THERE IS NO MEETING
SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER


Texas Constitutional Amendment and
Travis County Bond Election

Remember to vote on November 8, 2011

For a listing and explanation of the 10 Propositions from the Secretary of State go to:
votexas.org/exp-statements-2011.html

For the League of Women Voters guide go to: lwvaustin.org (also in the Statesman)

For Bond Election Documents: www.co.travis.tx.us/citizens_bond_committee/documents.asp


Kitchen & Bath Month


Sarcasm Awareness Month

 

Numerous people take advantage of our quiet, tree-lined streets to walk on a regular basis.
Often folks walk in the dark to avoid the heat of summer or because of shorter days in the fall, winter, and spring. While this is a great way to help stay in shape, it can be dangerous. If you walk in the dark be sure to wear reflective clothing and/or clip a flashing light to your clothes that can be seen in front and back.

Keep walking but stay safe.

2011 COVNA BOARD
Mark Tilley
Jennifer Rizkalla
Dan Anderson
Hal Ferguson
Doug Tabony
Doug DuBois
Dominic Chavez
President (280-2572)
Vice President (358-1610)
Secretary (282-1932)
Treasurer (282-0601)
Newsletter (280-4080)
ANC Delegate (292-9323)
Past President (695-5457)
 

To join the COVNA Email List, click below and
send an email with your name(s) to Doug at

tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com
Now 100+ households strong!

Find out the latest neighborhood news and developments.
Receive recommendations for service providers.

2011 MEETING SCHEDULE

February 21st
April 18th
Neighborhood Picnic - June 4th
September 19th
November 21st
December Party - TBA
 

Advertise in the COVNA Newsletter
Only $10.00/month. Reaches over 400 homes & Online at COVNA.org
Email Hal Ferguson at: hferguson3@yahoo.com

AVOID BECOMING ANOTHER
VICTIM OF CAR THEFT

I've had two different neighbors report that their cars were broken into Thursday night. Please remember to lock your car doors and remove anything of value from your cars. Most break-ins are crimes of opportunity.

Here are some tips to remember:
LOCK your vehicle and take the keys
PARK carefully in well lighted areas
USE anti-theft devices
CLEAN it out; do not leave anything in it
REMOVE the garage door opener
UTILIZE your garage to park in, if possible
MARK it; use an engraver to mark property
REPORT suspicious activity or persons to APD, for crimes in progress call 911

Items to avoid leaving in your vehicle and/or view:
Cellular phones and chargers
• GPS devices
• CDs
• Purses/briefcases
• Wallets
• Back packs
• Clothing
• Laptops/cameras
• Sports equipment/tools
• Removable stereos including the removable face plates

Mark Tilley

36th ANNUAL CRAFT SHOW
Manchaca United Methodist Church
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 - 9am - 4pm
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011 - 9am - 1pm

All Crafts Handmade - no outside vendors
Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Gifts
Thanksgiving Crafts
Drawing for Snowflake Afghan
Soup, Sandwiches & Baked Goods (Sat. Only)
Family Life Center
FM 1626 @ Manchaca Rd
No Admission Fee/Indoors

 

 


A FALL TREAT

Fall - the most wonderful time of year if you ask me. It has always been my favorite season as long as I can remember. I grew up here in Texas. It is not every year you get to see the leaves change so when it does happen I take it all in and enjoy it. I don’t know what it is about fall that just warms me all up inside - the start of the football season, the cool autumn air, or just all the yummy seasonal food that comes with fall days.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the things I look forward to. Every year we get a pumpkin or two and cut them open, clean them out, cook the flesh, and roast the seeds. I tell you if you have never had home roasted pumpkin seeds you are missing out.? Here is how we do it:

Clean out seeds of your pumpkin and rinse them well. Let them dry in a single layer. When dry I like to sauté them in butter, ok this step is not necessary but oh so yummy! Once you’ve sautéed and salted them a tad, lay them on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 375 for about 15-20 minutes. Then set them on the counter to cool and get crispy. They usually don’t last long on the counter.

So that’s it – butter, salt, and a little heat and you’ve got yourself a yummy and great seasonal snack. There are all kind of pumpkin seeds out there….Jack-o-lantern pumpkins seem to have the best seed selection but I have also had the princess and pie pumpkins that are yummy too. Don’t forget to cook up the rest of your pumkin for pie.

Jessica DeLeon

 

 


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HELP THE BUTTERFLIES

There are noticeably fewer mosquitoes this year because of the drought. While this may be convenient for us when outdoors, there are not only fewer mosquitoes but many less insects of all kinds this year. Insects are a very important part of the ecosystem. One thing missing this year is the number and variety of butterflies.

Monarchs are making their annual trek through our fair city and because of the drought are not finding the sustenance they need on their annual migration to northern Mexico. You can help Monarchs and other butterflies by taking past-it’s-time fruit, cutting it open and leaving it out on plates, in hanging baskets, or on flat surfaces in the garden so the butterflies will have a chance to get some sweet sustenance.

Flowers are certainly a key component of a butterfly garden, but if you want to lure in a wide range of butterflies, you'll need to add an unexpected feature to your garden: mud. Many butterflies, including Swallowtails, feed on nectar from flowers, but they also get essential minerals and salts from mud and animal manures. Butterflies often gather in mud puddles, a phenomenon called mud-puddling. It is easy to make one. Place a glazed ceramic pot saucer in the site you've selected for the bath. Fill the saucer to within a ½ inch of the rim with a 1:1 mix of garden soil and composted steer manure, which is available in bags at nurseries and garden centers. Thoroughly moisten the mud mixture and keep it consistently moist throughout the summer. Remove in the fall (if we have one) and put it back out in the spring.

There are a few nectar plants that attract so many butterflies in a garden that it would be a good idea to plant them in your yard. They are: annuals - Zinnia, Sunflowers (good bee attractor), Tithonia; perennials - Butterfly Bush, Lantana, Common Milkweed (which doubles as a host plant for Monarchs) and Butterfly Milkweed. This is only a partial list. Please help make Austin an oasis for butterflies and other insects.

A great resourse for butterfly attracting plants: www.austinbutterflies.org/gardening

Click on small images below for full-sized version.


Zinnia

Sunflower

Tithonia

Butterfly Bush

Lantana

Common Milkweed

Butterfly Milkweed


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EDITOR'S CORNER

Perhaps the drought is causing our backyard to seem like an oasis for birds. My son, Alan, has maintained several vegetable gardens and kept our birdbath full. He also let a forest of sunflowers grow in the bare dirt around our house addition. We keep several types of feeders. In addition to the numerous House Finches, goldfinches, hummingbirds, wrens, Cardinals, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, etc., we have seen birds rarely or never present in our yard before. For at least a week we had three or four Baltimore Orioles, a yearly visitor. New this year are a Nashville Warbler, a White-crowned Sparrow, a number of Lincoln’s Sparrows, and a very striking Summer Tanager.

Click on small images below for full-sized version.


Baltimore Oriole

Nashville Warbler

White-crowned Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Summer Tanager

 

 



Claustral Canyon, Australia

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