Winners for this year's Holiday Lighting - - - - -

Best Children's Design :

(3rd year in a row!)

218 Candleleaf Cove

Best Holiday Spirit

258 Cinder Cove

Best Overall:

(Another repeat winner!)

1325 Drifting Wind Run

Our judges said it was not an easy decision - they would like to award honorable mention to:

647 Drifting Wind Run (loved the trees in the back)

173 Leafdale (very elegant)

The judges also wanted to mention the interesting tree treatment on Candleleaf Cove (they didn't get an address but loved the colored lights hanging from the branches - they just couldn't find a category for the decor)

and the airplane at 186 Leafdale - complete with runway

Hi Everyone. The neighborhood has posted signs that remind neighbors that this is a no-firework area. Please remember this for New Years and other holidays that often include fireworks.

Who doesn't love jewelry!?

Stella and Dot party at Jennifer Wegmiller's house Friday, November 12 at 6:30pm. It's a come-and-go so you can browse as long as you like, and come late if you have to. Jennifer can be found at 151 Swiftwater Cove. Come enjoy cupcakes and wine while you choose beautiful things for yourself or someone on your Christmas list. More than half the items are under $50!

Here's the link to her evite: Jennifer's evite

Stampin Good Fun

Are you looking for a night with just the ladies?
We'll be making Stampin' Up Christmas Gift Tags at my house on Friday, November 12th at 7pm.
My Friends has just re-opened her business and I've asked her to come and help us.  She will bring everything we need (including the ideas!) for just $10 per set of $20.  After the party you will have a variety of 20 hand-made tags to attach to your Christmas gifts.
I haven't met some of you and I would like to - so please come by.  
We can fellowship over coffee, tea, and desserts!
   When:  Friday, November 12th  7pm
   Where:  926 Drifting Wind Run
   RSVP by Wednesday, November 11th

I hope to see you then!

Blessings,
Becky Wellborn

All residents of Dripping Springs are invited to

Hearing Health Awareness Day

203 W Hwy 290

Dripping Springs, Tx 78620

in the FBCDS parking lot, across from Walgreens

Saturday, November 13, 9:00am - 1:00pm

• Complimentary community hearing evaluations

• Music celebrating the gift of hearing

• Hearing That Can Change a World essay contest awards

$1 Raffles

for a chance to win

$40 to H.E.B.

for more information contact Patricia Summers at Summerspatricia@aol.com

or see the website at www.newsoundhearing.com or call 1-877-55-SOUND

Wendy Parnell just let me know that she has a new book out and will be having a

signing party and reading at the

Dripping Springs Community Library on Thursday November 18 at 6:30pm.

"Musta Notta Gotta Lotta Sleep Last Night"

is a children's picture book.

Sounds like a great bedtime story for little ones.

The book is available on line at www.mustanotta.com and will be at select stores.

I imagine Wendy would even sign a copy for you if you don't make it to the library reading . . .

Christmas is coming and books are wonderful gifts.

Meet and Greet

The Ramey's are hosting a meet and greet for State Rep. candidate Jason Isaac

He will speak and answer your questions and concerns!

Join us at the Ramey home:

1095 Drifting Wind Run

Wednesday October 20, 7-9pm

Wine and munchies will be served.

RSVP: 799-7252

neighborhood Invite

Darcy Ramey is having a party and we're all invited.

It's a Silpada Jewelry Party

Wednesday, October 13th at her home 1095 Drifting Wind Run

9:30am - 11am

Dress comfy and casual. Come and Go.

Sip coffee, lattes, and Tea and shop for jewelry!

Bring your friends. Meet new friends.

Magical History Tour - Where the Past Meets the Present

Sunday September 12 join your friends and neighbors for a walking tour of Downtown Dripping Springs. Local"historians" Carl Waits and Charles Haydon will be doing tours of several historical homes and buildings. It is sponsored by the Heritage Circle and all proceeds will benefit the Pound House Museum. This should be interesting and a lot of fun.

