Talk about dominating a visit on the deck!
This little bird and probably its partner made its presence known for more than two hours yesterday during a wonderful visit with my friend Laura and her husband Steve.
In fact, the flitting here and flitting there and landing on various tiki torches sometimes stopped the conversation.
Eventually, Steve, while walking around the deck noticed the reason for all the activity.
Twas feeding time for the babies up in the next under the eves.
And, apparently, the babes were pretty hungry because Mom and Dad rarely sat still for more than a moment.
The Western flycatchers started using our deck as a home during the Pandemic. We first noticed them during Friday-night dinner gatherings just off the deck. And, those tiki torches continue to be one of their favorite places to perch.
I can't help but think that they like to eavesdrop on conversations.
Conversation yesterday hit the high spots of respective family information over the past 30 years. And, occasionally it went further back than that because Laura and I go back at least 74 years.
After she was first born about six weeks before my entrance to the world, Laura and her family lived on the corner of Boyer and Lake.
"We always lived on North Boyer," she noted while reflecting on the three homes she occupied while growing up.
While the Delamarters lived on Lake and Boyer, we lived down the block and around the corner at 214 Euclid.
Later, the Delamarters moved about a mile north of our North Boyer farm to the "Pennington Place," and that's where many hours of my childhood were spent, visiting Laura and tearing out faulty seams for my 4-H sewing projects.
Rides to mutual school activities were always guaranteed since Laura had to go past our home to get to town.
We reminisced about school, both junior high, high school and college at the University of Idaho.
We told tales on each other and laughed about "the way we were," as adolescents walking in the woods along Sand Creek on the Pennington place and always dealing with our individual insecurities.
At one point, when Laura caught herself off topic while in the midst of a story, I interjected, "It doesn't matter . . . after 30 years we've got a lot to cover."
It's been a long, long friendship, often separated by distances but happily kept alive and thriving, thanks to Facebook.
Laura and her new husband now live in the Portland area and they promised more trips to Sandpoint. So, we'll be looking forward to many more visits.
A fun and meaningful morning spent with a wonderful friend at an exciting time in her life---doesn't get any better than that.
I'm sure those Western flycatchers enjoyed what they heard while gathering food for the young 'uns.
The rest of the day was filled with interludes of walking in the woods, watering gardens, taking a drive through the countryside and a quick kayaking trip to Sunnyside where fishermen populated the dock in hopes of hooking some big ones.
Bill caught a few small-mouthed bass while I snapped more photos.
Overall, it was a lovely, lovely summer day filled with precious memories.
And, it looks like another beauty today. Who knows what stories will unfold.
Happy Friday.
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