Courtyard - July 2022 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

July 2022

Board Message for July 2022

Happy summer! With the intense heat and lack of rain, we do hope everyone is staying cool and spending time with family.

Volume 18, Number 07

COURTYARD BOOK CLUB Tuesday, August 2, 2022

As we all know, the City of Austin has returned to Stage 1 watering restrictions. For complete details, take a look at the City’s website at https://www.austintexas.gov/department/findyour-watering-day. Starting in July, Goodwin Management Company will be handling the direct contact for Compliance complaints. If you have concerns about compliance issues, you may email Goodwin Management, or any Board member. All communications for violations will be managed by Goodwin. A Goodwin compliance inspector will drive the neighborhood twice monthly. Anyone with questions about what is a violation can review the Declaration and rules on our website at www.courtyardhoa.org. A courtesy email with a picture of the violation will be the first opportunity to cure a problem. Fines will only be levied after the complete process described on the Fine & Enforcement Policy have been followed. Please neighbors, let’s all do our part to keep the neighborhood looking good. The Board is considering a switch to key cards or fobs for access to Association amenities (Park & Boat Storage Lot). Like most HOA communities, moving to key cards or fobs is the norm. This function would be managed by a third-party company. This frees our community volunteers to devote more time to community activities, and less time implementing and managing the gate code system. We will send plenty of advance notice if and when a switch is made. If you haven’t been down to the Park recently, please go and admire the two new Shumard oaks which were planted near the pier. As you all know, the old live oak tree split in half and crashed to the ground a few months ago. Thanks to all the volunteers who have been keeping the new trees watered on schedule. They are thriving in spite of the heat! And speaking of trees, several of the Bradford pear trees that are along the south entrance area and the Parade Ridge area have been splitting and losing branches. We are removing these trees as they split and will eventually replace them with native species that will add beauty to our community for decades to come. If anyone would like to donate to the fund for new trees, please contact Ed Ueckert, Landscape Chair. Since children are out of school, it’s more important than ever to drive slowly and watch carefully for children, pets, and walkers in the street. As always, please drive slowly in the Courtyard!! Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger explores a loss of innocence through the eyes of a grown man who recalls a childhood of comic books, baseball, and drugstore sodas that turns darker through a series of events one summer. It is the Courtyard Book Club’s selection for its 1 p.m. meeting, August 2. Set in small town Minnesota in 1961, the book’s main character, Frank, is the son of a Methodist minister father, an artistic mother, and has two siblings. All figure into the story as Frank is drawn into circumstances beyond his control (and sometimes beyond his comprehension) – lies, secrets, adultery, betrayal and grace. It is a story set in a simpler time but one that presents complications and dilemmas that are timeless. Continued on Page 5 Courtyard Caller - July 2022

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any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in The Courtyard Caller Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

CHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Denise Hogan.......denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454 Vice President Konavis Smith........................................... konavis@gmail.com Treasurer Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Secretary Waneen Spirduso......................................spirduso@utexas.edu BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Janet Wright ........................ ..............mightywrights@me.com ..........................................................................469-387-5632 Meredith Massey-Kloetzer......................meremass@gmail.com Henry Mistrot....................................................512.459.7313 COMMITTEES Environmental Control (ECC) Diana Apgar ................................ ..............fd1966fd@aol.com Community Park Terry Edwards......t.edwards54321@gmail.com, 214.392.4627 Welcome Erik Maye ......................erikmaye@gmail.com, 512.626.2404 Social & Decorating Joany Price....................joanyprice@gmail.com, 512.775.8942 Landscape & Decorating Ed Ueckert.........................................................512.345.6137 Security Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Communications, Editor – Courtyard Caller Jen Harold.......... harold.jennifer@gmail.com, 281.773.2880 Compliance Denise Hogan................................denise.1.hogan@gmail.com Kayak Jim Vence .......................jimvence@gmail.com, 512.436.5678 Fire Safety Richard Stelzner................................... arebeess42@gmail.com Area Development and Zoning Liaison Denise Hogan....... denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454

