Click here to register online!

Where:  Hill Country Hall

When: Monday, May 7, 2012

Pre-registration is required. Call  1-800-690-6313

You knew it before (formerly Silver Creek Resort)…. Come see what we have become…. Painted Sky Inn will host it’s Grand Opening on March 8th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Come take a progressive refreshment tour through our newly remodeled Inn and enter a drawing for a free weekend for 4!

Open to businesses, neighbors, friends and guests.

When: March 8, 2012

Time: 3 pm to 7 pm

Where: Painted Sky Inn

1400 CR 128

Burnet, TX   78611

Map It

Contact: Denise Lewis

512-715-9896

(very limited availability)

Join Ed and Susan Auler, co-owners of Fall Creek Vineyards, on Saturday, March 3rd, for what will be the inaugural tour of the 90-foot Fall Creek waterfalls, never before opened to the public, on gorgeous Lake Buchanan.

Follow your tour with a creek-side picnic lunch – menu by renowned Chef, Baker and Author, Rebecca Rather.

Two 20-person lunch tours by bus will be offered on March 3rd, the first one at 11:30am and the second tour at1:15pm.

Make your reservation NOW, as each tour is limited to only 20 guests!  Click HERE for more info or call (325) 379-5361.

Our thanks to Jim Bains for sharing his excellent photos of the Bald Eagles nesting off TX29 about 8-10 miles west of Buchanan Dam! The pictures were taken this week (Feb 16, 2012). Following is Jim’s description of the pictures with the pictures added to go along with his narrative.

To make downloads fast, we have used thumbnail sized pictures.  To see one in a larger format, just click on any of these pictures.

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This morning about midway between the old and new nest I was watching a Red-tailed hawk at a distance to see what his next move would be.  Suddenly, a Mockingbird appeared from nowhere and ran that hawk away!  I’ve seen them try that with the eagles too, but the eagles just give the Mockers a nasty look.

Photos By Jim Bains

Upon arrival, the female eagle was perched a very short distance above the nest for a long time, perhaps an hour or more, then decided to go to the nest.

Rather than just flutter down to it she flew out behind the trees, circled the trees and entered the nest from the front.  The closeup shots are all a part of that nest approach.

I had the old Nikon D200 on rapid fire and got some pretty good ones.

Note how the tail feathers are used as a rudder, helping them to steer and maneuver in flight,

they also act as a “speed brake” when they are landing

Houston, The Eagle has landed - note the chick in the lower left corner

and help them to keep their balance while they are perched.  They blow my mind sometimes!!

Mother and chick in the nest, waiting for Dad to bring home a nice bass from Inks Lake.

With the Eagle in her nest, Jim noticed another spectator nearby!

The little American Kestrel kept running away from me flitting from wire to wire as I chased him down the highway in the truck!  They are FAST!
Regards,

Jim

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If you have a day off, or a weekend, stuff like this is happening all the time out here.  The eagles will only be around for a few more weeks

We are only 70 miles from Austin,

only 90 miles from San Antonio,

only 150 miles from San Angelo,

only 240 miles from DFW and

only 230 miles from Houston.

Come spend a day, a weekend, or the rest of your life with us.

Bring your boat and do some fishing, launching is available on both Lake Buchanan and on Inks (see the Boat Launching page above for information)…  or bring your bicycle and tour our country roads… or just come and soak up the scenery.

Our Visitor Center on Texas Highway 29, just west of the bridge over Inks Lake, is open every day except Tuesday and has free maps and other useful information to make your stay everything you hope for.

For details about the area, area lodging, and other activities visit our web site.

Also visit the web sites of our other area chambers of commerce:

http://llanochamber.org/

http://www.kingslandchamber.org/

http://www.burnetchamber.org/

http://marblefalls.org/

http://www.masontxcoc.com/

On February 13th, one group saw and photographed the first Bluebonnets of the season. 

The first Bluebonnet blooms of 2012 were photographed and submitted to the Lake buchanan Inks Lake Chamber of Commerce on February 13!

 The picture was taken by the Hilly Bikers cycling group on the south shoulder of FM2241 about 3 miles west of the Bluffton Store. 

Email us your best wildflower picture of 2012 ( buchinks@gmail.com ) if we can post it on the blog, website or Facebook page.  Give us your name, when and where the picture was taken and state that we may use the picture for promotion of commerce in the Texas Hill Country.  If we publish the picture we will ackbnowledge your contribution of the picture.

We  had a lot of fun at the Austin Boat, RV and Sport Show. Our new banner was a huge attraction and I think we did a great job of getting the word out about our lakes and lodges and all the fun things to do around here. We also handed out over 600 Lakes and Hills Magazines! We are off to the Midessa Boat Show on Feb 9-12.

17534 E. Hwy 29

Buchanan Dam, TX 78609

Saturday Dec. 10th 10-4

Bake Sale and Chili Luncheon

Christmas Gifts,Christmas Decorations, Chili, Frito Pie, Pies, Cakes, Cookies

Eat lunch and do your Christmas shopping!

Pardner’s Night Club

15615 E. Hwy 29  Buchanan Dam, Tx. 78609

512-793-2432 or 817-881-3358 for more information