Tickets are $5 for adults and school age children.

The tour begins at the Old Masonic Lodge at 103 Old Fitzhugh

Refreshments will be served after the tour on the lawn of the Marshall-Chapman house at 500 Mercer Street

For more information

heritagecircle@verizon.net

858-2030

www.DrPoundPioneerFarmstead.com

Marypat Powers is a member of the Heritage Circle and can answer any questions you have.

Antiques Anyone??

Hey gals, the Round Top Antique fair is just a few weeks away. Who wants to go? You have to see this place to believe it. Antiques and fun for blocks and blocks. ( And there is a restaurant there that makes the most amazing pie!) Shari Breese and Terri Bills are going - we can do either September 30 or October 1. Anyone else want to come along?

Check out their web site: http://www.roundtoptexasantiques.com/

Snakes in the Preserve

Deanie Dart sent these pictures of snakes she has seen in her yard recently. Dan, her husband, convinced the darker snake to head back into taller grass. These guys are not tiny little snakes. Just imagine how many mice and crickets they eat every night. I'm glad Deanie and Danny didn't kill them - although I understand how some people may disagree with me. These guys are more afraid of us than we are of them, and will run given the chance. Still, if they rattle or are dangerous - I'd probably kill them too.

Announcing A Future Neighbor...

Congratulations to Renee and TJ Pool. They are expecting an addition to their family in a little less than 6 months.

Anyone have a Fish Pond

If you have a goldfish pond in the neighborhood maybe you can help solve a riddle. How do goldfish get into a pond that only has water when it rains and has no real connection to any other water? We dug a "pond" to prevent runoff water from the neighborhood from flooding our fruit trees. It's in the back corner of the yard and only has water when there is enough rain to fill the drainage ditches. Then it dries up and is just a indentation in the ground until the next heavy rain. A few weeks ago we saw dozens of goldfish, from very small to around 3 inches, floating dead in a very small amount of water that had not quite evaporated. After it dried completely my son found this poor little guy. Guess all the rest had broken down. But how did they get there? I'm really curious about this and would certainly not want to kill off any more goldfish. If I knew they were there, before they floated belly up, I would have gotten a net and tried to rescue them.

Shamefully promoting my kid

Ever thought it would be nice to have a sportcourt in the backyard? We visited with the Huffmans the other night and were very impressed with their PickleBall court. I've wanted a basketball court for some time but can't talk Danny into it. Now for the selfish part: If you are thinking of building a sportcourt in the future I'd love to give you my son's info. He works with Hill Country Sport Courts and can come by and put in a bid. I know the owner of the company and have seen their work. They do a lot of private courts of different types, and also have worked for the military, the school system, and private companies. They've build running tracks and all sorts of specialty courts as well as multi-purpose. The owner said if he could get a few in the neighborhood he'd give us a discount - Hmmmm, maybe I can talk Danny into one then!

If you are interested, call Beezer at 512 694-0649

Surprise Guest

Deborah Huffman opened her door to find a baby owl. The owlet was stunned after flying into the glass of the door. They left it alone - not wanting to do anything to harm it further - and it was gone by morning.

Talent in the Neighborhood!

Darcy announces her daughter, Kamareryn will appear in two musical productions at the Wimberly Playhouse June 19th , 21st, 25th and 29th. See her in Annie and Oliver! To get tickets check the Wimberly Playhouse website. The program is called Broadway Bound.

Ducky answer - thanks Darcy

Darcy let me know that that ducks live in Kirby Springs and have been visiting the Preserve for the last 6 years. She says they love the green grass. But then who wouldn't?

Everything is DUCKY in my yard these days

I've seen these boys around a few times. The other morning they were in my garage eating the cat food. They slowly waddled out when we went into the garage but didn't run off - guess they were waiting for us to leave so they could finish their breakfast.

Finally they gave up and flew off, leaving behind some rather unpleasant deposit - which I stepped in, of course.

I wonder where they live, and where they swim. I haven't seen them near the pool.

