Home Page for Friends of the Parks

January 2021

Workday has been CANCELLED

Upcoming Events

Jan. Board meeting Monday, Jan. 4th has been CANCELLED.
Jan workday Sat. Jan. 9th has been CANCELLED
The annual membership meeting in late January has been cancelled.
We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer
Lakeway Friends of the Parks
For those who shop on Amazon, FOP is now a listed charitable organization and can receive 0.5% of your Amazon purchase.
Navigate to smile.amazon.com, login, select "Change Your Charity" and search for "Friends of the Park" located in Lakeway, TX and click on the Select button.
Family membership dues for 2021, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Sondra Morton.
FOP encourages you to purchase an annual family membership for the Lakeway Activity Center, it helps FOP retain access to the meeting rooms at LAC plus providing you with discounts at LAC events.

Purple martin colony at City Park 2020. Photo by Pat McDermott.

December 2020

Workday has been CANCELLED

Upcoming Events

Jan. Board meeting Monday, Jan. 4th.
Jan workday Sat. Jan. 9th, TBD.
The annual membership meeting in late January has been cancelled.
We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer
Lakeway Friends of the Parks
For those who shop on Amazon, FOP is now a listed charitable organization and can receive 0.5% of your Amazon purchase.
Navigate to smile.amazon.com, login, select "Change Your Charity" and search for "Friends of the Park" located in Lakeway, TX and click on the Select button.
Family membership dues for 2021, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Sondra Morton.
FOP encourages you to purchase an annual family membership for the Lakeway Activity Center, it helps FOP retain access to the meeting rooms at LAC plus providing you with discounts at LAC events.
View photos taken in December here.

cardinal feeding at bird blind (click to enlarge)

Female cardinal feeding at bird blind. Photo by Jim Dunn.

Dear Friends of the Parks of Lakeway (FOP) Volunteers

On behalf of the FOP Board of Directors, we would like to wish all of you the happiest and healthiest of Holidays. We hope this finds you and your families in good health. This has been an unusual year for all of us and unfortunately, we have not been able to get together on a regular basis. That said, the parks and trails in Lakeway have seen very high usage by fellow citizens of Lakeway as well as from the surrounding neighbors and cites of Texas that are hundreds of miles from Lakeway. I met a group of visitors in the Bird Blind who were from Fort Worth and they were thoroughly impressed with our trails and the Parks amenities. We have also been approached by other villages and cites in Texas as to why we have been so successful in our community activity. This is a tribute to all FOP volunteers and what you have accomplished over the years here in Lakeway as members of the FOP.

Because of the COVID pandemic, we must cancel our annual volunteer meeting in January 2021. And the Wilderness Walk Run that was postponed in April 2020 is still in doubt for 2021. We will resume these functions as soon as it is safe for us all to congregate again. With the new vaccines being close at hand, we are hoping to become more active in Spring 2021. We will keep you posted.

Better days are ahead of us and we want to thank each and every one of you who had worked with us over the years. Our efforts are greatly appreciated by the Parks and Recreation Department of Lakeway and by the people of Lakeway. You should be proud to call yourself a FOP Volunteer.

Until that time Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,
Carl Christensen, PhD
FOP Chairperson

Carl,

A heartfelt 'Thank You' to you and each of the members of FOP for your tireless support of parks and recreation in Lakeway. We are grateful for your time and heart of service.

I know this past year has been challenging at times and in varied ways, but one of the positive things we have taken from this experience is that more people than ever before are out and enjoying our parks and trails. If there is one thing that the entire nation rediscovered this year, it is parks. For the first time, people openly acknowledged that what we do is essential to their health and wellness (physical, mental, spiritual, and social). This has been exciting, as more people discover all that Lakeway has to offer! I believe 2021 holds some great things for us.

In the meantime, I hope that you and yours have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We look forward to working with you in the New Year!

With kindest regards,
Andra Bennett
Director of Parks & Recreation
City of Lakeway

12/8/2020

I have run into people from all over in the past year while in our greenbelts. I remember Bill talking with folks from Sweden. Yesterday, in Canyonlands, I ran into three young guys speaking German.

