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November 4, 2020
Growing Up In Bandera
By Glenn Clark
The Bandera Prophet
The already long list of disappearing places and things associated with back in the day Bandera continues to grow. Some changes are glaringly obvious while others are more subtle in nature.
It seems corporations aren't the least bit concerned when it comes to our community's love of the majestic live oaks that decorate our hill country area of Texas. Paved parking lots to accommodate customers for the chain stores have claimed many and show no mercy. I'm sure it will only increase as San Antonio expands westward.
A recent uprising by live music fans was a response to a proposal to revisit sound ordinances impacting the local venues where the tradition of live bands has thrived for many generations. Seems some of the porch sitting folks just want peace and quiet while others enjoy the sounds without having to endure the crowds and can choose their own closing time by simply going back into the house.
I miss the evenings when we could sit on our front porch and hear the music coming across the river from the Wranglers Roost at The Mayan Dude Ranch. It brought memories of evenings with friends and family enjoying the music of Adolph Hofner and The Pearl Wranglers in earlier times. It was a weekly event and was well attended by the locals.
I cherish early years memories of our mom loading us kids in the car and heading to town so we could listen to the likes of Ray Price or Ernest Tubb back in the heydays of The Cabaret. The wooden shutters propped open gave some cool air relief to patrons inside while providing us with free listening straight from legends of country music. If The Silver Spur had a band it was broadcast naturally all over Bandera in the valley below. Even the smaller places generally had live music on Saturday night.
I'm not sure where the free roaming chickens of present day Bandera spend their nighttime hours or if they have a permanent roost to return to in the evening. We had chickens back in the day that we let out in the morning and penned up every evening. Lots of people had free range dogs in earlier times as there was no city or city ordinances so that may be an explanation for one of the changes we have witnessed.
I guess it's human nature that makes change inevitable. We like making things easier and more comfortable for ourselves. As I look back over my Growing Up In Bandera years I can't help but feel maybe we fixed some things that just weren't broken.
#254 2020
It seems corporations aren't the least bit concerned when it comes to our community's love of the majestic live oaks that decorate our hill country area of Texas. Paved parking lots to accommodate customers for the chain stores have claimed many and show no mercy. I'm sure it will only increase as San Antonio expands westward.
A recent uprising by live music fans was a response to a proposal to revisit sound ordinances impacting the local venues where the tradition of live bands has thrived for many generations. Seems some of the porch sitting folks just want peace and quiet while others enjoy the sounds without having to endure the crowds and can choose their own closing time by simply going back into the house.
I miss the evenings when we could sit on our front porch and hear the music coming across the river from the Wranglers Roost at The Mayan Dude Ranch. It brought memories of evenings with friends and family enjoying the music of Adolph Hofner and The Pearl Wranglers in earlier times. It was a weekly event and was well attended by the locals.
I cherish early years memories of our mom loading us kids in the car and heading to town so we could listen to the likes of Ray Price or Ernest Tubb back in the heydays of The Cabaret. The wooden shutters propped open gave some cool air relief to patrons inside while providing us with free listening straight from legends of country music. If The Silver Spur had a band it was broadcast naturally all over Bandera in the valley below. Even the smaller places generally had live music on Saturday night.
I'm not sure where the free roaming chickens of present day Bandera spend their nighttime hours or if they have a permanent roost to return to in the evening. We had chickens back in the day that we let out in the morning and penned up every evening. Lots of people had free range dogs in earlier times as there was no city or city ordinances so that may be an explanation for one of the changes we have witnessed.
I guess it's human nature that makes change inevitable. We like making things easier and more comfortable for ourselves. As I look back over my Growing Up In Bandera years I can't help but feel maybe we fixed some things that just weren't broken.
#254 2020