In the spirit of "one man's trash is another man's treasure", check out the garage sale at Dripping Springs United Methodist Church . The sale starts at 8am and ends at 2pm on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12.

The church is located on RR12, north of Hwy 290 (south of the Dripping Springs elementary school).

If you have the Spring Cleaning bug - clear out those garages and closets and the church will be glad to take your unwanted items for the garage sale! Call Shari Breese if you have questions. 858-0715.

Complimentary Testing

Let your friends know.

June 1^st only Audibel Hearing Innovation Tour Semi EXPO!

Open House NewSound Hearing Center

June 1^st, June 2 , June 3^rd

^{4032 South Lamar Suite #450}

^{Austin, Texas 78704}

^{(512)416-6600 or (877)557-6863}

Questions? Call our neighbor - Patricia Summers - at 829-4479

The Cub Scouts from Pack 101 are doing their annual Scouting for Food on May 22nd. The Scouts would like collect on Saturday, May 22. The Scouts will collect on Saturday but you don't need to be home. Just set your donation out by the mailbox by 8am. The most requested items are food, such as canned tuna, canned veggies, pasta and sauces, beans and peanut butter.

This is a food drive to support our local food banks. All the donations stay in Dripping Springs.

Thank you for supporting Scouting and Helping Hands Food Bank.If you have questions call Stephanie and Chris Heinchon at 858-0701.

It feels great to help the scouts help the community!

News About Oak Wilt

Deanie Dart shared this with us:

At the HOA meeting recently Jack Breese shared some good info about when to trim oak trees and, most importantly, when not to. The info is important due to the oak wilt problem that has swept Austin area - and various groups and agencies advise against pruning from February through Fall; best time to prune to avoid oak wilt is cold weather....I noticed a number of our neighbors trimming their oaks and it made me think we could share this info through our Preserve Ladies blog and on the HOA website. We use Certified Arbor Care in Austin - they are very knowledgeable, and we got the best price from them after having several services bid our job..... see www.texasoakwilt.org. Deanie

When to trim our trees is always helpful. In my last neighborhood our trees were the only ones spared from oak wilt because they were fairly new - we planted them 28 years ago. The extension agent that came to examine them said that oak wilt can spread through interlocking roots and since our trees were newer, they were not part of the neighborhood's Live Oak Root System. He also warned the neighbors against burning logs from trees that died or were cut down due to oak wilt because the ask could spread the disease. The site Deanie supplies also shows how insects spread oak wilt. That site mainly mentions Red Oaks in Texas. Live Oak trees are a little hardier.

another site is the United States Dept. of Agriculture's page on Oak Wilt, it's symptoms and treatment. You can find it at http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_oakwilt/toc.htm.

Summer in Texas

Thank You Shari Breese for these wonderful reminders of how beautiful our part of the world is! Spring is such a great time for rebirth - the earth wakes up and puts on her finest outfits. Its later in the summer, after days in the 90's+, that she calms down some. I'd hate to think anyone would take this time for granted.

In recent travels we drove to Cleveland and the "wild flowers" along the road were daffodils. It was so pretty - but nothing like the colors we have here. I've since learned that Round Rock is the Daffodil capital of Texas and had a daffodil festival in March. I'll have to catch that one next year. I never though of Texas being very daffodil friendly. Those bulbs need cold weather.

Just in Time for Easter??

Sandy Lenhart shared this story with us. Good information - and cute pictures!!

When her son started to cut their front lawn a baby bunny ran out away from the mower. Her husband moved the mower and found a second bunny. Not wanting to hurt the bunnies, or deep them from their mom, Sandy was not sure how to proceed. Deanie Dart suggested they call Austin Wildlife Rescue where they learned that baby bunnies leave the nest when they are a little bigger than a tennis ball. Since these were bigger than a tennis ball they were safe to pick up and move out of harms way. So if anyone else finds baby bunnies in the way of the lawn mower, not we know how to judge their age and tell if it is safe to relocate them.

