FISH CAMP DETAILS

Fish Camp Hours:

Fisherpersons are welcome at the Fish Camp with your own bait/tackle at any time.
The Fish Camp will be staffed during the following hours, for those who would like assistance or guidance:

Wed - Fri Noon to 6 PM
Sat - Sun 9 AM to 6 PM

No staff will be on duty Mondays & Tuesdays, but please feel free to bring your own equipment and fish from the bank.

Road Update:

Almost done!

First coat of road base is down, and curbs are being poured at this very moment on the last section to be paved.

Remember, we'll have our "Grand Opening" Celebration Sunday, April 22nd, 3 - 6 PM
Invitations are going out this week.

And in case you might want a new ride, here's your simple basic 235mph Bugatti in action.

GREEN !!!

Wow - it all greened up almost overnight! The spring beauty is a-happening! We've got Bluebonnets where we never even planted them.

I guess now you know if you have an erosion problem!

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From last night's Bee Cave Council meeting, it seems that Bee Cave Parkway will be completed mid June and 71 by the new mall by mid September.

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From Pam Chandler in response to an owner about the possibility of drilling our own water well:

I have done lots of research on the feasibility of drilling a water well for either irrigation or potable water. Apparently, in this area, they are firstly not reliable enough to serve our needs on a long-term and steady basis. In addition, when you consider the costs of drilling a well and the long-term maintenance costs, it isn't feasible from a cost standpoint. Our water budget is based on last year's expenditures with some adjustment. We anticipate that we will spend less on water than budgeted due to the landscape improvements already made, and those to be completed later in the year. The developer has installed alot of drought tolerant plants, and the buffalo grass is vastly improved with the care that it has received over the last year and a half. We did expend more water than normal last year, as we established the new plantings. The developer is continuing on a path to water conservation, so we should be able to realize some savings on a continuing basis.

Thanks for the article on solar - I've passed on to the "powers that be". Mr. Shrewsbury is a pretty savvy guy and I welcome his input!

AERIAL SHOTS

These are as close as I can get... pretty neat!
Pictures were taken about a year ago.

FISH CAMP SOFT OPENING

HONK!

HOW DO THEY FILL THE LAKE?

THE FISH CAMP PIER

INSIDE THE SHACK

PATIENCE!

GENERATIONS OF FISHERS

THESE WILL BE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

LOOKIT DAD!!!! I GOT ONE!

CATFISH CAUGHTFISH

RELAXIN' ON THE DECK

PICNIC STYLE VITTLES


A wowser. Many fish caught. Nice food. Good neighbors. Lots of cute kids trying for the big one (watch out for the casting!)

TRAFFIC WARNING

As I write this, there were just 15 minutes or so of sirens... hopefully not another wreck at our east entrance!

This is a followup to a post a few back as I don't think what I wrote would be clear to all. So I've tried to get some pictures for you.

The situation is that you want to turn out the east entrance toward HEB; i.e. up the hill.



You patiently wait for traffic to clear in both directions.

Finally it appears clear to the right and to the left, there's only a car turning into Spanish Oaks, slowing in the turn lane. It seems that it's a perfect time to pull out. This, below, is what you see.



WHAT YOU DON'T SEE is the car hidden behind and to the outside of the car you see in the turn-in lane. This is even worse if that's a truck turning in. If you boot it, you will surely be t-boned at 60 - 65 MPH.

I have seen instances where the view of the 'phantom' car is quite obscured for a long while. Please show this to anyone in your family who is impatient.



There's a speeding car hidden where arrow shows...worse with trucks and slower moving turn-ins as your vision of the lane next to them has a blind spot which grows larger as they approach!

A CAUSE FOR ALARM

Did you know an ordinance was passed last year requiring all alarm systems installed within the City of Bee Cave to be registered with the Bee Cave Police Department? You may register in person or on-line. There is no fee to register your alarm system.

Also:

CITY OF BEE CAVE
GENERAL ELECTION
MAY 12, 2007

A general election will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2007 to elect three (3) aldermen for two (2) year terms. The three incumbents are Zelda Auslander, Jonathan Coker, and Bill Goodwin.

Candidates may file for a place on the ballot from February 10 to March 12, 2007. Candidate Packets may be picked up in the City Secretary's office during regular office hours. Additional election information is available by calling City Secretary Sherry Mashburn at 512-767-6641.

ANOTHER ACCIDENT AT EAST ENTRANCE?

No details yet... except cryptic text message this morning. Sirens were heard.

