It’s one of those things that I’m not sure if anyone else notices — the flags in the Oysterville churchyard. Whether they do or not, I’m sure we notice more than anyone because our house is directly across the street. As I walk toward the kitchen, I look out our dining room windows right at the flags. Or, when they aren’t in residence, I look at the empty flagpole.
I believe it was my dad’s idea to put up that flagpole. Before Oysterville was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and before the Oysterville Restoration Foundation was formed, the now-churchyard was the site of my grandfather’s barn. Once ORF was formed, the family tore down the barn gifting the property to ORF. I think Chris Freshley designed the churchyard — so perhaps he, not Dad, was the one who first suggested the flagpole.
In any event, it seemed natural that my dad — and then Nyel, in his turn — would take care of the flags. It used to be that they were up year ’round and we would occasionally buy replacements from Jack’s Country Store. Then the protocol became that as the first big storms start rolling in, the flags were taken down. Dad, and then Nyel, used to keep them in our back forty for the next season — unles, of course, they were too battered and frayed — in which case they went to the VFW for proper disposal. (There is a wonderful ceremony that they do annually — perhaps June 14th on Flag Day. I’m not sure.). I think that nowadays ORF replenishes the flags as needed and, since Nyel’s wheelchair days began, Tucker has taken over the flag duties.
In the Spring, up they go again. As the weather warms up and the storms abate, I become eager to see them flying again. I depend on them to tell me what the day will be like — wind from the southwest — stormy; wind from the north — cold; wind from the east — unseasonably hot or unseasonably cold. No wind at all — my favorite. I’m not fond of wind. But I do love seeing those flags flying in Oysterville!