Ambling through the soft golden pool cast by this elegant business entrance lantern, my imagination conjured earlier gaslight glow and graciously garbed patrons of historical Missoula’s downtown.
The practical working folk of early Missoula often rubbed shoulders with wealthy, world-traveled neighbors; this confluence is reflected architecturally in the downtown’s building mix of the general Mercantile just across and down the block from the Wilma theater and opera house, host to the era’s world-renowned entertainers. Missoula is still an economically and culturally diverse town. Today’s sold-out concert line snaking around the block to the Wilma’s front entry will include self-supporting college students standing next to well-heeled corporate executives.
What’s the axion? “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”
Initially, I got all excited thinking this was a meadowlark, which is the true harbinger of spring in western Montana, and the only bird call I mimic rather well, if I do say so myself.
Living in the great Montana metropolis (woohoo!) for this past year, it’s been a while since my little eye has spied an actual meadowlark, as they prefer less cluttered habitat & keep their distance from urban chickens. It appears time has blurred my memory of their critical markings. After realizing his waistcoat was all wrong & the cheek spot was excess, I decided it would behoove me to discover who really was perched atop the lamp by the river path. Best I can find, it’s a variety of flicker. (Thanks to the Mrs. Casselman, my astonishingly patient juniour high school science teacher, I can recognize a red-winged flicker in flight, since the underside of their wings are - imagine - red.)
Please feel free to share any bird lore or adolescent science inspirations in your story bag!