One thing I've noticed: you plan to turn left uphill( west) at the east exit of S.O. Traffic to your right is clear. There's a truck in the turn-in lane to Spanish Oaks, coming down the hill. It appears traffic is clear behind it.

But wait! There's a temporary blind spot, obscured by the truck. There's a car not far from the exit, hidden from view behind the truck, coming downhill at 65MPH and you are about to pull right in front of it.

The "blindness" lasts for a few seconds, depending on how large and slow the vehicle turning into S.O. is... I almost went for it. Be sure to point it out to your impatient teenager! You'd be hit almost immediately.

The lower you sit in your car or truck, the longer the blind spot in these circumstances.

NO POWER

Power was out today (Wednesday) from 3:48 to 4:40. In case you were away and wonder why some things are electronically upset... now you know!

PLAYTIME !

Spanish Oaks Playgroup – Thursdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm

We know there are lots of wee ones in Spanish Oaks, but we don’t know everyone personally, so Christy Sabo and I thought we should change that! Please join us this Thursday, March 8th, for a play date at Los Ninos Park (Celanova Court). We hope to make this a weekly event, so if you want to participate, please call Shae at 294.2111 and I will be sure to keep you informed of where we are meeting each week. Christy and I are providing snacks this week. Hope to see you there!

Shae Reilly

--- The report ---




Our play date was a hit! We had six families attend - pretty good for such short notice for our first meeting! Here are a couple of photos - notice the second one shows the playscape that's under construction - the kids already love it! You might post on the blog that I talked to Pam and word is theplayscape will be done next week. It's currently on the manicured area but will be moved to the other side of the sidewalk once some irrigation is moved. Great news for families with kiddos in Spanish Oaks!

Shae

OAK WILT

Apparently can be spread by landscapers who encounter it with their saws, etc., then use them without decontamination on YOUR oaks. Don't know how you can prove they've cleaned them (I'm told - with bleach!) but consider this before you hire!

DOOR TO DOOR SCAM

Last Tuesday, a resident was approached at her door by a young man with skateboard who was 'selling' subscriptions to magazines to be used at women's shelters, etc., for $55 apiece. He claimed to the the son of a resident and dropped some names. Upon investigation, it turned out he wasn't who he claimed, was not the son of a resident, and we must assume he was scamming anyone who'd fall for his spiel.

Apparently he hiked into S.O. somehow. So we are not quite as secure as we might think.

If you are approached at the door - call the guard shack and they'll let you know if THEY know and if they don't, will send security.

PAUL STREETER WEIGHS IN

(Prompted by today's weekly E mail to owners)

Speaking as a builder and not as a resident in Spanish Oaks I think there may be some over reaction. Generally the builders have a good relationship with the DRC and do not violate the rules. I know from my own experience that I have had 2 violations during all the construction I have done here and those were for particular reasons which were beyond my control. There are also situations where early or late access is needed such as gunite a pool or pouring a slab. Also do not forget that there are emergencies that require workers to have access into the property on a Sunday or late at night and we have homes that are not part of the Spanish Oaks guidelines but have access through our subdivision ( such as the Preserve). My general opinion about the gate and the DRC is that it works well, and as with many organizations has some problems but they are addressed in a timely manner and with fairness.The guards are extremely good at chasing out the workers at 6pm and not letting them in until around 7am, just go to the gate at 6-45am and you will see the line of trucks outside.

TRELLIS

Teresa Duncan asks we post this:

Hi,

I am looking for cedar limbs/branches to make some "Bentwood" trellises and an arbor. Mostly, 1 inch in diameter and smaller, with a few larger pieces. The book I have recommends green wood but dry is better then nothing. I can offer a few bucks or trade some work (how about a trellis?) and I won't leave a mess. Maybe you need some lower limbs trimmed off?

Thank you!
Bart
Parent of 6th grader Autumn
636-9590

CONTROLLED BURN

We used to cry "FAKE OUT!" in school. At this minute I can see 3 controlled burns from the top of Mucket Rim. The closest, pictured here, looked like it was threatening homes, but Paul Streeter told me that there are those signs all up and down Bee Caves Road saying it's Prescribed.

I am very happy to report we are not burning.

FIRE

It was a pretty windy day today. Hard to believe anyone would choose today for a controlled/prescribed burn. When I spotted smoke on the horizon I thought it was on S.O. property but a quick drive proved that wrong - it was behind and to the west of the development. I believe it was a 100 acre fire on a ranch. Certainly was a bad day for fire!

ANOTHER EAST ENTRANCE WRECK

10:30AM, Feb.19, 2007
Final tow of what appeared to be at least a three car accident. Late
model Tarus being towed from the scene with major front end damage.