Dar Moneyhon
FOP Vice-Chair

Images courtesy of Free Christmas Animations

Christmas decorations along HGB I trail, photo by Carl Christensen

Bill Freas spreading mulch inside the bird blind, photo by Carl Christensen

November 2020 The trees are starting to change colors and the temperatures are moderate so get out and enjoy the parks and greenbelts in Lakeway!
Upcoming Events Dec Board meeting Monday, Dec. 7th. Dec workday Sat. Dec. 12 We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer Lakeway Friends of the Parks For those who shop on Amazon, FOP is now a listed charitable organization and can receive 0.5% of your Amazon purchase. Navigate to smile.amazon.com, login, select "Change Your Charity" and search for "Friends of the Park" located in Lakeway, TX and click on the Select button. Family membership dues for 2021, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Sondra Morton. FOP encourages you to purchase an annual family membership for the Lakeway Activity Center, it helps FOP retain access to the meeting rooms at LAC plus providing you with discounts at LAC events. View photos taken in November here.
Our November workday Sat. 11/14 has been CANCELLED by our FOP Chair Carl Christensen for health safety concerns. Please arrive at City Park upper parking lot by 8AM to sign-in. Be sure to wear appropriate personal protection equipment (face mask, safety glasses, gloves) and maintain social distancing. We will be breaking into work groups (of less than 10) and spreading out from there to work on the following projects. Some of the projects will require chain saw work so bring ear protection as well. Bring your own water bottles and leather work gloves are recommended for some projects. We plan on serving a lunch at 11:30-11:45. City Park project list. 1. Tree and shrub removal in several areas of City Park. All cut material will be loaded and hauled off to the Public Works Dumpster 2. Barnes Garden trimming rosemary and mulch spreading. 3. Extend the split rail fencing along concrete path below the Barnes Garden. 4. Fill in ditch along concrete pathway from the upper bathroom down to the Butterfly Garden with roadbase. 5. Clear out grass and weeds around the City Park shed. 6. Mow and trim tall grass sections at the south side of City Park. 7. Check sprinkler heads at the south side of City Park. Hamilton Greenbelt project list. 1. Tree and shrub removal from the walk way over Hurst Creek at the Sailmaster waterfall. All cut material will be loaded and hauled off to the Public Works Dumpster	Mike Light and Bernie Reding, using string trimmers, trimmed the tall grass in the Wildflower Meadow while being careful not to damage bluebonnets growing close to the ground. It appears we will have a decent showing of bluebonnets this coming Spring. Photo by Bernie Reding Dar Moneyhon and Carl Christensen installed a new sundial in the Butterfly Garden during the Thanksgiving week. Photo by Dar Moneyhon
We have had to cancel for 2020 our Wilderness Run event normally held in April. The FOP Board in March had postponed the event to the fall time frame but the COVID-19 situation forced us to cancel for 2020. However; a number of our loyal sponsors decided to contribute to FOP despite the cancellation, please thank them for supporting our organization. They are Fresh Dermatology PA Eaddy Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, PLLC Fifield Dental Center Lakeway Dental Lakecountry Insurance Agency LLC Independent Bank

October 2020

Our first fall workday occured Sat. Oct. 10th. We had excellent weather for the nineteen volunteers. We trimmed brush, dead trees, planted wildflower seeds, added on to a fence, did erosion control and enjoyed a few painted rocks.

Elmer Tyler	Shirley Tyler	Bernie Reding	Bill Freas
Larry Yancey	John Wilkins	Dennis Gans	Carl Christensen
Doris McDermott	Kathie King	Joyce Levine	Jen Brinsmade
Sondra Morton	Lori Schinsing	Sean Lucas	Tessa Brinsmade
Dan Moyer	Kim Moyer	Jim Dunn

City Park
Dennis Gans, John Wilkins and Bernie Reding removed and hauled off two pickup loads of dead trees from the south end of City Park. The dead trees were located near the upper trail south of the lower parking lot.
submitted by Bernie Reding.

I worked with Larry Yancey and Elmer Tyler. Elmer took down some dead trees around the Butterfly garden and along the trail near the basketball court at City Park. Larry and I removed the branches and trunks of those trees placing them in the dump truck. When the truck was loaded we went to Public Works to dump the load. When lowering the tailgate one side of the tailgate fell to the ground. We noticed it was held on by wire and the wire gave way. We were able to remove the tailgate so that we could drive the truck. We then unloaded the truck and drove back to City Park where we picked up additional trees that had been cut.
submitted by Pat McDermott.

