PLAY POOL

Copied from the newsletter.  No mention of Oak cutting... basically, you have to paint your cuts or oak wilt will maybe getcha.

Pool Season Begins Friday, May 25th! The Grille will be open for beverage service only on the 25th, but will begin full service on Saturday, May 26th. Hours for the season will be:

Pool: Tuesday thru Sunday 10 am - 9 pm

(Pool is Closed Mondays)

Grille: Wednesday thru Saturday 11 am - 8 pm

Sundays 1 pm - 8 pm

Closed Monday & Tuesday

As in previous years, several residents have reserved the pool area for pre-season private parties. Those dates are:

Thursday, 5/17, Noon to 9 pm: Seifert for LT Tennis Banquet

Friday, 5/18, 3 to 7 pm: Granger for Regent's 7th Grade

Saturday, 5/19, 3 - 9 pm: Schmitz for Wedding Reception

Sunday, 5/20, Noon to 9 pm: Fulks, Birthday Party

Wednesday, 5/23, 5 - 9 pm: Phillips/Snell, Golf Outing

After Memorial Day, the pool may only be reserved for private parties on Mondays when we are closed. Groups of more than 20 guests are allowed only on weekdays with reservations, and weekend guests are limited to 10 per household.

Please remember that our liquor license prohibits any alcohol not purchased on the premises.

THE SLOW ROAD

...aka Highway 71.  Apparently the contractors blame the time it is taking on the weather! - ???  And they plan on a finish by the end of summer.

Speaking of roads, it is again time when our snake friends are appearing as smashed or squirming.  Warn the kids - they are not all safe!

And almost on the subject, wouldn't you think we could get the electronics working after all this time at the east gate?

HIGHWAY 71 TRAFFIC

If you read this prior to Wednesday the 11th, you should know that there's a memorial procession for the slain police officer estimated to be 10 miles long, which will proceed to 71 and 620 tomorrow.  I estimate its arrival at about 3PM but don't take my word for it.  Just know that heading west from the east entrance is likely to be much delayed at that time, or thereabouts.  If it's really that lopng then you won't be able to turn onto SW Parkway either, due to the long line.

AT NIGHT

We found some skeletons in the back yard of a home bordering the preserve. Yes, they were animals. No, we couldn't be sure exactly what, as the vultures had picked the bones clean. One skull appeared to be feral pig, another, deer.

If you have a trail cam, why not put it up and then send the best shots to the blog here for posting!  It'd be real interesting to see what goes on in the middle of the night.  What roams the dark.

SOCIAL

A social committee has been formed and events are planned - the meet 'n' greet for new neighbors at the Lodge this past week was well attended.

Next up is an Easter egg hunt for the kids. With all the jack rabbits and cotton tails it'd be easy to claim one is The Peter Cottontail.

WHEN WILL 71 BE FINISHED?

TX DOT projects mid-summer for "our" part. I believe there are to be lights yet uninstalled, to answer a poster below.

But then farther east there's a lot of obvious work and that will take much longer. So traffic will be down to one lane each direction farther up that hill toward SW Parkway as they do more.

FINALLY! A LIGHT DAWNS.

We'll call it the Ray Ware memorial light. Ray was an early salesman for Spanish Oaks. His estimate of the time-to-east-end-traffic light was off by about 5 years, but, in a blink, we'll have it now.

THEY ARE PAVING 71

I tried to grab a picture on the run but was unable to get anything but this. Safety first! This is certainly no secret to those who live here, but I post for those who may own but be away. Not that anyone reads this, but I pretend.

There's still work to be done, and rain on the way, so the project may be delayed a few days. Soon, though, and very soon, we'll have a light at the east entrance, a great new wider 71 with a turn lane from the east, and sugar plum fairies dancing on or in our heads.

CATHOLICS NOTE

St. Gabriel's Catholic School invites you to a Fall Open House on Tuesday, November 15th from 8:30am-10:30am. This is an informal event, so please stop by any time between 8:30am-10:30am. Attending an Open House will give you the opportunity to tour the campus, observe classes in session, and meet current parents, faculty, and administrators. Children are welcome, and RSVPs are appreciated but not required.

If you are interested in more information or scheduling an individual tour, please contact us: 512-327-7755 or admissions@sgs-austin.org. Visit us online at: www.sgs-austin.org.

DOTS

Maybe you've seen the dots on SO Club Blvd and wondered what it's about - if so, here's Pam Chandler on that:

"The gas company is required by the Railroad Commission to periodically do a "leak survey" of their entire network of lines. They will be doing this for the next two weeks, which involves marking all their lines and then doing small probes (a puncture about the size of a quarter) along the lines to ensure there are no leaks."

