Lower Colorado River Authority graph shows how far and how fast Lake Travis has risen since last Tuesday, thanks to the weekend storms in the watershed. The lake is now forecast to hit 684 feet above mean sea level by Thursday, without any more rain. That would be a rise of 11 feet. I didn’t bother to visit the marina this morning, figuring the parking lot would be under water. Certainly is now. Ah, well, I have other chores including a backyard to mow when the wet grass dries out by tomorrow.
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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate
Tagged Anderson Mill Marina, Lake Travis, Lower Colorado River Authority, Memorial Day Weekend 2007
The neighbor across the back fence at the rancho has a towering magnolia whose big white blossoms we get to share even as the big pointed, oval leaves litter our yard from time to time.
"Magnolias are among the most ancient groups of flowering plants and have long been cultivated by mankind. Some specimens growing in the precincts of Chinese temples are estimated to be up to 800 years old."
I planted one once in South Austin. It was ten feet high and sprightly the last time I looked. I’m surprised to hear wild magnolias are facing extinctions in the forests of the world, including north America.
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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Science/Engineering, Scribbles
Tagged extinction, forests, magnolias, north America, wild magnolias
The family sloop, a 1985 Catalina 22, looks better in this photo than it did up close, at the time, as it was covered with grey mold spots after a year without use on Lake Travis. During the drought the docks were moved to where they were inaccessible most of the time. Now it’s back and almost four weeks since the photo was taken, the exterior is three-quarters clean. Elbow grease and Sof Scrub is all it takes. Still have to finish the cockpit and clean out the cabin, but it’s coming along. The admiral wants to sell it and I had planned to, while it was inaccessible, but of course nobody wanted to buy it then. But after 22 years of sailing it, it’s hard to part. Has to be cleaned and the outboard overhauled to sell it, anyway. If I can lure Mr. B. onto it a couple of times once school is out on May 24, I may have the winningest reason to keep it. Racing is something I’ve never cared to do, but he might find it exciting.
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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate
Tagged Catalina 22, Lake Travis
The rancho’s one and only hybrid rose is the deep red, cabbage-like Mr. Lincoln. This is the way it looked before the cloud cover moved in a week ago. Saw the sun for a few minutes this afternoon, but more clouds moved in. Supposed to be cloudy all week. Yech.
One of the prettier wildflowers of Texas, becoming rather commonly planted in flowerbeds these days. Birds, or maybe cowboys (some say it’s called the Cowboy Rose), have scattered its seeds, so that it can be found throughout North Dakota and Utah down to Texas.
The overnight storms did little damage in the Austin area. A few lightning strikes. No tornadoes. No significant problems, according to the daily. But Eagle Pass, along the Texas-Mexico border, got hit hard by a tornado. Got about half an inch of rain at the rancho. When the grass dries, I’ll mow.
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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate
LCRA meteorologist Bob Rose says they could be a comin’ before sundown and into the dark:
"Large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will all be possible late today. In addition to the severe storms, moderate to heavy rain is forecast which will increase the potential for flash flooding."
The rancho’s hatches are all battened.
UPDATE Bob updates his forecast, noting a tornado watch until 11 p.m. and a flash flood watch overnight for these slow-moving storms coming northeast out of Mexico. Average rainfall anticipated 2 to 3 inches with isolated totals near 4 inches. The lakes they will rise again. Radar’s not very impressive at 7:44 p.m. Hope it stays that way.
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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate
Tagged flash flooding, hail, LCRA meteorologist Bob Rose, tornadoes
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 