What do mail boxes, shoes and a mummy head have in common? Those are just a few of the strange things we picked up out of the creek bed of Onion Creek located in McKinney Falls State Park. My family and I were volunteers in the KAB program this last Saturday at [...]]]>

Volunteers and bluebonnets

What do mail boxes, shoes and a mummy head have in common? Those are just a few of the strange things we picked up out of the creek bed of Onion Creek located in McKinney Falls State Park. My family and I were volunteers in the KAB program this last Saturday at McKinney Falls. KAB (Keep Austin Beautiful) organizes volunteers to help clean Austin area parks. We cleaned along the creek at the lower falls at McKinney Falls State Park. McKinney Falls is located off of HWY 183 and McKinney Falls Pkwy in Southeast Austin. These previously mentioned items were only some the strange and not so strange things you will see along creeks. Especially after a heavy rainy season there is plenty of trash that gets caught up in the brush and on the banks. Tires, plastic bottles, cans, cigarette lighters, phone cable and any other household item you can possibly think of were picked up. And Styrofoam. Lots and lots of Styrofoam. In a hundred little pieces. We met with the group at 9:00 and worked along the creek until 11:00. The day was beautiful, there were bluebonnets blooming in the creek bed and we  found a couple of mice while picking up some debris. Then we were off to the festivities for the volunteers at Waterloo Park, where more volunteers had worked so diligently to put this all together. And a great job they did. There was food, drinks, snacks, live music, educational activities, and plenty of environmental information. And my grandsons favorite, the rock climbing wall.

Mummy head found in creek bed during KAB Cleanup

There had been a contest for the strangest item found during clean-up. We thought we should have won with the mummy head, but the sign from Aunt Tilly’s was the winner. (The sign had been washed away in a flood in 2007, and found today in Walnut Creek) It was a great day altogether. Great weather, great company and great food. This is what Austin is all about.

Great music for the afternoon

If you live in the Austin area, you will find that there is no shortage of parks. Even if it is just a little strip of land in between apartments complexes you will always find green space that is available for public use. There are popular areas like Zilker Park, [...]]]>

Clearing brush at Armadillo Park

If you live in the Austin area, you will find that there is no shortage of parks. Even if it is just a little strip of land in between apartments complexes you will always find green space that is available for public use. There are popular areas like Zilker Park, Pease Park and City Park and then there are the little neighborhood parks that sometimes get forgotten and overgrown. Armadillo Park located in South Austin, off Cooper and Wm. Cannon has been just such a park, until now. Thanks to the neighbors it seems area residents have gotten together with the city to review what needs to be done to make this stretch of property a scenic and inviting park for everyone to use. There are plans for a trail, benches and other site furnishings for neighbors to enjoy. The city is having non-native plants, dead trees and bushes removed to encourage the growth of indigenous plants and trees in the park area. There are concerns about a road closure, sidewalks and lighting but the city staff has plans to meet with citizens after a review of the park. There will be a notice sent out with the date and time for anyone who would like to hear about the Armadillo Park Project in person. South Austin has many great neighborhoods, where residents know each other and work together to maintain their quality of life and improve their communities.