Driver of this vehicle not injured.

Two sets of skid marks in westbound lane indicates some unknowing
soul(s) was unaware of impending danger approaching from the rear.

It has been suggested there was a crate or box in the roadway which was a contributing factor.

LEARNING TO FLY

I need a thumbtack. The nose of my Air Hog (real name) needs just a touch more weight to keep it from porpoising.

Today we had a pretty calm morning and so I took the advantage to learn the R/C controls as I could actually fly for minutes at a time before hitting a tree, or crashing.

Turning downwind, even with a whisper of a breeze, speeds the plane up dramatically, and it's not yet intuitive to me how to get out of a turn cleanly (or even which way the stick moves the plane, since the tiny motors don't have much power, and in any wind, the turn is relatively unresponsive!)

My last flight was exciting... at full throttle it climbed and climbed and climbed. I kept it in tight circles over my field on our property. Then the wind turned it and as I 'corrected' I found it had passed the boundary of my R/C control. Leaving our property, passing over the barbed-wire-encircled very private community behind us.

When last seen, it was maybe 100 feet or more up and going away,as they say, "thataway."

I walked the fenceline but couldn't see it over in what's called The Preserve.

But I know of a place where the barbed wire is just stretched enough that you can crawl between two strands of it to access the forbidden zone. You can't miss it, it's almost behind the sign that says residents only. Carefully, thinking tetanus thoughts, I snuck.

Busted! One of the residents waved me an "I see you and we'll fix that gap right away" friendly wave. I hoped he'd see my R/C antenna and realize what I was doing.

So I trespassed. Forgive me my trespasses. As we forgive those who.... well, you know how that works out. I roamed the neighbor's field and there was no sign of flying machine. I searched the ground, the trees, but nothing. Then I tried turning on the motors by R/C as maybe I could hear them and locate it. No luck. More no luck (I was like the "Can You Hear Me Now" guy on TV, except the answer was NO. But then I did finally faintly hear a whine off in the distance. Somewhere over THERE and UP.

Another tree magnet. Happily I could shake the branches enough to free the Air Hog and beat feet, retrace my steps, my fence squeeze, and declare the day's flying over.

I could grow up to own Jet Blue.

ADDENDUM:

I learned that some residents of the Preserve took my exclusivity joke at their expense to be, well, too expensive. Honestly, they all seem like nice people - I have met a few, and like them all, and apologize for any bad feelings I may have created.

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SPANISH OAKS

We meet at Bohl's Cabins

Naturalist and Historian Don Bosse addresses us.

Peewee Peers into History
...learned on today's nature walk...

The pasture to the right as you enter at the east entrance was once a rancher's landing strip for his Cessna.

When it rains and you see the sprinklers on, across from that pasture, it's on purpose with storm water, not LCRA water, and is part of a several stage carefully designed system.

The green balls of growth in various leafless trees are mistletoe.

There's a plan to eventually make the bridge at the east entrance into TWIN bridges, each one way. And there's a bat colony under the bridge (in Mexico today.)

And the surface of our bridge at its current level is... (ready?) FOUR FEET BELOW the 100 year flood level.

By the way - it was a great breakfast post-hike!

COMING TO THE NEW MALL

EIGHT THOUSAND - COUNT 'EM - SQUARE FEET OF VICTORIA'S SECRET. To see the full plans for the HILL COUNTRY GALLERIA, Click here

TRAFFIC MEETING

On behalf of your HOA, Steve Yetts (President), Donald Abrams (Homeowner rep), Mayor Murphy of the City of Bee Cave (and lot owner in Spanish Oaks) and Richard Finlayson of the Preserve HOA met with Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Valinda Bolton regarding traffic and safety issues along the highway 71 corridor and in particular the aged bridge over Little Barton Creek. Each are freshmen in the legislature, but Sen. Watson is the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. Each was very attentive to our articulated issues and was particularly agreeable to bring our concerns to the appropriate parties. Sen. Watson agreed to construct the correspondence that Rep. Bolton will sign as well to advance our issues. When a copy is made available to me, distribution will follow.

I have no doubt that they will work to serve our interests so if you can please drop them an e-mail or a note and thank them for their concerns. Remember that the first rule of being a freshman legislator is to become a sophomore legislator. Having constituents sending mail, phone calls etc. make them respond. As a HOA we can become a force with our voices and our votes. Remember to vote every chance you get and let them know that we are watching.

Donald A. Abrams
Homeowner Rep
SOHOA

click.....

Email to Valinda Bolton

Email to Kirk Watson