I dream of potato salad

My parents came through for a few days. My real parents.

You have no idea how awkward it is when people assume that my parents are around Malta when in actuality it was just another African American that I have never met in my life. It is awkward and yes it happens.

If you think that you saw my parents here around Father’s Day, yes it probably happened.

It lifted my spirit to see or should I say hear my folks coming down the street. They had a piece of their Buick’s undercarriage scraping the streets after hitting what I could only assume was a pheasant outside of Saco. It was only one of four creatures that met their demise during their travels to and from Malta.

My dad hadn’t been in Phillips County since my wife Susan and I got married in August of 2012. My mother was here to be among the first to welcome our child PJ into the world in June of 2014.

We do visit my hometown once a year and when it was made a possibility that my folks would come through to my new place of residence, I wanted it to happen and when it did, it was magical.

Within the first 24 hours, my father was already looking at a house to purchase. They did NOT put in an offer but it showed me that they liked the place enough to consider moving here.

A grandkid must have that effect on a person. PJ really enjoyed their visit and was pretty sad on the last night when they had to leave.

The trip showed my parents that between PJ, Susan and l living here with all of the local stores and events that Malta isn’t just a hole in the middle of the Hi-Line.

The visit was full of grilling and smoking meat, laughs and great conversations. I had the chance to hang out with my dad on Father’s Day and we enjoyed several runs at the Hi-Line Drag Strip.

We also cooked together which is something that we had never ever done. I smoked about 20 pounds of pork on the day of PJ’s birthday and my dad was gracious enough to bless us with his potato salad. I dream of that potato salad.

They experienced the Phillips County Museum, which they were really impressed with. They also saw the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and witnessed the unveiling of a new prehistoric sea creature.

I also found out that I witnessed and helped my father catch his first fish! (I just gave verbal instruction). I had no clue at first but I am glad that I saw it happen.

PJ laughed at nearly everything my father did but while he was slightly discourteous to my mother they finally bonded over the building of a new puzzle that he got for his birthday.

I have to admit it I wish they could’ve stayed for a couple of weeks but it was great seeing my mother and father spend time with our county and my family.