SOLON & BEYOND: Frequent chickadee visitor at our window

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This week I’m going to start out with our story about a little chickadee that has been at our windows trying to get in for over three weeks. Now for some information about Black-Capped Chickadees: (which are my favorite birds, but not ready to have them move in with us yet!)

They are frequently seen with other birds such as nuthatches and woodpeckers. Makes its nest mostly with green moss, lining it with animal fur. Common name comes from its familiar “chika-dee-dee-dee-dee call. It also gives a high-pitched, two toned “fee-bee” call. Can have different calls in various regions. Our little bird comes to many of our windows and pecks the glass over and over again while looking in at us. Have been thinking how nice it would be to formally meet this little bird by opening the window for a visit, but I’m sure Lief would frown on that!! And I must admit he would be right, and the constant pecking does get tiresome. Would really like to know if any of you do have birds pecking on your windows asking to come in for a visit? Our phone number is 643-5805.

Have been trying to organize all the old cut out pieces from by-gone clippings I have cut out from past years from different papers I have written for. It doesn’t say what paper the following item was taken from, but it does say it was in 2007 and a picture of Percy is on with me. It starts, “Good morning, dear friends. Don’t Worry, be Happy!

I am so frustrated now with trying to figure out this machine that hope this column comes out making some sense! Last Wednesday, June 13, 35 former residents, spouses and friends met at the University of Maine North dining hall for a luncheon and visiting. This is an annual gathering of Flagstaff and Dead River people who truly enjoy this time of friendship and memories.

I asked Frances Taylor how this all got started and this is what she wrote. “After Bill and Olena had been in a boarding home for a few years ( about 1990 ) she expressed a desire to visit with Eleanor Flint Currier ‘without any husbands around’. We worked out a date and the three of us met at a Farmington restaurant to eat and talk ( and talk and talk.) The next spring I suggested we add a few other Flagstaff-Dead River women to join us. As a result there were eight of us, Eleanor Currier, Eleanor White, Eleanor Burbank, Flora Shaw, Lydia Bryant Mary Spenser, Olena and I. Olena handed out old report cards and school papers that she’d saved over the years, to the ones she’d had as pupils. We sat at the table ‘til we were ashamed; then stood around out in the parking lot, still talking, until the manager suggested we come back inside.

“From then on the numbers increased and the men folks joined us, always in Farmington, which seemed to be a good central location for everyone.” Eleanor Currier had done the organizing for several years, establishing a meeting place, picking a menu for the luncheon, sending our invitations etc. She had decided she didn’t want to attempt all of that this year so I decided to go ahead with it so we would be able to continue this annual get-together that everyone enjoyed so much.

“As always it appeared to be a happy time, for everyone. Those who attended from this area were Glenn Wing, Clarence Jones, and Pat Wing, from Bingham; Frances Taylor, from North Anson, Nancy McLean, from Embden, Gladys Rogers, Linda French, Loin Burbank and myself, all of Solon; Lydia Bryant, from Skowhegan; Eleanor Burbank, from Anson.”

Again this year my first grade teacher, Barbara Swan, (age 91) drove herself from her home in South Paris to Farmington and as busy as I am, she could put me to shame as she named over her many activities and volunteer work! Glen Wing was the oldest one present at 93, and he had driven over from Bingham, there were three 91-year-olds , two 88-year-olds, one 87 and at least five in their low to mid 80s, and we have many things in common, especially being young at heart! I tried to give the organizing job to someone younger, but they unanimously elected me for the job again next year.

I’m sorry to say, but most if not all are no longer with us here in 2021.

And so now for Percy’s memoir: You ‘re only young once – but you can be immature forever!

Have a great day!