Tag Archives: Austin

Going batty

Posted on July 9, 2007 | Comments Off on Going batty

Austin’s famous colony of Mexican freetail bats–under the Congress Avenue bridge–is just the start of insect-reducing operations in Texas. A bigger and more useful bunch from 12 major caves scattered across the Winter Garden of South Texas fill the sky to such an extent each night that they appear as storm clouds on weather radar, according to a new study by the National Science Foundation.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Texana

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Austin advises Iraq

Posted on July 5, 2007 | Comments Off on Austin advises Iraq

“’They (the Iraqis) have their own system and we are working within that system with Austin leveraging their experience and processes. There are things inherent in government concepts that just work,’ he said, explaining that there are models in place within the realm of civics that are essential to the running of any government."

I’m not sure I’d call Austin’s a city government that works, much less a model, considering its perpetual problems: the police periodically shooting minorities to death, the uneven, pot-holed roads that never seem to be repaired, the two months it took us to get a replacement garbage can, despite repeated pleas, and the interminable council meetings due to all the protests of this or that. Doesn’t Iraq have enough problems already?

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Posted in Iraq, Texana, The War

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Floodin for real

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Floodin for real

I stare at the LCRA automated rain guages site entry for Marble Falls in disbelief. Seventeen point three nine inches of rain since midnight? The Llano River flowing at 52,871 cubic feet per second? The Pedernales River at 17,548? Lake Travis at 688.31, which means seven inches feet above full and the start of flooding out there on a grand scale. Two floodgates are open on Mansfield Dam with probably more to come, making shore life downstream on Lake Austin unpleasant as well. It’s hard even to get into the LCRA’s site, so many people must be trying. Indeed, there is widespread flooding in the Hill Country and especially along the Highland Lakes, according to the daily, with more rain to come. Austin spared, so far.

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Posted in Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Visiting swallowtail

Posted on June 25, 2007 | Comments Off on Visiting swallowtail

Swallowtail.JPG

Showers off and on this morning, as the storms roll north, and a swallowtail butterfly comes to call. 

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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly

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It’s a boat, 5

Posted on June 24, 2007 | Comments Off on It’s a boat, 5

Got the gas aboard this morning for tomorrow’s early trip to Yacht Harbor Marina, even if the forecast is for a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms. I think the forecast is overly broad, as the area most at risk is east of I-35, not Lake Travis in the hills west of Austin. So, it’s worth a gamble. If there’s lightning in the sky, I’ll call the marina and cancel. If not, I’ll motor the 2-3 miles to their dock and tie up. Then… multiple problems. Get the jib off the forestay, and the mainsail out of the mast, detach the topping lift, lazy jacks and boom vang. Then unhitch the boom. If it’s not pouring by then, the rerigging might get done. If it is, and the rigger wants to put it off, I can always take a cab back to my car and go home.

UPDATE  Well, I find that LCRA is forecasting only 40 percent for Monday, and they run the lakes.

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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Water world

Posted on May 25, 2007 | Comments Off on Water world

Parts of the Hill Country around Fredericksburg (now at 10 inches) and Johnson City are soaked, after waves of rain in the past 24 hours, especially where the Pedernales River is out of its banks. The death toll hasn’t risen much since this morning, so people must be heeding the weather service slogan regarding low-water crossings: "Turn around, don’t drown." Lake Travis has risen two feet since Monday, mainly since Thursday. But LCRA expects it to rise another 5 to 6 feet over the weekend, which would be at or just below its flood pool elevation. And that’s just from what’s already fallen, with more expected.

The lake might flood by Memorial Day, or LCRA open the flood gates and pass the water downstream through Austin. Travis probably will be closed to boating, due to the debris and the high bacteria count, as most of the water is coming from the Pedernales and there’s a lot of cows and sheep out there. The rancho has picked up only a bit more than 1.5 inches. But the radar is clear, for now, with most of the rain parked well to the north. KVET/KASE meteorologist Troy Kimmel says we could get up to 10 inches more by Monday, primarily south of Austin, as a series of lows combine with a stationary front to our north to fetch moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, and trigger more rain.

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Posted in Weather/Climate

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School’s almost out

Posted on May 22, 2007 | Comments Off on School’s almost out

Just two more days and Mr. Boy is off for ten days–until Camp Shalom begins on June 4, a day camp at the J featuring swimming, science, crafts, athletics, music and art. And mornings and early afternoons off for me just like in the school year. Yay. In the interim, we’ll play some catch, fly a kite if the wind’s right, and go sailing, assuming the sloop‘s outboard is fixed by then. Should be.

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Posted in Mr. Boy

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