Slight Detour: Monday Meanderings

Yesterday I was able to spend a few hours with a family member two generations from mine.

It was truly a delight.

Justine has come with her mom to spend her Spring Break from the University of Idaho in Sandpoint.

Her mom is busy this week on a rather monumental project: her doctoral dissertation.

Though Justine is embracing the opportunity to sleep and relax and catch up with some television viewing, she was also game to join her great aunt on a downtown adventure yesterday.

Our afternoon meanderings involved my first real "in-town" quality time in at least a year.

So, to walk through Cedar Street Bridge, admiring displays and purchasing some indulgent sweets from Sugar Tooth's handmade chocolates and candy shop meant a treat for later at home.

I bought two selections with pecans from owner Payton who learned his candy-making skills in his hometown of Winthrop, Wash.

And, yes, both met the test of chocolate ecstasy as Bill and I cut off bites and sampled last night.

Justine and I walked the sidewalks of downtown and even through the colorful alley where we met a very nice man named Joe, who spent 25 years in Hawaii but knew he had to live somewhere in the Northwest.

Sandpoint got the nod.

Later, in Lakeview Park, Ken Thacker got accused of photo bombing while I was taking a picture of Justine.

Ken, a weed expert and retired forester who knows Bill, is very involved in the Native Plant Society. He was working on a project in the arboretum while Justine and I were moseying through.

Up until yesterday, I only knew Ken through his letters in the paper. It was nice to meet the face behind those customarily wise and well-written thoughts.

Justine and I topped off our afternoon in nonstop discussion over coffee at Evans Bros.

Twas the first time for me in a coffee shop in more than a year, and the experience felt and tasted good. While visiting, I enjoyed a big fat chocolate chip cookie.

One-on-one conversation----I have definitely missed such opportunities, except for telephone calls and meetings with neighbors at the end of the driveway.

Our day did start out with just that when our new next-door neighbors, Steve and Leslie came by, picking up trash along the roadway.

We gave them a break and enjoyed some good catch-up.

Later, in the day, the end of the driveway offered yet another visitor with two legs, lovely elegance and a beautiful coat of feathers.

Pheasant sightings have been occurring on our portion of the road over the last year.

We finally realized that those sightings were not figments of our imagination after learning that one of the Taylor grandkids across the road had raised and released some pheasants.

Nice to see that the beautiful lady hanging out at the end of our driveway when I arrived home from town had wintered just fine.

We think they may be living over at the Meserve Preserve because one time last fall Willie said he saw pheasants coming from Meserve's woods.

Steve and Leslie had also spotted some down their way.

Overall, it was a good bird day.

Early yesterday morning just before daybreak, I saw the silouette of one of the next-door owls as it sat on a limb in Meserve's cottonwood trees.

Every time the bird would "WHO-WHO-WHO-WHO" its whole body would move. I'm really looking forward to spotting an owl in the daylight, no pun intended.

I also saw an eagle at the south end of the Long Bridge. The big bird seemed quite satisfied with the view.

And, the beautiful woodpecker keeps returning to the suet cages.

Overall, yesterday marked another wondeful day in the return to life as I love it.

We're still very careful, always wearing our masks where necesary, and to many of us who are often accused of going "BAAAH," that's no big deal.

Twas a great Monday in March, especially my time spent with Justine. There may be two generations of age span, but we mostly operate on the same page.

Happy Tuesday.