It comes as no surprise to longtime readers or people who know me that May is my favorite month.

What's not to love about turning the corner on a soggy spring, planting flowers and seeing those first buds and blossoms? Getting outside without a coat or sweater, the wonderful aroma of fresh-mowed lawns and the breeze in your face on a bike or with the convertible top down. It's too early for biting bugs to be out, but the birds are abundant and happy. And birthdays... yes, birthdays. I love birthdays, even when they're not mine, but May happens to be the month of my birth and through the years I've gathered an abundance of names of people who share this birth month.

No matter the month of your birth, birthdays are the one thing we all have in common. That one day of the year when we can embrace the simple fact that we're alive and, with any luck at all, surrounded by family and friends. I'll never tire of celebrating life and the blessings of these past 62 years.

There's no truth to the rumor that I'll be modeling my birthday suit today at the 3Cs annual Spring Style Show, but I appreciate the invitation, Angela!

On Saturday, the local chapter of the Sons of Norway will celebrate the bicentennial (Syttende Mai) of the Norwegian Constitution with a breakfast at the Odd Fellows Hall on Railroad Avenue in Post Falls. The breakfast starts at 10 a.m. and includes entertainment by Rod Erickson and the Bressler Trio. Following the breakfast, the Norwegian flag will be raised at Falls Park. The annual flag-raising has taken place in Post Falls since 2001.

Breakfast is $6 per person, or $3 for those 18 and younger, but you need to RSVP by the end of today to Bob and Martha West, 765-0714, or Les Wigen, 667-3250. And yes, there will be lefsa! The flag raising ceremony at Falls Park at 11:45 a.m. is open to the public and doesn't require an RSVP.

I had great fun painting bowls at Hands-On Art with Anne Hagman, Raydeane Owens, Jeanne Phay, Pam Houser, Mindy Hatcher, Sherry Wallis and Deb Wunderlich on Friday night. Along with real artists' contributions, our bowls will be featured in the Distinguished Young Women of Post Falls participants' Empty Bowls fundraising event for the Post Falls Food Bank from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center. While a good time was had by all of us painting, I believe we collectively decided not to give up our day jobs any time soon to become artists.

The Avista flood gates at the Post Falls dam are wide open for the spring runoff, which means it's optimum viewing of the falls from the platform at Falls Park. On days that I don't have a lunch-time meeting, I often spend that time walking around the park. Last week I was on just such a walk-about when I came upon Laroy Dowd, power plant manager, and a group he was taking on a tour of the dam. Sandy Emerson and the 4 Counties Natural Resource Committee were heading behind the gates to walk over the dam on the spillway and Laroy invited me to join them.

Each April, I have the opportunity to go out on the dam with the River City Leadership Academy so this was a bonus second outing. It's a singularly incredible experience.

The Winton School All Class Reunion should be a fun walk down Memory Lane. On Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, everyone who ever attended the elementary school is invited to come reminisce before the school is replaced with a new building. Don't forget to bring old report cards and the like for the time capsule!

The primary election is next Tuesday, and it's an important one. But then again, every election is important; exercise your right to vote!

Sharing my May 14 birthday today are Williene Gagnon (70!), Stephanie Davenport, KJ Torgerson, Jaime Cornwell, Macy Ducoeur, Mark Hemenway, Rita Preston, Verla Packer, Randy McKahn, Jake Hobbs, Kathy White, Liz Ricciardi, Breanne Ruff, Kimberly Westrick, Kristie Messinger, Caren Easterly, Bill Ohlfs (60!), Linda Green, Katie Bane, Mitch Bevacqua and Averie Barnes.

Tomorrow Suzanna Spencer, Lorri Gum, Patricia Braddock and Barbara Welch take another trip around the sun and Friday birthdays belong to Diane Wahl, Kari Malkovich and Michelle Richter. On Saturday Jared Janke, Shawntel Shofner, Brad Enders and Christine Brannon will celebrate.

Sunday is a big day for Vicki Isakson, Jeanne Helstrom, Amy Corbett, Larry Carstensen, Tom Ball, Corky Chadderdon, Richard Alderman, Shaun Johnson and Tina Haskin.

Putting their party hats on Monday are Tom Lien, Alison McArthur, Jill Nolan, Vera Brown, Julie Kohut, Jessica Smalley, Laura Stensgar, Tammy Rupinski, Burt Hissong and Rick Nowoj.

May 20 is the birthdate of Jeannie Steele, Heather Hart, Barry White, John Goedde, Shawn Nash, Tina Smith, Jana Hull and Lindsay Herbert.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2013 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter #kerrithoreson.