This week, we have been lamenting the loss of the swallows that have been living in our yard for the last couple of months. A family had a nest, and you could hear lots of birdie chatter as the babies demanded food. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but as soon as the swallows left, the mosquitoes arrived in force. (Given how many mosquitoes swallows reportedly eat, I don’t think it’s really much of a coincidence.) But our neighborhood swallows didn’t go far. After their chicks flew the nest, they all relocated down to our meadow where the eating must be better.
Swallows seem to adapt to these life changes better than humans do. It seems like every time I turn around, I read another editorial about how Sandpoint is changing and not for the better. I guess what gets me is how people are always talking about how wonderful Sandpoint used to be.
I mean I like living here, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The problems we have now aren’t that different than when we moved here. The winters can be gray and horrible, summer traffic stinks, the schools are perpetually under funded, the roads are bad, and there are a number of people I never, ever want to see again, but surely will because it’s still a small town.
I’m the first to tell you that we haven’t lived in this area for a particularly long time. But when we moved here, one thing that was different is that real estate was less expensive. Of course, we also had double-digit unemployment and higher mortgage interest rates too. Plus, Sandpoint was so uncool on a national level, it was almost embarrassing to have it as a return address. The only news anyone ever heard about Sandpoint was bad. If you said you were from North Idaho, people assumed you were a racist or survivalist nut.
Sure Sandpoint is changing. And eventually, like the swallows we may decide to move on. But for right now, the trees, lake, and mountains that drew us here still make us want to stay.