We worked in the Barnes Garden trimming bushes/trees, laying cedar logs, cleaning up by moving rocks and logs along retaining walls. We worked for about 3.5 hours. The “we” were Doris McDermott, Kathie King, Joyce Levine (one of our newest members), Shirley Tyler, Jen and Tessa (her daughter) Brinsmade which were new but are planning to join and Sondra Morton.
submitted by Sondra Morton.

Kim and Dan Moyer worked with Jim Dunn on extending the Barnes Garden split rail fence by three more sections. Three post holes were excavated, concrete was mixed in a wheelbarrow, posts were leveled after inserting the cedar rails. The group also hauled several wheelbarrow loads of roadbase at and near the trail's entrance to the Barnes Garden.

Kathie King planted some bluebonnet seeds in and around the blooming flowers of the Butterfly Garden.

Elmer Tyler cut down a dead cedar tree by the Butterfly Garden. He also modified a couple of cedar rails for the fence with his chainsaw at the Barnes Garden and cut off several more deadfall branches.

Several volunteers placed cedar log rails in the downhill trail from the Barnes Garden. Once heavy mulch is placed on this severely erode trail the rails will help keep the mulch in place.
submitted by Jim Dunn.

Carl Christensen used the Kubota to deliver supplies like sacks of concrete and haul small loads of brush to the dump truck. He also helped get Joyce get from the Barnes Garden and back to her car.

The following week-end Doris and Pat McDermott, Sondra Morton and Carl Christensen continued to work by hauling in many Kubota loads of mulch and raking the mulch into the lower Barnes Garden trail.
submitted by Carl Christensen.

View more photos from the workday event here.

Hamilton Greenbelt
Bill Freas, Lori Schinsing and Sean Lucas worked on the HGB crushed granite main trail redirecting erosion ditches, cleaning out culverts and filling three hazardous erosion scars, on center of trail, with mixture of crushed granite, cement and H2O.

We also trimmed some branches that were interfering with trail travel. Bill went back Monday to trim some over hanging branches on primitive trail near MUD trail and weed whacked tall wild grass that covered the trail crossing the scar near picnic table.
submitted by Bill Freas.

No lunch was served this workday.

Dan and Kim Moyer helped build the split rail fence by the Barnes Garden. Photo by Jim Dunn

Beatiful yellow blossums in the Butterfly Garden. (click to enlarge)

Beautiful yellow blossums in the Butterfly Garden. Photo by Jim Dunn

Doris, Kathie, Kathleen and Sondra at the Barnes Garden. (click to enlarge)

Doris, Kathie, Kathleen and Sondra at the Barnes Garden. Photo by Carl Christensen

