A Fast Week

It’s been a busy week at work. That is if you can really call my job at the golf course work. We have golfers going out every ten minutes from before 7 a.m. and that will continue until the late afternoon. I’ve been able to play every other day after work and I’m taking advantage of that. About every other evening our deck is becoming the meeting place for the neighbors. For some unknown reason these people seem to gravitate toward us. We’ll sit out in our lawn chairs and Lyle will saunter over with his beer. It won’t be ten minutes later and then Bob and Diane will be hauling their lawn chairs in tow.   That’s the unwritten rule here. Bring your own drinks and your own chairs. Neoma then stops by to chat as Gary usually is in bed by 8:30. Tom and Deana usually make a stop after work as the cafe closes down by 7 and their just at the other end of the ghetto from us. Nancy will pop her head out of their adjoining motorhome, with or without husband Daryl. If she’s not working late Donna checks in almost always last, never leaving that warm smile at home. And within a half hour we have eight to ten people chatting on the deck. Usually, John, the Deputy Sheriff rolls in around 9:30 or so as we all continue to trade stories. I’m reminded of nights back home on the patios of Rifgon Drive, when Officer MacDonald would drop by to join in the festivities. It always seems OK to act a fool or taunt the edges of the law when a peace officer is in company. Occasionally a few of our co-workers from the golf course will stop by. They make up the youth section of the crowd. Still in college, three young interns usually strut in as if they own the world, Ahh, remember those days. I think they find Robin and I as their surrogate parents, without the parental restrictions. And all of this without a fire due to the wind. On nights I have a fire, which is about three times a week, there may be as many as a dozen to fifteen people drop by. The only nights we don’t do this is when the weather is a bit disagreeable. One thing I’ve learned about the North Dakota weather is if you don’t like it, wait just a half hour and it’s sure to change. So there are no highlights this week, just the warmth and camaraderie of new friends, but then again, they are the highlight of the week. We’ve agreed to help some friends out tomorrow on our day off and cook at the Elkhorn as it’s Car Show weekend here in Medora and the tourists are out in numbers.