WHACK-A-RAIL

Would love to know how this one happened. It's recent - and a pretty hard hit. East entrance.

GAS LINE HIT

Apparently while digging to unearth the broken irrigation pipe, workers hit a gas line as the east entrance was closed and the smell very obvious. Firecrew and Amerigas on site.

STOP THE LEAK

After weeks of trickle, workers have begun to dig for the irrigation feed pipe which apparently is to blame for the leak we have seen at the east guard gate. They didn't want to cut off irrigation water while we were baking under triple digit temperatures.

NICELY SHAPING UP

No news to report as communication is still weak from the top down, but must say the development is looking much better and the entrances have been enhanced. Now we look forward to Texas 71 being complete and our own east entrance traffic light! Ooooo!

REALTORS and SO

There's much more accessibility now than under Discovery - and a SIGN back up in the east entrance. Apparently once upon a time a realtor couldn't show a home without someone from Discovery present. Now the 'rules' have lightened up/are much more reasonable - just yesterday there was a luncheon for realtors in one of the big unsold specs.

HIGHWAY 71

Still a way to go. There will come a day when it's all over and we will feel like pioneers who braved the traffic back when there was no light. I think the original plan was to finish in... August? Certainly there haven;t been rain delays! Maybe the heat slows everything down for some reason.

EAST ENTRY

There's still work going on - a nice low wall has been built to better define the left turn lane.

It also seems like the grounds guys are everywhere.

Sure is hot and dry, though. Probably imagination, but it sure seems that many small thundershowers veer away from Bee Cave for some reason!

THE FUTURE OF SPANISH OAKS

This article outlines Daniel Porter's plans for SO in detail. Note retail will be at either entrance... on the east side before the creek. On the west as well.

Also some lower price points coming. A good article. The map expands, and you can see...

4TH OF JULY POOL PARTY

Triple digits? Ha!

4th OF JULY OLD FASHIONED PICNIC

11A - 5P at the lodge/pool. $15 for adults, $12 for kiddos. Burgers and dogs, desserts, etc. Kid games. RSVP to Pam Chandler by the 30th or sign up at pool.

KEYPAD

Keypad access codes are about to go away with the keypad itself July 31st. This is to improve security. Have visitors use the attended gate. Use the gate pass to get in yourself. Contact Pam Chandler for more.

RAY WARE R I P

The cheerful 'face' of Spanish Oaks Sales circa 2004, has passed away. Ray was a good salesman, full of enthusiasm and likability.

Raymond M. Ware, 59, passed away on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at the home of his sister in Pittsburg, TX after a 3 1/2 year battle with brain cancer. Ray was born in Ypsilanti, MI on June 18, 1951 to Delores and Raymond Ware. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 1974 and began a long career in men's retail with J. Riggings menswear in St. Louis, MO. In 1990, Ray moved his family to Hilton Head Island to realize a lifelong dream of owning his own retail business. He owned and operated a small chain of shoe stores, known locally as Shoes, Etc., for 10 years. In 2001, he embarked on a new career in real estate development which took him to Austin, TX, Las Vegas, NV and Steamboat Springs, CO. He returned to Hilton Head Island in 2007 to be closer to his family after being diagnosed with cancer. Ray is survived by his two children, Tanner M. Ware of Hilton Head Island and Caitlin J. Ware of Des Moines, IA; his sister and brother-in-law, Pamela and Jerry Goforth of Pittsburg, TX; his nephew, Todd Goforth and family of Plano, TX; his former wife, Kathleen Ware of Hilton Head Island and his beloved Golden Retriever, Lucy. Memorial services will be held at the end of the month in Plano, TX. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Ray's name to Texas Home Health Hospice, 500 E. Loop 281, Longview, TX 75605 or the RET Pediatric Cancer Foundation, 14 Wells East, Hilton Head Island, SC, 29926.

TRAFFIC LIGHT EAST ENTRANCE

Yes! Finally! Bookending this picture you can see poles upon which we believe we will eventually see our own dedicated traffic light. To the right of the exit (not pictured) you will see a pad which I believe will be for the control box. Of course there's a lot of bulldozing to be done before the north lanes are completed.

Speaking of exits, there's a protocol at the east exit which only some "get" and that's the first car there, waiting for a pause in the traffic to exit, should not be blocked by the second car, even if it's turning the opposite direction. Too often, an SUV will pull up alongside cutting off your view of traffic. Please?

SIGN

I never understood why Discovery took down the sign at the east entrance. Being 'unlisted' is perhaps more exclusive, but how are you going to get people to know where it IS? Also, the SPANISH OAKS CLUB BOULEVARD street sign gave it/us away. For my money, Discovery should spell their name Duh-scovery.

But these are brighter days, indeed, as we are once again in the Daniel Porter years.