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.
