BANDERA HONORS VETERANS' RECOGNIZES SACRIFICES

Special to the Bulletin

“Bandera Honors Veterans” will once more celebrate those who fought to obtain and protect our democratic way of life on Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Planning is underway to expand the family displays that are always set up on the Bandera County Courthouse lawn to include informational booths by veteran-oriented nonprofit and government organizations focused on support to veterans and their families.

The Bandera American Legion Post 157 is hosting the event, which will include a program paying tribute to our local veterans with special music, VIP seating for World War II and Korean War veterans, a keynote speaker, comments by local dignitaries and the annual parade.

“We want this to be a spectacular display of Americanism, Bandera style. We ask all business owners and families to fly their United States flags all week and sign up to display your family military pride and ride in the parade,” said Susan Junker, commander of Post 157.

The displays must be ready for public viewing starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 7, followed by the program at 11 a.m.

The parade is scheduled to kick off at noon from the Bandera City Park and follow a route down Main Street in Bandera.

The traditional barbeque on the courthouse lawn will begin right after the parade, about 1 p.m. All veterans and their spouses are invited to participate free of charge. More music, fellowship and honors will continue throughout the lunch.

“This has been such a challenging year. We are super ready for a huge patriotic showing in 2020. There’s so much to be proud of in our community, our military and our veterans who continue to serve after their time in the military,” said Dennis Birchall, Bandera County

Veteran Service Officer. Birchall is also leading the Parade Committee.

Contact the Bandera American Legion Post 157 for more information by calling 830-796-7528, by sending it an e-mail at amlegion157@live.com, going to its Facebook page or stopping by any Wednesday at 205 12 St., across from the Chevron Ice House.

The American Legion is also celebrating its 100th Anniversary as a chartered post this year. It was chartered in September 1920 within a year of the end of World War II. Watch for upcoming Bulletin articles on the founders and contributions over those 100 years.

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THE BIRDING ADDICTION

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Bam! Lockdown. Our world was turned upside down. We had nowhere to go and not much to do. We cleaned closets, made bread and watched enough Netflix. Now what? The people went outdoors. The air was fresher with no cars about and springtime brought green grass and flowers. Oh, and birds.

Once people started noticing the birds, they went wild for birdwatching, all across the country. Watching birds. Feeding birds. Purchasing nest boxes and bird baths, and squirrel baffles to keep the little buggers from getting the seed. This country truly became obsessed with birds.

How obsessed you ask? Cornell University Lab of Ornithology reported that their bird identification app, Merlin, was downloaded 8,500 times over Easter weekend alone, and 150,000 times during the month of April. That is up 102 percent increase. Their live bird cam viewership also doubled. eBird, a popular app for logging what you are seeing was up 900 percent, logging 50,000 downloads a day. People really went crazy for our little feathered friends that were right outside their door.

With all the chaos that the pandemic brought, most of us needed a way to decompress and being out in nature can do that. Just hearing birds singing can distract you from your worries. Once folks started noticing the birds, they realized the next logical step was to feed them.

Bring them in close, to observe their behavior. Since the lockdown started in the spring, the birds were all returning to their nesting grounds, which meant people now got to observe the magic of birds nesting in their own backyards. Kids and parents alike became obsessed with birds. It got people focused on something else. Something fun and new. Raising awareness and appreciation for the birds and nature in general.

This hobby has often been thought of as a nerdy pastime. However, birdwatching and/ or bird feeding is the number two hobby in the U.S., second only to gardening. In 2018 there were an estimated 12.34 million birdwatchers in the United States! People love their birds. It is a hobby that is relatively inexpensive to get into and there are birds literally everywhere. You can enjoy this hobby no matter what setting you reside in.

You can challenge yourself to identify birds by sight and sound, even keeping a list of what you have spotted. The hobby of birdwatching has been one bright spot in such uncertain times. It is a hobby that once you start with, you will have trouble stopping. It is addictive. It is calming. It is just plain fun!