It’s September. The kids are back in school. The sweaters are coming out. Where did summer go? It was far too short this year.

But the fun continues. There are lots of September events to get you out of the house. Here are four fine choices involving hot (but slow) rods, wine and shopping, living history by candlelight, and tours of art studios.

I have heard from a VERY credible source that the 10th Annual Slow Drag on September 10 “is a hoot.” Imagine 1400 old cars in Ilwaco! My source tells me “The old cars line up along Howerton Way. The drivers have to start their vehicle, get to the starting line, then turn off the car and coast all the way to the finish line (about 200 yards.) Most of them chug to a standstill and don’t make it. The crowd loves to cheer them on!”

Slow drag in Ilwaco

This is followed by the Rod Run to the End of the World in Ocean Park on September 11 and 12. Vintage car lovers, start your engines.

One of my favorite Vancouver events is the Uptown Village Sip & Stroll. You can wander through the Vancouver shops on upper Main, tasting fine wines as you go. Beers will be featured this year, too.

Sip & Stroll will be held on September 18 from 4 pm to 8:30 pm. Cost is only $25 (including a glass and shopping discounts) and proceeds will go to the Hough Foundation. A $5 ticket is available for non-alcoholic beverages. Starting point is at Cellar 55. Details and tickets here.

Fort Vancouver offers wonderful events year-round. One of the best is the Campfires and Candlelight Tour, a tour of the Fort at night including re-enactments, period costumes and soldiers in uniform from past decades. It’s a photogenic event and great for all ages.

Sewing at Campfires and Candlelight in 2009

The baker making hardtack

The event is September 18, from 3 to 10 pm. Where else can you tour an historic landmark by candlelight. Admission charges and other info available at the Fort Vancouver Web site.

Finally, ARTrails of Southwest Washington is happening on two weekends – September 18-19 and September 25-26. You can wander through the countryside around Chehalis and Centralia visiting artists studios. Sounds blissful to me!

The tour opens with a Gala Reception on Friday, September 17 from 4 to 8 pm at the Exhibition Gallery in downtown Centralia’s Historic Train Depot (210 Railway Avenue). Studio guides will be available then, as well as rest of the weekends. Artwork includes paintings, sculpture, glass, jewelry, pottery, mixed media, fiber art, carved wood, basketry, enameling, collage, and much more. Nearly 60 artists will be participating. You can see samples of their stunning artwork here. No admission fee!

Those are only a few of the events coming up. Looking for more ideas? Check out the Event Calendar of the Vancouver USA Regional Tourism Office. The rains will be starting soon enough. Go enjoy September!

Breven Angaelica Warren is the founder and producer of the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival. Formerly known as the Washougal Film Festival, the newly-named event will move to the downtown Vancouver Hilton and Convention Center this month. It will open on Wednesday, August 18 and close on Sunday night, August 22.

Breven Angaelica Warren, Producer, Columbia Gorge International Film Festival

The opening night starts with a reception followed by a screening of Earthwork, directed by Chris Ordal. In addition a film designed to be projected onto ice will be shown – on ice, with music.

Films will be shown throughout the day and evening on Thursday, Friday and during the day on Saturday – in four different theaters at the Convention Center. An awards ceremony will be held on Saturday night and prize-winning films will be re-screened on Sunday.

A filmmaker and producer who also works at other festivals like Sundance, Breven has scheduled more than 300 films, ranging in length from 1 minute to 2.5 hours. Numerous filmmakers are coming to Vancouver for the event. Admission to view the films is free! Trailers for some of the films are available at Trailer Addict . The complete film list is posted here.

What brought you to SW Washington?

My mother graduated from Washougal and my dad graduated from Camas so I was made here. They had me in Florida and I grew up in Florida and Jamaica. My family moved back here quite a few years ago and I came here to help them with what they were doing and I am a filmmaker so I brought my film projects with me.

I was living in Washougal and the community was so amazingly supportive of my filmmaking. A lot of times I would get the question, “Where can we see your films?” Unless you were on the film festival circuit I don’t know where you would see them. So I had the idea of starting a festival to share with the community what they were helping me make and to bring independent film to the community.

That is how I started the festival in 2008, largely to give back to the community as well as to offer another opportunity to filmmakers because the film circuit is very tricky to get into and it took me a long time to get my films on the festival circuit. In 2008 we screened over 300 films. Part of my mission is to have it free to everyone. It’s a terrible business model but I want to stick to that.

In 2009 we grew a little and had more films and more filmmakers come. We are in our third year and the Convention Center was available and we could have everything under one roof. So many filmmakers come in from out of town as well as out of country and we can offer them all the amenities.

What is the best kept secret about SW Washington?

Is it a secret that we have the most amazing nature opportunities here? I’m obsessed with the gardening here.

