Byron News: Magpies in the morning and a Day of Goodwill

The temperature is climbing, and the early “sunshiney” bright mornings are the time to beat the heat and get outside work done. It is hard to sleep through the symphony of bird meetings taking place. One of the birds that I am seeing more of is the magpie.

They are loud, and all I knew about them was that they were a pretty bird with distinct white markings and that they were annoying to farmers and interfered with their livestock. Young boys used to enjoy collecting bounty, but now magpies are a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

A few things I have learned. Magpies mate for life, they recognize individual human faces, they are considered a very intelligent bird, they can form bonds with humans, and they will even introduce their offspring to humans they do not feel threatened by. They will dive bomb someone who they feel is intruding near their nest. I had one pair of magpies that were around a lot this spring, but one of them died at the paws of a neighborhood cat. The partner is lingering around, and it is kind of sad. My grandkids remind me that this is “The Circle of Life (Lion King).”

It was fun to help a little at the multi-church event last Saturday. It was “A Day of Goodwill.” People gathered early to bring bags and boxes full of clothing they no longer needed, to give away. There were many, many tables ladened with clothing. Over the morning there was a steady stream of families wandering by and looking through the piles and often finding the right size and use. It was fun to watch the younger kids looking for something they could use.

There were shoes, snow boots, even moon boots like the boy wore in Napoleon Dynamite. There were old dance costumes and stuff to use in the future for Halloween costumes. Mostly there were good used items that will get more use. Everything was free. It is a win-win situation. Some closets get a little less packed, and others find uses for the tossed away items. At noon it was over, and with lots of helping hands it was cleaned up quickly. A nice morning of giving and sharing is a good way to start a day.

The Byron Days Committee had their recent meeting to firm up details for Byron Days. It looks like a full slate of events, kicking off Friday evening with Food Truck Wars during the Family Fun Carnival and a Family Dance. The theme is Byron Through the Decades.

Information and sign-up sheets for volleyball, T-shirts, fireworks squares and parade entries are on the website byronwyoming.org as well as contact information. It’s July 12 and 13. Hope you come and enjoy.