Smile rock located in City Park. Photo by Jim Dunn

September 2020
Message from Carl Dear Friends of the Parks members and volunteers We are hoping to pickup volunteer activities sometime this fall, but on a limited basis until the pandemic subsides. See what a beautiful job some of our FOP members have done at the entrance to Hamiton Greenbelt during the late spring and summer months. I did speak to Sheryl Morgan at Lakeway Parks and Rec. and FoP can work in groups of 10 or less and practice social distancing. Sheryl said City Park has had a lot of hard use, but didn’t go into detail as to what that meant. She said many parks and trails in Austin are closed and so Lakeway has been the place to come to. As you are aware, we have postponed all FOP activities until the fall when we can re-evaluate the pandemic status. In the fall, we have several projects to complete in City Park and on the various trails. No update on hosting the Wilderness Run in late October. We will be back in Lakeway mid-September and will be able to spell y’all. The Board members will schedule a meeting in early October to discuss possible FOP activities for the rest of the year. Thanks again! Carl Chair of FOP	FOP volunteers working the HGB I entrance garden wearing masks. Photo by Carl Christensen View more Photos. Fishing in Colorado. Photo by Carl Christensen
April 2020 One or more people had fun painting messages on small rocks and placing them along the HGB I trail. I had fun finding and taking photographs. Did you see any of these rocks? I believe someone responsed with messages painted in red letters but I did not get any photos. The Fire Department cut and mulched trees along the Duck Lake trail in April. Heavy rains in April had water flowing in the Duck Lake creek (wet weather only stream).	Are you looking for me? Photo by Jim Dunn View more rock Photos. Duck Lake Creek mineral terraces after heavy April rains. Photo by Jim Dunn View more creek/mulch Photos.
May 2020 I so enjoy the parks and could spend hours at the bird blind. Took this (picture of a painted bunting) today and wanted to again express my admiration for the work your group performs. Charles Bennett Thank you Charles for your kind words. I will pass them on to all others involved in keeping up the bird blind. That is one of the best pictures I have ever seen of a painted bunting. We recently changed the seed mix in the round feeder on the left side of the feeding area. Bernie Reding I saw these two by the bird blind yesterday. I think the snake was laying in the middle of the trail sleeping. I thought he was dead at first, but he awakened when I got a stick to move him. The deer was up the trail and I was surprised at his dark fur. Carl The Thunderbirds had a fly-over the hospital at Lakeway on May 17th.	Painted bunting at the FOP bird blind. Photo by Charles Bennett View more photos. Snake on the HGB trail. Photo by Carl Christensen. View more photos. Thunderbirds flying over Lakeway. Photo by Jim Dunn View more Thunderbird photos.
June 2020 Here are some photos of our Purple Martins. We have 143 new chicks and 36 eggs. Here are a few photos of the Purple Martin colony at City Park. The FOP installed these houses in January 2019 and we had 88 chicks hatch last year. Several of our FOP members check on the birds each week. Yesterday, we took inventory of the colony and counted 143 chicks and 36 eggs yet to be hatched. It is a wonderful sight to see the success we have had with this colony. Funds for the procurement and installation of this cloony was provided by the Lakeway Civic Corporation and by the Lakeway Wildbird Center. I hope you all have the opportunity to see the Purple Martins before they migrate south back to Brazil. They will begin their migration sometime in mid July. Carl Christensen The wild flowers in the Hamilton Greenbelt continued to bloom into early June. Some of these flowers are the results of FOP sowing wildflower seeds at various meadows in the greenbelt and along the trails. A small group of FOP volunteers continued to tend and cultivate the gardens at the entrance to the Hamilton Greenbelt. They were supported by the people working for the Lakeway Park and Recreation department.	Purple Martin chicks. Photo by Carl Christensen. View more Purple Martin photos. Lemon Mint flowers along the HGB trail. Photo by Bob Schooler. View more flower photos. A family enjoying the HGB entrance. Photo by Carl Christensen. View more HGB photos.
July 2020 A dragonfly graced the water feature at the entrance of Hamilton Greenbelt. A cross vine flower wrapped around the fence rail at the garden at entrance.	Red dragonfly resting near the pond. Photo by Sondra Morton. View more photos. Cross vine flower in the entrance garden. Photo by Sondra Morton.
August 2020 The beauty of the entrance to the Hamilton Greenbelt. Our group of FOP volunteers really are keeping the garden in tip-top shape in spite of the summer heat. Pat and his dog enjoying the bench in the garden at the Hamilton Greenbelt entrance.	Beautiful greenery. Photo by Doris McDermott. View more garden photos. Pat and his dog enjoying the garden bench. Photo by Doris McDermott.

Message from Carl

Dear Friends of the Parks members and volunteers

I would like to wish all of you a healthy and happy Easter and Passover. Thank you for all you do with Friends of the Parks (FOP). I hope this finds all of you healthy and coping with the situation we are all living with for this time. It is a very unusual time with the COVID-19 Pandemic. It appears we will be living this way for many days to come, but it affects all of us, and the entire World. This is a good time for us to reflect how fortunate we are to live in Lakeway and all of its amenities (Hamilton Green Belt, Smith Green Belt, City Park, etc.) I can list many more, but I’m sure you get my gist, Thanks to all of you, these places exist and are maintained to a large extent by the FOP.

On the bright side, this is a good time to spend more time with your family and loved ones which we often do not do because of our busy lives and other activities. Now is a good time to take up a new hobby you always wanted to do, read a book you have on the shelf, finish a project you started many months ago, but never finished or even clean out a closet. As you are aware, we have postponed all FOP activities until the fall when we can resume them after the pandemic has subsided. In the fall, we have several projects to complete in City Park and on the various trails. It is our hope to have the Wilderness Run in late October. Much planning has gone into this event and we have had many sponsors sign up to support the event. As you know, the Wilderness Run is our only fund-raising event of the year and we depend on it to provide funds for our continuing maintenance of Lakeway parks and trails.

