The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

COLD AND WET. Well, if you're like me, the dampness we have had has made your bones ache. It's not just the cooler temperatures, but the feeling that we've been "chilled to the bone" with all that moisture that comes from the fog and the rain and the downpours. It looks like we may have some dry days this week but that also means temperatures will fall into the thirties, so there's always a trade -off when the clear days show up. However, by the weekend, it looks like a fifty-fifty shot at rain for multiple days. I'm sure my old bones will be aching once again, and I'll be doing more moaning and groaning. I do hope you're able to stay in, and stay warm and dry.

SPECIAL DAYS. Those celebrating birthdays this week are Martina Snow, Hap Anderson, Misty Holland, Rory Heywood, Samantha Havens, Heidi Souvenir, Jim Price, Tanner Collupy, Linda Ashe, Deborah Ringen, Susan Prestegard, Mickey Zacher, Christina Zacher, Larry Holland, Kyle Parker Jr., Ray L. Davis, Kinsley Helms, Jody Kephart, Katie Webb, Kylian Cochran, Layton Elliott, Toni Below, Erik Pedersen, RJ Miller and Bennet Bach. Celebrating anniversaries are: Roy & Cathy LaBerge, Ryan & Lisa Nortrup, Mr. and Mrs. Danny Ashe, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Tomlinson, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Garrett, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Widman, Mike & Melanie Stone, and Carl & Ruth Linquist. May all your special days be full of fun, laughter, and a lot of love too.

LIONS CLUB WALK-N-KNOCK. On Saturday, Nov. 18, the members of the Lions Club and helpers will be going door to door, collecting bags of food and items such as toilet paper, soaps, toiletries, non-perishables, for their annual "Walk & Knock" program. If you can, please donate items that are usually used during a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Anyone interested in participating can have a bag set out on their doorstep when they come by. Volunteers will be out from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Your help is truly appreciated.

TURKEY BINGO. If you'd like to try and win a turkey dinner, then be sure to head on down to the fairgrounds and play some bingo in the youth building. It's a lot of fun and even if you don't win a turkey, you could win a different prize, and there will be other activities as well, so be sure to come and enjoy a snack in the nice warm building, and play some rousing games of bingo with your neighbors; games begin at 6 p.m., but come on down prior to that in order to check it all out.

RAFFLE BASKETS. The St. James Family Center is a wonderful facility, one that is used for multiple events, besides being a place of care and learning for our little ones. For many years there were raffle baskets made up, and tickets sold, with the proceeds going to the center. These haven't taken place since 2019, so some folks, like Nancy McCoy, said it was time to bring them back in order to raise some more money. If you'd like to help support the St. James Family Center, please buy some tickets today at one dollar each. The winner will be drawn on Dec. 5 and you will be notified if you happen to be the lucky winner. Not only will you be supporting the center, but you'll be treating yourself to a wonderful gift, or a great gift to give away. After all, Christmas is coming!

AFTER THANKSGIVING. There are always a few things happening right after Thanksgiving here in Skamokawa, and one of them is the Friends of Skamokawa Deck the Hall event. This year there will not be any vendors but the gift and book shop is stocked with lots of things to buy and there will also be hot coffee, cider, and cookies to snack on while you look around. Many items are made by locals and many books are written by local authors or feature our local area. On November 25, from 1-3 p.m., author Irene Martin will be on hand to sign the book she wrote about our area, a good read for those who haven't yet read it or might be new here. The Hall will be open from Nov. 24 - Dec. 10 on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Call (360) 795-3007 Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or leave a message. Manager Lori Cagle will get back to you. The other thing that goes on here after Thanksgiving is the wonderful hand-blown glass sale that local artisan, Kyle Gribskov has held most years out at his place at 123 Middle Valley Road. If you haven't been before, now is the time to put this event on your schedule. Nov. 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You'll love the unique items he has, and the sale prices too. As always, we urge you to shop local and this is a great place to do that.

NEED A TREE? Another thing people like to do right after Thanksgiving is put up their Christmas tree, although I know a few who cheat and put them up a bit earlier! At any rate, if you're looking for a new place to shop for a tree, I've got a very handy spot for you to try out; if you want to shop local and help a new business get going, then look no further than right along SR-4, across the highway from West Valley Road, where there's a new sign that says "1846 Tree Farm."

GREAT GIFTS & MEMENTOS. Back to shopping local, don't forget to shop at our local shops here for some great items, like t-shirts and sweatshirts and other great items at the Skamokawa Vista Park main office. Or head to the Skamokawa Resort and check out their wide selection of Sasquatch items or other great shirts and such with a Skamokawa logo; they all make great gifts and definitely helps support our local economy!

SHOEBOX OF JOY. What if you had no family in this area and didn't receive any gifts from anybody at Christmas time? There are people like that around here, so folks have come together to make up a shoebox of little things and then deliver it to them. If you were one of those people, what would you like to see in it? Do you like to do word puzzles, or to write letters? Maybe you'd love a new puzzle book or some envelopes with stamps with some writing paper. Do you like goodies, like chocolates or cookies? Would getting some of those make you smile? Just think about what would make a person smile. Buy a few of those things and donate them to the group that is making up those boxes. Or, you can make up one of your own to donate. If you need more info or would like to help out, call (360)795-5208. You can drop off your Shoebox of Joy or the things to put in it at either the Bank of the Pacific, the Duck Inn, the Video Store or come by the Skamokawa Grange on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon before Dec. 21st. If you are able, gift wrap the box and lid separately and mark on it whether it's for a man or a woman, diabetic, or maybe make up one for someone with a pet. There are lots of possibilities when it comes to gift items. Volunteers are always welcome to pitch in and help put these together.

CALL IF NEED BE. If you happen to send an email to me with info that you need printed in my column for that coming week, but I don't respond, please let me know via the telephone as often I have issues with my computer. Sometimes I may not get your info at all, or possibly it gets delayed so I don't get it in time. If I don't respond to you by Sunday morning, please give me a call, and I'll hope the phone works.