If you didn’t live here, where would you live?

Somewhere where I can create. I am more interested in my community, the people around me, than the location.

What’s coming up that you are excited about?

Absolutely the Film Festival and getting to share so many amazing films with so many people. And especially the quality of filmmaking. We have amazing films from all over the world. We represent about 40 countries and really breathtaking storytelling, creative art films, great narratives and wonderful documentaries.

What would surprise people to know about you?

I started working in the industry as a child. Got my SAG card at age nine. Also, I make installations. I construct things. I like to make large pieces of art. I love glue and tape.

It was a rare hot day in late June when we set off from the shores of Vancouver Lake Park – four explorers, three kayaks (two Necky Narpas and a brand new Folbot Greenland II ), with views of five mountains (St Helens, Hood, Adams and even Rainier and Jefferson).

View of Mount St Helens from Vancouver Lake Park

Mt Hood and Youth Regatta at the Vancouver Lake Sailing Club

Paddling behind the lake’s main island, we arrived at the opening to Lake River about 45 minutes later. The south end of this water route to the Columbia River was busy at Felida Moorage, a unique collection of floating homes of various ages and styles, and boat ramp users.

Expedition members sans the photographer's boat

Paddling toward Felida Moorage on Lake River

The strenuous paddle paid off just beyond the houseboats with an osprey nest perched above the channel. Osprey parents and two chicks wearily watched us watching them from their stick-filled condo on a power pole.

The osprey family watching us watch them

We had heard rumors that it was possible to paddle from the Salmon Creek Greenway to Lake River so, after a floating lunch in the boats, we set out to discover the opening.

About 10 minutes later there is was! Reminded of William Clark’s famous quote and (and misspelling, his, not mine) “Great joy … we are in view of the Ocian,” we found it! Paddling into new territory, Salmon Creek featured a much wider mouth than I expected.

While Lake River is fun to paddle (albeit sometimes strenuous due to the currents), Salmon Creek offered more variety in both flora and fauna. About 15 minutes into the creek, next to the BN Railroad Bridge, all the hard work of getting there paid off with the sighting of two beautiful bald eagles.

Eagle above Salmon Creek

“Turn around” our weary arms said so, while we really wanted to explore the creek, we saved it for another trip. Next time, assuming there is enough water in the creek, we’ll start from NW 36th Avenue at the Salmon Creek Greenway and explore the route to Lake River.

Paddling back, we saw the eagles again and more herons, some in flight, others lounging in the shade of the willows. Total wildlife count for the day: two majestic, adult bald eagles, countless herons, plethora of seagulls, Osprey family, kingfisher, geese, red-winged blackbirds, martins and other unidentified species.

Salmon Creek eagle

Heron in the willows

Heron in flight

Humans census: only two other kayaks, a few fisherman, a couple of pesky motorboats breaking the Vancouver Lake speed rules, and dozens of sailboats with young sailors, way across the lake, waiting for wind for the youth regatta at Vancouver Lake Sailing Club.

Four hours and about 10 miles later, we were back…hot, sore, downright weary and ready to go again.

By Sarah Coomber
Photos by Andria Villanueva and Sarah Coomber

“Let’s find the treasure!” called Andria, another mom I’ve roped into my mission to stay sane by hiking this pre-school and largely daycare-free summer.

The adventure begins...

That got our little guys’ attention and lured them out of the tall grass near the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge parking lot and toward the pedestrian bridge that arches high over the railroad tracks and into the refuge itself.

About a mile north of the city of Ridgefield, in the refuge’s Carty Unit, the Oaks to Wetlands Trail is a 2-mile loop that rambles through old oaks and cedars and alongside grassy wetlands. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge is home to waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, river otter, black-tailed deer and coyotes. (Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge provide additional information here.)

Along the trail

As three moms with five little boys ranging from 2 months to 5 years of age, we had no illusions about seeing wildlife. (Other than the ones we brought with us.) That said, this was a wonderful place for us to soak up some sunshine and scenery while the boys ran and rummaged.

Looking for trolls

Highlights for the little ones included searching for trolls under the trail’s little wooden bridges, looking for secret passageways in the woods and watching a couple of passing Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains from the pedestrian bridge. (The tracks run along the eastern border of the refuge.)

Exploring at Cathlapotle Plankhouse

All of us were fascinated by the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, located just inside the refuge. Completed in 2005 by more than 100 volunteer builders, this full-size replica of a Chinookan cedar plankhouse resembles the ones explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark visited in 1806 not far from this site.

The Plankhouse is beautiful to look at and smells wonderful too. It is open most Saturday and Sunday afternoons between April and October and offers educational and children’s activities the second Sunday of each month. (July 11— basket weaving; Aug. 8—Ravenstail weaving, flintknapping, Chinookan style carving, atlatl throwing and textile arts; and Sept. 12—prehistoric artifacts. Check the Plankhouse calendar for more information.