SUB-HOA CONTACTS Center Court: Amanda Gilliland... mandagilliland@gmail.com, 512-927-7118 Travis County Courtyard (aka "Backcourt") Terry Edwards .............................. t.edwards54321@gmail.com Villas at Courtyard: Thomas Hoy..........Thomas.Hoy@freescale.com, 512.231.1270 Wolf Court: Susanne Doell.................... Drdoell@gmail.com, 512.454.3400 2

Courtyard Caller - July 2022

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Courtyard Caller - July 2022

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FIRE SAFETY COMMITTEE It’s HOT and the National Weather Service forecasts for the summer months are that it will continue with above normal heat and leaning toward below normal precipitation. Summer in Texas is hot but this year may be hotter, drier and longer than usual. May was hot with a brief soaking rain at the end, but that’s evaporated. June was very hot with July and August expected to be the same. This will certainly cause grass, brush and bushes to dry out and that means, fire fuel. It is anticipated that fire components: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen will be present in ample supply. Although images and videos of wildfires often feature crown fires with trees ablaze, dry grass, brush and bushes are what sustain a fire until the radiated heat dries out the leaves and branches and the fire climbs up into trees. Be aware that ground and surface fires are just as dangerous and destructive as crown fires. The June grass, brush and oak fires in Blanco County south of Marble Falls and northeast of Johnson City are a little too close for comfort and should generate an awareness of wildfire potential. James Duff, in his May article on the AFD Wildfire Division website quotes Matt McCaw, of Austin Parks and Recreation Department: “Grass is the primary carrier of fire in our area.”

PAPER WASPS Paper wasps are 3/4- 1” long with a pinched waist and smoky wings. They are overall a reddish-brown color with some species also having yellow markings. Paper wasps have chewing mouthparts and construct their nests by chewed wood fiber with their saliva. Nests are open-faced (cells can be viewed) and hang from a single filament. The nest starts out small in the spring with just a few cells. It grows larger as newly emerged adults help expand the nest. Nests are often constructed under the eaves of homes, on fences, mailboxes, or other sheltered locations. Wasps are capable of stinging repeatedly but are considered beneficial since they can help reduce number of insects that feed on landscape and garden plants. If nests are in areas where there is little chance of a stinging incident, then it is recommended that you leave them alone. If nests are built in areas where people or animals may get stung, then management may be necessary. Choose a wasp spray that can reach the nest from a distance and treat the nest in the early morning before wasps begin to forage for food. Once the wasps are dead, knock down the nest and dispose of it. If the nest is left in place, then developing wasps will emerge out of pupal cells and you’ll be right back where you started. An optional, but highly recommended step is using a cleaning solution containing ammonia to clean the area where the nest was located to remove any pheromones (chemical smells that insects use to communicate).

Embedded in the WUI, we are surrounded by forests of Oak and Juniper. But, adjacent to the forests are native grasslands such as on the old ranch lands around Del Valle, and the areas around the new Tesla factory. Surface fires driven by wind pre-heat denser fuels and spray embers aloft, which are the main concern and the focus of creating defensible space. It sounds like nagging (it is), but maintaining lawns, clearing dry and dead vegetation, clearing gutters and downspouts, keeping trees limbed up especially off roofs, bushes pruned away from combustible siding, roofs and windows and replenishing dried out wood mulch may prevent grass fires and wind blown embers from endangering your home. Although there is structure density in our community, working with your neighbors to keep side yards and back yards clear and as fuel free as possible benefits us all. If you are unsure of how or where to start, sign up with the Courtyard Fire Safety Committee to schedule a home wildfire risk evaluation by one of our trained teams, email fire-safety@ courtyardhoa.org . And remember to hydrate.

