Expecting an explosion of wildflowers in 2012! [Link]

Wildflower forecast is bright, colorful: kxan.com

Directly across from Clear Creek Cove, there’s a golf course that became part of Inks Lake State Park years ago. Due to the ongoing budget crunch, the State Park couldn’t afford to operate the golf course anymore, so they’re returning the land to the wild. This article says how that’s going. We’ve definitely seen an increase in bird traffic since the golfers are no longer there, and I suspect the turtles are pleased that they’ll no longer have to dodge golfballs. We’re looking forward to the evolution of that beautiful open space.

Roy B. Inks

Like Bob Scruggs, original owner of the home at Clear Creek Cove, Roy Banford Inks was a car dealer who got his start when automobiles first appeared. We ran across a short biography of Inks, who was also a former Director of the Lower Colorado River Authority who pushed to have a dam on the Colorado River completed… which was eventually named Buchanan Dam, after U.S. Rep. J.P. Buchanan, who helped secure federal funds to complete the project after the original builder declared bankruptcy. Inks’ bio notes how hard it was to get the dam completed after the original investor went bankrupt. It was after a trip to Washington to support Buchanan’s legislation to get the dam finished that Inks developed an eventually fatal case of pneumonia.

Bluebonnets at Clear Creek Cove

The 25th Annual Burnet Bluebonnet Festival is this weekend, and this year’s a particularly great year – with all the rain, we have a riot of wildflowers all over the hill country. Great time to visit Marble Falls, Burnet, and Llano. Check out the schedule of events (pdf). Also starting this weekend – the Texas Wind and Wildflower Trail. Follow this link to more photos of bluebonnets.

Upcoming events, from the Burnet County newsletter:

October

December

We’ve been getting great feedback at HomeAway — the positive comments validate our hard work to provide a great vacation experience at our lakeside home, which is a labor of love for us. We’d like to hear your positive comments as well as constructive feedback. If you found us through HomeAway, that’s a great place to leave your comments. If not, please use our contact form (and let us know if we can publish your remarks).

A great pile of pumpkins.

West of Clear Creek Cove past Buchanan Dam, where Highway 29 intersects Ranch Road 1431, there’s a vegetable stand we often visit. They sell fresh okra, squash, tomatoes, etc.  A week ago we visited and found a great pile of pumpkins.

Vegetable stand at 29 and 1431

Large pumpkin and flowers.

Images of a rare waterspout at Lake Buchanan near Inks Lake are posted here. These shots were made near a swimming area at Buchanan Dam by LCRA employee Harry Keil. They also appeared on the local Fox News.