The happy explorers

Our visit to the refuge lasted about two hours during which we hit maybe a third of the trail system before breaking for snacks and train-watching. It was during snack time that little Ian, beaming, shouted, “I found the treasure!” and brought his mom, another Sarah, something that looked like a piece of hose. No … it looked like a twig with a dangling cocoon. No … it looked like a nearly-but-not-quite-beheaded garter snake! Mom ran, and Ian, thankfully and oh-so-thoughtfully, tossed the whole works into the tall grass behind us.

Boys do put the wild in wildlife.

Good to know:
• Primitive restrooms are available at the parking lot.
• Some trails are muddy—not stroller-friendly.

Bring:
• $3 to park
• Insect repellent (On June 25th the mosquitoes were out in force.)
• Snack/water

Watch out for:
• Easy-exit gate to the train tracks a bit north of the plankhouse.
It has a “danger” sign, but little ones don’t read. Or care.
• Mosquitoes in the wooded area.

What makes a strong community? Good schools, safe and friendly neighborhoods, effective government, busy libraries, good people…What about sports? How do athletics and athletes factor into to the picture?

When you live in a small city, you don’t expect to have a pro basketball team, particularly when there is an NBA team just across the river. But we DO have a team! The Vancouver Volcanoes, our semi-pro basketball team of the International Basketball League, played its home opener on May 7.

Mayor Leavitt Tosses the Tip-Off Ball

The game was just as much about community as sports. From the welcome by the Volcanoes dance team in the foyer of the Clark College O’Connell Sports Center to children’s face painting to an on-court family shoot out during the break and a raffle, the evening was about community. Even when a errant fire alarm briefly sent the audience and players out onto the college lawn, the kids turned it into a chance to race around the grounds and play with the Volcanoes canine mascot.

Playing with the Mascot During an Unexpected Break

Reminiscent of Everett Giants baseball games we attended in the 1990s, it was a family-oriented evening. In the words of team owner Bryan Hunter, from the game program:

“A Volcanoes game is more than just a basketball game. What we have done is created an event that focuses on activities that are fun and exciting for everyone, with the added emphasis on families and their children.”

So what about the game? I am not a sports writer but can safely report that the game was fast, high scoring with lots of three-pointers in a rough physical battle with the Yamhill HighFlyers. The team members are former college players who obviously love the game, including local Prairie High star Devin Uskoski.

The Vancouver Volcanoes

The Yamhill HighFlyers

While the teams were definitely serious about winning, there was a refreshing friendliness to the game. Where else would you see a player and referee, arm in arm, smiling about a play? You know you’re not in a mega-coliseum when you can hear what the coach is yelling to his players (or the ref) and what the players are yelling back (not always publishable). It’s full-court involvement for everyone and a lot of fun.

Lots of shooting

The final score? 135-110. We won. Go Volcanoes!

Was it better than driving to Portland, paying high prices for tickets and food, and watching players from a distant seat? The players weren’t as polished but, yes, for my money, it was more fun. An added bonus — we walked to the game. My only complaint would be about hard bleacher seats. Next time, we’ll take cushions. Not a big deal.

The Volcanoes season offers 10 home games with the last local game on June 27.Tickets are only $5 for adults 18 and over and free for kids. Details are at www.vancouvervolcanoes.com Go Volcanoes! Go Vancouver!

by Julia Anderson
Kayakers from throughout Southwest Washington gathered on the East Fork of the Lewis River in Clark County on Saturday for a competition they call “creek boating or creeking.” Some 40 competitors sized up Sunset Falls with its roaring spring run off before testing themselves against other kayakers and rafters on a timed course.

Creeking on the East Fork of the Lewis River

Sponsored by Alder Creek Kayak with a store on Hayden Island and Next Adventure, an outdoor gear store in Portland, the event is one of several hosted by organizers of Northwest Creeking Competition, a loose group of kayak enthusiasts.

On Saturday, the parking lot at Sunset Falls, east of Battle Ground and south of Yacolt was filled with kayaker vehicles, trailers and gear and lots of fans including a large number of dogs (on leashes). Volunteers staffed a registration booth with race fees ranging from $10 to $20 depending on the event.

Believe it or not, kayaking can take many forms…hard-shell long- and short-boats, inflatable kayaks and even rafts with both men’s and women’s races. About mid-day, two-man rafts were plunging over the falls with a few landing upside down with their paddlers forced to swim. Don’t worry, despite the sunny warmer weather most competitors were wearing dry suits to protect against cold water temperatures. The day ended with a raffle and barbeque.

For more information on Northwest Creeking Competition, visit http://www.northwestcreekcomp.org/