Thanks Sandy, for the information and the CUTE pictures. I especially love the "angry" bunny that is yelling at the camera.

Moth Visit

Last night the dog was barking at the window to the back yard. I thought it was a little freaky but when I checked it out I saw this giant moth on the wall. This thing is as big as my hand - wide open. It was beautiful and fuzzy looking. Not sure what kind of moth it is. I chased it around with an open grocery bag until it rested long enough for me to catch it and release it outside. I hope it survived. One wing looks a little damaged - I promise I didn't do it.

What to Plant in March

March 1-15 is a great time to plant: Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Chard ,Collards, Endive, Leaf Lettuce, Mustard, Parsley, Garden Peas, and Radishes

March 15-31 plant: Lima Beans Snap Beans, Beets, Cantaloupe, Chard, Collards Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Peas (for greens), Leaf Lettuce, Black-eye Peas, Pepper Plants, Pumpkin, Radishes, New Zealand Spinach (heat tolerant), Summer Squash, Tomato Plants, and Watermelon

plant tomato and pepper plants - not seeds. Seeds can be started indoors in December and put out in March. The best way to get the most from your seeds is to plant them in warm soil, keep them semi-dry and transplant them every now and then. When the second set of leaves (originally they sprout with only 2 leaves) come on then transplant into pots 2" bigger than the started pots. After they grow an inch or so - depending on the plant - transplant into pots another 2" bigger. This trains the roots. Now they are ready for the garden, or you can transplant up to two more times.

Remember - when planting tomato plants, 80-85% of the plant goes underground. Tomatoes develop roots all along the stock. Planting deep gives them a bigger, stronger root base. This is especially good for plants that produce heavier fruit. Also, tomatoes that are staked or caged vertically produce more, and bigger fruit than those that grow along the ground.

for more info on growing in Austin, visit here

Snow and Axis Deer in the Neighborhood

This great picture comes to us from Deanie Dart. I've seen these deer around and never got a good picture. Thanks Deanie!

Any Snow Pictures out there?

Here's proof that it actually snowed enough to stick to the ground.

Any other great pictures out there?

Snow dogs? Snow men? White dusted children?

Email me your photos and I'll post them.

Gardening Anyone?

I know the snow makes it hard to picture, but Spring is right around the corner. February is the month to plant. Seeds planted indoors can stay out of the ground for a bit - until this crazy weather settles down a bit - but planting seeds in the ground now is a good idea - a few more weeks and we'll lose the cool weather some plants need to develop. This month plant Asparagus Crowns, beets from seed, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, Swiss chard, collard greens, lettuce, English peas, Irish potatoes, radish, and turnip seeds. Onions can go into the ground now and will last a long time - pull them when the tops start to fall over. (A few years ago I planted Brussles Sprouts in January and they grew for 2 years - non stop. )

In march plant beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, cantaloupe, mustard, okra, Southern peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. I planted "personal melons" last year and they were so cute. Very small and sweet. Just the right size for two to share - about the size of a cantaloupe.

A few warnings: be sure not to over water. New little roots drown easy. Too much water and they can't get oxygen. Don't over mulch either - it changes the soil chemicals. Compost is good. Even better - mix a little sand into the soil for good drainage.

Container gardens are great if you don't have room for a big bed. These are especially good for herbs and for tomatoes that grow vertically. I haven't tried the planters that hand up-side down. They look interesting.

This year I'm planting these really hot peppers. They didn't produce until late in the fall - but then they gave some intense heat. Danny, who enjoys habenaros raw, ate two small bites and got sick. I'll be making jelly - it will be done in time for the Christmas party I'm sure.

We also got our trees in the ground - hope the rain didn't get to the roots. We will need lots of help when they finally produce fruit - probably in two years. Between the olives and the fruit we planted 124 trees. (I know - overkill - but I can't wait to harvest)

Anyone have garden advice? Stories? Pictures? Send them to me and I'll post them on the blog.