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. 4

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HELP MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE Did you know that by opening your home to a foreign exchange student you are taking on the role as a diplomat of the United States? Its true! Hosting a teenager from another country is form of public diplomacy – it gives both the host family and the student an opportunity to learn from each other, exchange cultural experiences and most of all, form life-long relationships. All that is required of a host family is to provide three meals a day, a place for the student to sleep and a little bit of TLC thrown in. Students can share a room with a same sex sibling that is within three years of their age. The students all come with their own spending money, health insurance and an eagerness to be part of your family. STS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is looking for volunteer host families for the 2022/2023 school year. We accept all different types of families, from single parents, to newly marrieds, to empty nesters to same sex couples. The application process is simple, once you are completely vetted, you will have access to our student database where you can select the student that best fits in with your family. If you would like to find out more about hosting one of our wonderful students, please contact Vicki Odom at (832) 455-7881 or email at vicki.stsfoundation@ yahoo.com. I can get you started in helping to make the world a better place to live.

Continued from Cover Page The Courtyard Book Club meets at the home of its chair, Lou Blemaster, 5612 N. Scout Island Circle, at 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. To receive monthly book club emails, contact Lou at LouBlemaster@gmail.com. Even those who haven’t read the monthly book are welcomed to join your neighbors for some interesting discussion. And if you have friends in other areas of Austin who would like to join a book club, feel free to include them.

BACK TO SCHOOL! Austin ISD 2022-2023 first day of school is Monday, August 15th Eanes ISD 2022-2023 first day of school is Wednesday, August 17th Visit the school district websites for registration information, bus routes, calendars and more. https://www.austinisd.org/ https://www.eanesisd.net/

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NATUREWATCH by Jim and Lynne Weber

A Killer of a Wasp What are those large, solitary wasps we see flying around our yards from late June to September? Often referred to as the Cicada Killer or Cicada Wasp (Sphecius speciosus), this native species occurs in the eastern and midwestern U.S. regions, southwards through Texas into Mexico and Central America. Cicada killers are so named since they prey on cicadas and provision their nests with them. While large and intimidating, they offer a measure of natural control on cicada populations. They benefit our native plants by pollinating flowers and protecting trees from the numerous cicadas that feed on their roots and foliage. Cicada killers are robust wasps up to 2 inches long, with amber wings and black to reddish-brown abdomens with yellow stripes. The females are somewhat larger than the males, and both are among the largest wasps in the U.S. These solitary wasps have a very unusual and interesting lifecycle. Females are commonly seen skimming around areas with sparse vegetation for nesting sites, burrowing a tunnel, 10 to 20 inches deep, in dry or bare soil. In digging a burrow, she will dislodge the soil with her jaws, and using her hind legs that are equipped with special spines, push the loose soil behind her as she backs out of the burrow. The female cicada killer proceeds to capture cicadas, sometimes even in flight, paralyzing them with her venomous sting. She places the cicadas beneath her, grasping them with her legs, and either flies or drags her prey, which is twice her weight, into her burrow. After placing a few cicadas in her nest, she begins to lay her eggs. Females can predetermine the sex of the egg, and she lays multiple male eggs on a single cicada. But each female egg is given 2 or 3 cicadas, as 6

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females are larger, require more food, and more females are needed to create new generations. Eggs are always laid under the left or right second leg of the cicada. The female then closes the burrow with dirt, as the eggs hatch in a few days, but the larvae take some time to mature, feeding on cicadas as they overwinter in their burrow, not emerging as adults until the following spring. Adult male cicada killers emerge in spring before the females, defending the territory around their emergence hole and searching for females. They typically perch on the ground, flying up to attack any rival males. Once females emerge, mating occurs, and the males die shortly after. Females live long enough to dig and provision their nests, and die after laying all of their eggs. Cicada killer wasps are not aggressive toward humans and rarely sting unless provoked by grasping them roughly, accidentally stepping on them, or if caught in clothing. Only the females have stingers, and while males will actively defend their perching areas against other males near nesting sites, they have no stingers. Both males and females have large jaws, but they are not known to grasp human skin and bite. If swatted at, they will just fly away rather than attack. They are simply focused on cicadas or other cicada killers! Send your nature-related questions to naturewatch@austin.rr.com and we’ll do our best to answer them. If you enjoy reading these articles, check out our books, Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies, and Native Host Plants for Texas Moths (all published by Texas A&M University Press), and our blog at naturewatchaustin.blogspot.com. Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

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Courtyard Caller - July 2022