Snipes and Such

Years ago, when I taught publications classes at Sandpoint High, we would usually host a year-end party/barbecue at our home on Great Northern Road. 

One year, I decided to incorporate snipe hunting into the evening's activities. 

from Wikipedia:

 A snipe hunt is a type of practical joke or fool's errand,  in existence in North America as early as the 1840s, in which an unsuspecting newcomer is duped into trying to catch an elusive, nonexistent animal called a snipe. 

Although snipe are an actual family of birds, a snipe hunt is a quest for an imaginary creature whose description varies.

The target of the prank is led to an outdoor spot and given instructions for catching the snipe; these often include waiting in the dark and holding an empty bag or making noises to attract the creature. 

 The others involved in the prank then leave the newcomer alone in the woods to discover the joke. 

As an American rite of passage snipe hunting is often associated with summer camps and groups such as the Boy Scouts.  In France, a similar joke is called "hunting the dahu." 

Oddly enough, that year,  as we set off in a wetlands area around our farm with some of the group carrying bags, some actual snipes suddenly made appearances around our group. 

They flitted here and there, chirping away as needed. 

One member of the group almost caught one of the small birds with their long beaks. 

That night the practical joke ended up being on the organizer, thanks to real-life snipes crashing the party. 

That was the last time I've seen a real snipe until last night. 

After dinner and after sending Bridie so many times across the front lawn to retrieve the chuck-it ball, Bill asked if I wanted to go on a quick drive around the Sunnyside loop.  The scenic loop winds along the lake on the lake east of Sandpoint. 

"Sure," I said, so, as usual, off we went on yet another spontaneous evening drive. 

After rounding the bend at Hawkins Point and heading north, we came to a small makeshift roadside park where visitors often swim or fish. 

A few minutes after leaving the pickup and wandering around the area, two adorable snipe began circling us and chirping with a hint of protest.  

They seemed most interested in Bridie, and I'm assuming they probably had a nest close to where she was sniffing along the shoreline. 

No snipe hunting on this sighting; they found us and seemingly and persistently hinted that we needed to go elsewhere. 

So, we did, but the few minutes of watching them and quietly chuckling about the memory of that past snipe hunt so many years ago made for yet another memory. 

Plus, it was a pretty drive, giving us a clear indication through the boats and peeps enjoying themselves that summer has truly begun. 

On the way home, we spotted the buck pictured below, hanging out in a field along with a couple of his buddies. 

"The bucks hang together this time of year," Bill said.  Does are busy with their fawns and not looking for boy friends. 

We saw that in action a couple of miles later.  We passed two does with their fawns at the Poelstra place and on Selle Road not far from our turn-off. 

The drive capped off another pleasant and relatively relaxing summer day. 

Happy Sunday.