Let me just say this: The New River Birding And Nature Festival is so much fun.
A lot of work, yes. But who cares? It’s totally worth it. If you’re here, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re not, you should be.
Here are 10 reasons why:
-The Food. Local restaurants help us out with the fare, and its hard to stay the same size this week.
-Walking In The Rain. It rains here. If you’re ready for it, it’s quit enjoyable, and bird friendly. (beautiful sunshine today, though!)
-Anticipation. We work on this festival all year. People who come look forward to it all year. Maybe that’s why it’s great when we finaly get to start birding.
-The Face Ache. You know, from smiling so much.
-The Presentations. Nothing like a little edification for some after dinner fun. The presentations are enjoyable, informative, and, hey, they aid digestion!
-Spring In The Forest. ‘Nuff said.
–ZIPLINE!
-Making People Happy. This one’s kind of a gimme, since, as a cabin rental guy, it’s what I try to do all the time. But still, you really can’t get to much.
-Great Conversations. I’ve, um, been known to talk. A lot. So it shouldn’t be any surprise to people that know me that this makes the list. I’ll just say that, during the fest, I find myself doing a lot more listening.
-New Friends And Old. Best thing about the fest, hands down. As I’ve said before, you don’t need birds to make a good day birding. It’s all about the people. Especially these people.
And lastly…
Making A Difference In Someone’s Life. It’s not me; it’s the whole thing. The people. The camaraderie. The New River Gorge. Oh, and the birds. Let’s not forget them. The fest makes people’s lives richer. Especially mine.
I appreciate a person taking the time to share them with all of us.