Spring Scenes

 

It's all feel-good today:  kildeer, impending pavement and a great movie about cooking. 

Last night, after a busy day of yard work and mowing and fixing meat loaf for dinner, I suggested that we drive to the Clark Fork Drift Yard. 

It was an amazing evening to drive along the north shore of the lake----not perfect because Bill says the lake needs to rise about six more feet before water comes to all the shorelines. 

Still, that scene was pretty much as it always is:  breath taking. 

We were surprised how busy the drift yard was with campers.  Several motor homes and some trailers made up camp sites around the yard. 

As usual, the scenes of mountains, sky, water and water fowl all around the area were beautiful. 

When we first started walking, I heard a familiar sound and thought "kildeer."  A moment or so later, my thought was validated when I saw the bird flitting around the gravel area. 

Bill, the dogs and I walked on a couple of pathways and then decided to head back to the pickup. 

Our trip back was filled with frenzy.  Ma and Pa Kildeer were beside themselves (almost literally) coaxing and rounding up the kids. 

If we tend to think herding cats is difficult, I have a feeling those parents would note that their challenge was a whole lot more daunting. 

Those tiny little things would scamper here, there and everywhere.  It took me all the way back to the pickup to figure out for sure that there were three babies. 

They moved so fast and they were so little that I was never sure if I was seeing a repeat or another baby. 

As we drove out of the yard, Ma and Pa had them somewhat organized, moving right along near the grass and away from the traffic. 

It was a wonderful sight of spring, and I have a feeling that with all the people and dog activity out there, the kildeer family may be on the go all the time. 

I talked to this young gentleman this morning.  He was doing his flagging duties just up the road, but he said he's not really sure what all the heavy equipment is doing this morning. 

He knew pavement was involved, but I think the workers might be involved in some preliminaries before the paving equipment arrivers.  

Hey, Yay!

  Update:  my neighbor Janice just took this photo. Paving today!

Whatever the case, it appears that it won't be long before the folks up the road get to enjoy the luxury of no dust this year. 

No longer do we live on a dirt road in the country, but I've breathed, washed off and dusted enough dust in the past 19 years to decide that dirt roads are nice but pavement is sublime. 

Anyway, it appears that soon, the entire South Center Valley Road will have black top and no more dust. 

Thank you, county workers. 

If you haven't seen this "feel good" and true movie on Netflix, check it out. 

Bill and I watched it over the past two days and agreed that it's well worth the time spent watching. 

And, if you are ever in New York and want a good meal with a great feel, check out the link below.

https://www.enotecamaria.com/wp/category/menu-of-the-day/

We need stories like this these days more than ever.

Finally, it wasn't hard snapping pretty pictures yesterday around the place while mowing lawn and on the trip to the drift yard.  A few of today's assortment were taken this weekend. 

Enjoy. 

Happy Wednesday.  Find some "feel-good" today. 

 

Yoke's Group Hug, Et. Al.

Two Davises from different Davis families were chatting when I walked into Yoke's Grocery Store yesterday. 

One was a former student; the other, I had known for most of her life. 

It was neat to tell Jayne Davis that the new Pope served as editor of his high school year book just like she had done for the Sandpoint High Monticola. 

Jeannie Davis' mom Imogene was my shorthand teacher for one semester during my junior year.  Later when I came back to Sandpoint High to teach Jeanne went through the high school fully involved in the drama program. 

Interestingly enough, both of these Davis women spent their careers teaching at local schools.  

After we had all greeted each other, another familiar student from that era walked through the door. 

In my teaching annals, Kent Compton earned fame as the emcee for the ill-fated pie eating contest, sponsored by our Ponderettes Drill Team. 

We did make some money with each home room in the school sponsoring one contestant. 

And, David Jones was the clear winner, downing eight or nine pies. 

But the clean-up afterward was challenging, to say the least. 

Besides his ability to provide encouraging slop by slop color commentary as pie filling flew all around the gym, in one case nearly landing on a group of teachers near the coaching office,  Kent could also play the cello. 

Yesterday he told our group about how he had to go to another school toting his cello for orchestra practice with Mrs. Marian Ruyle. 

With the constant transport from one school to another, he finally found what he thought was a safe and convenient place to store his cello. 

One day he discovered that someone had somehow broken the neck from the cello. 

He told us that was one of two times he saw Marian Ruyle steaming mad.  

The cello, which belonged to the orchestra department, was repaired, and several years later, Mrs. Ruyle gave Kent the cello. 

He was touched by the gesture. 

A while later, when he moved to Boise, the neck on the cello was accidentally broken again. 

It was repaired, and Kent still has it.  

Cello talk among these early 1970s grads moved on to Irish celloist Patrick Dexter.  Had they ever heard of him, I asked. 

When I told them that he plays his cello outside his house in the west of Ireland, I saw Jayne writing down his name. 

And, today, since there's cello talk, I'll include a Patrick Dexter performance with this post. 

I actually saw Kent twice yesterday.  The second time he was walking through the parking lot with a cup of coffee, so we visited again. 

He was headed toward his beautiful classic Ford pickup which he had purchased a while back from his classmate Kim Keaton. 

When I asked Kent if he was going to drive the pickup in the "Lost in the '50s" parade this Friday night, he said he hadn't thought of that.  

So, maybe he will. 

It was fun to visit with this group of Sandpoint High grads in the grocery store lobby yesterday, and, of course, there was a group hug.  

I also enjoyed some fun visiting during a trip to The Flower Farm, for what I think will be my last trip there this season.  

The pots will be filled, and the summer blooms will be multiplying soon. 

Good times. 

Happy Tuesday. 

Helen, today you made the front page above the fold.  

Neat reflections on Helen with her work and passion for city government in the story below. 

 https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2025/may/13/city-officials-remember-longtime-clerk-councilor/

We had several little rain storms yesterday.  

The precipitation is welcome.  I was thinking about starting my horses on pasture yesterday but decided to wait a week and allow more grass to grow. 

The rain this week should help grass growth in the fields 

And, then Lily will be happy because she can go out every day and eat green grass. 

Lily's been a bit impatient lately, signaling to me every time I go out the door that it's far past time to go to pasture. 

Weekend Album

 

It was a weekend of reflecting, of sharing, of celebrating, of visiting and of appreciating life and the world around us. 

There were laughs. 

There were tears.

There was good food, friendship and love. 

There were memories made and memories recalled.

And, the beat will go on for those of us fortunate enough to enjoy the simple but treasured gifts of life!

Happy Monday. 

💙💚💜💛💔💙💚💛💜