Sunday, while doing some almost spring cleaning with the big-flaked snow falling, we located the file of our favorite small-town columnist, Tillie Wilson of Three Rivers, Texas, who, in the Sept. 6, 1989 issue of The Progress, offered this typical Tillie gem to put the reader in the front row of her memory.

“Bill Gazaway gave me a few goldfish this week for me to get started on again. Now I’ll have to buy a larger fish bowl. The big one I had got broken by a chair hitting into it by accident. I love to watch the fish when I have time.”

In the spirit of just plain being Tillie, it was sure good to see Charlie Dunham drop by the other day when he shared a pleasant surprise — one of his hand-crafted designer birdhouses.

With the help of Portland businessman Henry F. Phillips’ screwdriver, which actually uses no vodka, we were able to attach Charlie’s botanical creation to a fir tree in sight of all passer-by sparrows.

Thanks to Charlie for personalizing the rustic front porch as “Jim’s Roost.”

With Charlie’s sense of humor, one might instead expect a sign hanging that describes “FourClawsure Available.”

Speaking of humor, apologies to readers who may have been misled some weeks back when we mentioned that Leon Israel, famed shoemaker of neighborhoods like Magnolia and Bayview, was a POW during World War II.

While Leon did serve courageously during those expendable years, he remained as free as a military man could be, which probably did not seem like much at the time.

Leon’s POW status today is merely as a thankful Person of Wisdom.

Speaking of wise, we saw Whidbey’s Nick VanDyke last Friday.

Nick was manning the family’s North Star Trading Post at the Pike Place Market. The Van Dyke collection offers the region’s most comfortably cushy footwear, no matter the season.

En route, we stopped by for a photo moment to pet Georgia Gerber’s bronze pig before watching the local Flying Fish Market guys entertain.

We call them the Apronettes with Fishnet Stalkings.

Don’t tell anyone where you heard this, but we just learned from a recent eavesdrop that the permit application requesting that the old Casey’s grocery store at Bayview be remodeled into a combination roller rink/laundromat has been shelved.

Other sources report the use of the massive square footage as a potential lawnmower storage facility where our community lawnmowers could be stored comfortably inside.

Rumors of a South Whidbey Trader Joe’s in the old Casey’s space are beyond speculative at press time, but there is a good chance that secondary talks with an indoor batting cage franchise called Casey at the Bat will continue.

There is also discussion that Casey’s Bayview will become a giant half-way house for wholesome people, with bunk-beds, dividers and Wi-Fi optional.

In the meantime, may all your time be above average to exceptional, no matter where you may be, here and there and everywhere.