman valley which at the time, was said to be more inaccessible than some parts of Alaska. He was survived by his widow, Mary, a brother, Homer and a sister, Mrs. Jessie McCorkle. Pall bearers at his funeral services were Ray, Henry and Allen Mooers, Louis and Clarence Page and Ike Alkers. Playing the piano and singing was Miss Jessie Lynn Sawyer.

All this according to my Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.