Neighborhood stuff

We're going to a birthday party today. June Paulet has come back to Sandpoint for the weekend after spending the last year in Salmon. Her daughters decided to throw her a party to celebrate her 78th birthday and to give her a chance to visit with old friends she left behind after moving last June.

The party will be held at the VFW Hall for three hours today, and I'm sure it will include a tapestry of familiar faces. I'm looking forward to the event, and I can feel a little kinship with June now that I know for sure I'll be leaving the neighborhood where Paulets, Tibbs and Robersons lived for years.

The Robersons are the only ones left from the original North Boyer crowd. Back when I was growing up, we had the Bests, Joe Carter, the Millers and the Racicots to the south. Just beyond us to the north on Boyer were Mrs. Moore (my postal thief nark), the Robersons, Hudons, Shaffers, Delamarters, De Groots, Paulets and Beauchenes. As North Boyer extended to North, North Boyer beyond the Bronx Road, Finneyville reigned supreme.

Actually, Finneyville has grown as members of that family have branched out and settled amidst the many clusters of houses on their original spread. They may have even expanded their land holdings to the north, but a lot of Finney's haven't moved far from their original nests. In fact, when I went to vote the other day, four members of the Finney clan sat at the balloting table. So, they're definitely holding on strong in the neighborhood.

Speaking of Finneys (they're all related to June, by the way), we're going to be neighbors with Gary Finney when we move to South Center Valley Road. He's one of my classmates, and he's been raising his Percherons out there for a number of years on his place just a quarter mile up the road from us. Sharon Finney told me the other day that he's recently acquired a small herd of longhorns and that I oughta go see them. Well, maybe I will once I get perched out there.

We're also going to be neighbors with the Meserves. They're right next door to the north. Mr. Meserve's father used to deliver our mail on North Boyer. I believe that was before I stole mail from Bill Brockus' deliveries, so maybe my reputation isn't too soiled among the Meserve clan.

I can't leave Eva out. It seems that South Center Valley Road is teacher populated, and Eva Whitehead's one of them. She's a little over a mile up the road as are the Filipowski's (Colleen teaches with my sister Laurie) and the Butlers (Debbie, Dan and their son Jessie) all teach. So, with our move, one more will be added to the pedagogical mix.

Across the road from us are Jim and Mary Taylor. They have a beautiful farm, and I've noticed they've got a bunch of bee hives sitting out in the field not far from where our mailbox will be. We've known and enjoyed the Taylors forever through church and other activities. The boys were in Bill's scouting troop and later, I had Michael Taylor as a student in my graphic arts class.

Well, I'm veering off from June Paulet's birthday party, but be patient. I'm just so excited to be moving back to a rural atmosphere where neighbors are like family. So many of our longtime friends have left this neighborhood that I miss that camaraderie. It will be nice to get a taste of it today and to know we'll be entering a whole new realm of the wonderful concept of "neighbor."