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Yellow Bird: Keeping the community spirit alive
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Filed Under: Opinion

"Coffee klatches - those gatherings of family or friends, unplanned and casual around cups of coffee - are a custom we are losing. But in rural North Dakota, those encounters still can be found in some hometown cafes.

This former Washington resident was reminded Sunday how friendly and wonderful those small, unplanned gatherings can be.

I missed a birding rendezvous on the North Dakota grasslands, so my sister, daughter and I did our own birding. It was one of those “spot the bird, try to remember the important features and then find it in our birding guides” outings.

It was a warm, sunny day, and we spotted several great blue herons, egrets, Canada geese and ducks by the flock, as well as some hawks at Kelly's Slough. Then we drove the checkerboard of roads west of Grand Forks, where we found other birds and many high-flying hawks.

Funny thing: As we drove to the west, we found ourselves slowly zig-zagging through the fields and shelterbelts toward Larimore, N.D.

I think Ruby, my Toyota, just knows the way to Larson's Drive Inn.

It was nearly 5 p.m. by that time, and we were hungry. I always enjoy the friendly atmosphere at the drive-inn, so we stopped for supper."

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Dorreen Yellow Bird: Where the coffee's always on (The Grand Forks Herald 9/19)
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