High Expectations

Arriving in La Conner, Wn. in our rental car Aug. 12, Dolores and I swooned.  Charming is the best description for the town and inn which we had had found on the internet.  Friends for 62 years, we chose this base to celebrate our joint 80th birthdays.  Our only sadness was the absence of one of our trio, Shirley, whose husband had been taken seriously ill.

When we parked outside our room at the La Conner Country Inn, we had high expectations: perfect weather, great food, a reception and a luncheon all to be shared with dear friends and family.   The skit I wrote in which six of us acted out our early months of friendship in a sorority house turned out to be a smash.  I can't imagine how the weekend could have been more fun.

On waking on the day of our party, I glanced at our car.  The whole front end seemed to be covered with something thick and white.  It enveloped the roof, the front window, the hood, and even the front bumper.  It looked like bird poop.  How could that be? I looked up at the tall tall cedars.  Of all things, we had parked under a blue heron nest!

Later I learned that the locals call them slough-pumpers, because of this habit, and the memory trail they leave is referred to as shit-a-quart.  It took many towels and washings to remove most of the traces, and there was still a white film on the windows.  To me it seemed more like shit-a-gallon.  Another precious memory to add to a perfect birthday celebration.