Finally, I wish you a safe, healthy Easter and Passover. We will see you in the fall after this situation has passed. We will come through this and will learn much from it. It may lead to new medical discoveries as to how to deal with something like this in the future. It always amazes me how talented and creative we can be in times of duress and stress, and I’m sure this pandemic will result in new ideas and inventions to prevent this occurrence from ever happening again.

Finally, stay safe and shelter in place. As the CDC has recommended, wash your hands often with soap and warm water, do not touch your face. I would recommend you only congregate with your immediate family members and keep a safe distance from other people as much as possible.

Sincerely,
Carl Christensen, PhD
Chair of FOP

Messages from other Board members

Dar Moneyhon

On Mar 30, 2020, at 12:36 PM,

With my gym closed have been spending more time outdoors, suspect you are doing the same, ran into Dan and Kim at City Park Saturday. If not, like many other places in the country, people are flooding to our parks and greenbelts. Hamilton and Palos Verdes entrances both packed with cars, many people parking at the Justice Center. Cars lined up on Trophy Drive some parking at Swim Center and yesterday, 5 cars at Bisset Court, a first for me. Families walking, having picnics at City Park, biking, kayaking, some hanging hammocks, sitting on benches reading, all I saw were maintaining social distancing and parking was very crowded. Yesterday, went under Highlands Blvd and into the trail system across the way. Have never seen anyone there, yesterday, multiple couples and families. One woman, with kids, from Rough Hollow, asked me if the trail went to the Lake and how far? Appeared to be first timer. It looks as if the developer has rerouted and made trail improvements. Did not go to far, will explore more. Have been on some trails I haven’t walked in a long time. Playgrounds, b-ball courts, dog park and skate park all with closed notices.

Our greenspace is a real treasure in these difficult times.

Dar

Bill Freas

AMEN! Walking in HGB Sat Clare and I met family's from New York and Sweden. Both had moved to LT area 10 months ago and this was first time in Lakeway GBs.

Bill

Larry Yancey

You are exactly right. I walked the Highland trail yesterday. I was surprised at all the work and the new bridge. I always try to mention to all the new people I meet that a lot of the work done in the parks was by FOP. I always try to invite them to be a part of our group.

Thanks,

Larry Y.

Photos from members are here.

Trail Maps for the Parks of Lakeway

Friends of the Parks is a group of citizens who enjoy the rewards of volunteer service in the parks and greenbelts areas of Lakeway. Monthly Saturday morning work sessions provide opportunities for all levels of service, whether it is tree maintenance, general cleanup or tending memorial gardens at City Park. A few of the hardier members help build and maintain hiking/biking trails in the Hamilton Greenbelts and the Canyonlands Natural Area. Still others provide food for our workday picnics. For information contact Sondra Morton 713-870-5462 or email Skmgran@gmail.com.

Friends of the Parks sponsors one annual community event which is the annual Wilderness Run/Walk event on the Hamilton Greenbelt trails on the third Saturday of April. The goal of this event is to encourage citizens to get out and enjoy the beauty of the greenbelts and parks of the City of Lakeway.

Friends of the Parks of Lakeway is a 501 (c) 3, Federal Tax Exempt Organization. Donations made to this organization may be tax deductible; check with your tax advisor.

News January Board meeting and Workday CANCELLED Dec. workday Sat. Dec. 12th @ 8AM CANCELLED Nov. workday Sat. Nov. 14th @ 8AM Details here CANCELLED. Oct. workday Details here. September message from Carl, read here. Renew your membership for 2021, click here !!! Contact FOP Treasurer Sondra Morton 713-870-5462 or email Skmgran@gmail.com Submit your photos and volunteer stories ! ! !

Lakeway Area Parks Map Lakeway City Park Map Lakeway City Park Map (older version) Lakeway City Park Map Interactive Version Hamilton Greenbelt Trails Map Updated 12/30/2010 Canyonland Trails Map (pdf) Updated 2016 Canyonlands Interactive Map Link. Mt Lakeway Trails Map Sep 2012 Rough Hollow Trails Map Apr 2018 (pdf). Lakeway Weather Forecast

Lakeway, Texas

January 2021

December 2020

Dear Friends of the Parks of Lakeway (FOP) Volunteers

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

Message from Carl

April 2020

May 2020

June 2020

July 2020

August 2020

Message from Carl

Messages from other Board members

Dar Moneyhon

Bill Freas

Larry Yancey

Trail Maps for the Parks of Lakeway