Over the last eight years or so I have been publicly sharing my memories, random thoughts and personal opinions about life in this beautiful little town of ours. First it was in the Bandera Bulletin and then other media like The Bandera Prophet and Facebook along with having a couple books printed.
Meeting up with friends along the river, on Main Street or in the OST always offers an opportunity swap tales or share new adventures experienced since our last encounter. Probably only been a week or so ago but that doesn’t matter.
Back in the day people knew what time Tag Knibbe and Joe Short would have all the mail put up at the Post Office and planned their day accordingly. It was another opportunity to meet up with friends to shoot the bull. You never knew what may have happened between early morning OST coffee and mid morning mail call. Truth along with gossip and exaggerated facts always get equal time among the locals wherever they meet.
Shopping locally gives me opportunities to run into old friends and enjoy a quick visit. Just the other day I was in True Value looking to buy a hanging plant like the one I had purchased a few days before. I was a little bummed that they didn’t have another one but all was not lost. I found some pepper plants I had been looking for and I ran into Kathleen Montague. My luck had changed. It’s nice that she is now giving hugs these days instead of just making all the boys cry.
If you haven’t ventured into the old wool and mohair building lately you are missing out. It is home to Western Trail Antiques and Marketplace and some of the friendliest folks in town. It still maintains some of the feel from back in the day when sheep and goats dominated the hill country. It holds a special place in my memories as I would accompany my uncle Phil Kindla delivering his wool sack after his sheep were sheared by the Herrera crew back in the 50’s. Eddie Rowe heads up the folks working the shop and they give a warm welcome to everyone.
I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to getting back to my roots while coming to grips with my aging body. Seems the two may not be compatible. Besides, those carefree days of freely roaming the Medina River I enjoyed as a youngster are long gone. I may have to settle with a folding lawn chair and some stinky catfish bait in the city park. That’s a sad thought knowing how things were back when I was a barefoot kid.
I’m not all into social events here in my latter years even though I enjoy interacting with old friends and meeting new ones. It’s just that I feel so comfortable sitting peacefully on my front porch with my little dogs and watching the birds at my feeders. It’s one of the few things left that money can’t buy while I continue Growing Up In Bandera.
Editor’s Note: Want more Growing Up in Bandera? Pick up the books! Volumes 1 and 2 are available at the Bulletin’s office! Shipping options available. Call 830-7963718 for more information.
.png)
