Medina River

Photograph by Eileen Trainor, all rights reserved

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Castroville Annual Veteran’s 100

Castroville Regional Park
831 Alsace Street
Castroville, TX

Register online by clicking here.

A staggered start begins the 100 mile ride at 8 am, followed by the 67, 40, and 25 mile rides. On-site registration starts at 630 am on Saturday, May 3. The 2007 Castroville Annual Veterans Ride (CAV) offers a scenic tour of the historic Medina County rural countryside. The tour begins and ends at the Castroville Regional Park. Indoor restroom/shower facilities are available free of charge. Enjoy the remainder of your day along the clear Medina River, by touring antique stores, visiting novelty shops, or eating food from the Alsace region of France.

Routes – Click on the link to download a copy of the map.

25 – Map

40 – Map

62 – Map

75 – Map

Adults $25, children (under 15-years-old) $10

Race Contact Information

David L Rairdan
210-535-7039
rodanmoon@msn.com

Castroville Regional Park

816 Alsace St
Castroville Texas 78009
830-931-0033

Race begins and ends in this park.

RVers can just pull in and hook up.

• Daily Rate is $25
• Weekly is $150
• Monthly is $250
• Dump Fee $10

Amenities

• Host on Site
• 40 pull through sites
• 30/50 amp Full Service Hookups
• Dump Station
• Picnic Tables
• Bathhouse
• Security Fencing
• Adjacent Playground
• Rec. Hall with Kitchen
• On Site Laundry
• DSL/Wireless Internet Available

For Site Availability,
contact Ken Williams
at 830-931-0033

April 11-13, 2008

25th Annual Bluebonnet Festival

Burnet, Texas

Plan to arrive at the historic square in Burnet in the afternoon and take the kids to the carnival or visit the arts and crafts vendors on the historic square. At 530 pm, there will be a Confederate Air Force fly over, followed by a pet parade and a street dance with live music.

Saturday, you may enjoy a cowboy breakfast, golf tournament or car show. Participate in the 5K Bluebonnet Fun Run or the Kiwanis Bluebonnet Bicycle Tour while the kids enjoy their own fun run or bicycle decorating contest. View the Festival Grand Parade, grab a bus to the Highland Lakes CAF Air Show or watch one of the Burnet Gunfighter’s Shootouts in Old West Town. The night belongs to live music, street dance and a destruction derby.

Sunday begins at 730 am with the Bluebonnet Golf Tournament or at 10 am with the Car Show. Do not miss the Weiner Dog Race or the Highland Lakes Birding and Wildflower Show.

Believe it or not, I have not listed all the activities for this festival. Download a PDF of the schedule by right-clicking here or visit the Burnet Chamber website for race and parade forms.

2008 Bluebonnet Festival

Chappell Hill, Texas

Chappell Hill is located in beautiful Washington County, which is an epicenter for wildflower activities. Held in the National Historic District, this festival features 250+ juried exhibitors in the areas of home décor, gardening, artists, craftsmen, jewelry and clothing. Enjoy food and beverages, live entertainment and music and tours of the historic community. There is a special children’s activity corner for pony rides, petting zoo, face painting and barrel train. Admission is free, parking $5. Visit Chappell Hill Museum website for more details.

 Wildflower Driving Trails

Washington County (Central) Texas – Wildflower Watch – Bluebonnet Trails Map (PDF)

Rusk County (East) Texas – Driving Tours from Henderson – Wildflower Driving Trails (PDF)

Ennis (North) Texas- Local Sightings – Bluebonnet Trail Map (PDF)

Below are pictures of some of the plants contained in the structures on the Conservatory Complex post from March 3. These are cycads, some of the most primitive plants on Earth today.

The Jurassic is often referred to as the Age of Cycads. Cycads are an ancient group of seed plants with a crown of large compound leaves and a stout trunk. They are similar in appearance to palms.

Cycads reproduce via cones (like pine cones). Woody growths on the cones, called sporophylls, produce pollen (male) or large ovules (females). The seeds of cycads are large and have an colorful outer layer (sarcotesta), pictured above (see inset).

In the center of the plant above is another example of a cycad cone.

More pictures coming!

Living cycads are found in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of both the north and south hemispheres. While substantial numbers exist on the continents of Africa, Australia and South America they are also prominent in Central America (which has the greatest diversity) and the Caribbean Islands. Cycas is the most widespread genus, with representatives occurring as far north as Japan and others being scattered throughout various Pacific islands, China and India to Madagascar and the east coast of Africa.

http://www.nd.edu/~fboze/cycads.shtml