Step outside tonight to witness April’s Full Pink Moon (this is not an April Fools’ joke!). It is the first full moon of spring, also known as the Paschal Moon, and will reach peak illumination at 9:11 pm on April 1st. Despite its name, the moon will not appear pink; it is named after the early spring blooming of the moss phlox wildflower (often called “moss pink”).

Join us this Saturday, April 4th, 10:00 am @ Spurlock Park and get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny!

There will be a treasure trove of eggs to hunt for three different age groups: under 3s go first, then 3-7s, and finally 8 & up. Look out for the 3 Golden Eggs for 3 intrepid hunters.

Refreshments and snacks will be provided. Come out and join the fun - all ages welcome!

Idylwood Citizens' Patrol is made up of your neighbors that volunteer to patrol the neighborhood and report what we see to HPD. In the past few months, our neighborhood has been working through a few issues. We've had a few break-ins to houses, garages and cars. Some involved a local homeless vagrant, and with the help of neighbors' doorbell camera pictures allowed HPD to identify him and pick him up. But other break-ins have persisted, so please keep your garage, cars and houses locked.

We've seen and heard some people shooting guns along the bayou, often from cars driving on N. MacGregor, and sometimes from the bayou trail. At times we’ve been able to get a license plate or picture of the shooters, usually from tips from neighbors who happened to be outside, or saw something from their window, and passed that tip on. Even a partial description and time, such as "blue SUV sped north on MacGregor right after the shots at 10:30 pm" can be useful and help us get a license plate image from some of the cameras in the neighborhood. If you hear shots, but didn't see anything, it's still helpful to call HPD 713-884-3131 and Precinct 6 Constables 713-274-3400 to report "discharge of a firearm."

HPD has been helpful and has been able to make arrests when we have a license plate or picture. They also remind us that although our neighborhood sometimes hears gunfire, we are in better shape than other neighborhoods in that "there isn't a body on the other end" in our shootings. If you do have a description of any shooters, after you reach out to HPD, please pass this on to jakegoldstein1@gmail.com, along with date, time and location, so we can check cameras and get more info for HPD.

Stay safe,

Jake Goldstein and Steve Palmer, Citizens' Patrol

2028 Idylwood Centennial Home Tour: Gems of Idylwood

Celebrating 100 Years in Houston’s East End

We are thrilled to announce the Idylwood Centennial Home Tour: Gems of Idylwood, marking 100 years of our vibrant community in Houston’s East End. This March 2028 event will highlight the unique history, architecture, and stories that make Idylwood such a treasured neighborhood.

Share Your Home’s Story!

As part of the celebration, we invite you to consider opening your home for the tour. Whether your home features original architecture, has undergone meaningful renovations, or holds cherished memories, your story is an essential part of our community’s legacy.

Home Selection Criteria:

To ensure the tour reflects Idylwood’s rich heritage, homes will be selected based on:

• Age: Built in or before 1979
• Architectural Integrity: Preservation of historical design elements (original woodwork, flooring, windows, fixtures); renovations that maintain the home’s original character
• Historical Significance: Documented stories, photos, or records of the home’s past
• Unique Features: Distinctive design elements that contribute to the neighborhood’s character

Event Details:

• Volunteers will serve as docents at each home, guiding visitors and sharing insights.
• If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Hugo Banda and Rosie Pesina at hugobanda1@hotmail.com.

Let’s come together to celebrate Idylwood’s centennial and honor the homes and people that make our neighborhood extraordinary. Thank you for being part of this milestone!

Flavors of Idylwood: A Culinary Stroll Through the Neighborhood, a centennial book of Idylwood stories and favorite recipes, is being compiled in 2026 to be ready for Christmas 2027.

Tell us… What foods do you serve for Easter Brunch? What’s your favorite egg dish? Casserole? Benedict? Deviled? Crème brûlée? Custard?

In April, give us your recipes that include eggs or Easter and your stories about Easter in Idylwood. Did you ever hunt eggs in Mrs. Virginia Jackson’s yard on Merry Lane?

Email them to idylwoodcookbook@gmail.com, or contact Amy Lawson at 281-250-5001.

The following is a ballot/survey to get feedback on our neighbor's favorite spots and recommendations (including contractors or other services). We’ve recently seen numerous email requests on the Idylwood Neighborhood Exchange for contractor recommendations, etc. and thought this might be a fun way to share our favorites.

Jeremy has kindly set up a Google Form so neighbors can easily vote or add new entries. Once we receive feedback and your “votes,” we will publish the results as an "Idylwood Best" Awards list in a subsequent newsletter. The final list can be updated annually and made available on the Idylwood website as a useful reference list. 

(thanks to Jeremy Siebenmann-Lucas on Rockbridge for putting this together)

… for those wondering what’s with all the WALK30 dates in the Newsletter…

What: Friday Morning Walks with/ Fit Houston

Where: Brookdale Village Leasing Office (#157)

When: 8:30am Every Friday

Route: Meet at the Leasing Office > St. Austin Center > Idylwood Neighborhood › along the Bayou › through the parking lot > finish at apartment #138

Citywide Health Campaign #WALK30

#WALK30 is a health campaign that encourages everyone to walk (or move) at least 30 minutes every day for good health. Fit Houston organizes weekly walking groups all over Houston in many languages, and are grateful for partnerships like the one we have with Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Idylwood Civic Association, and District I.

• Apr 03: WALK30
• Apr 04: Idylwood Egg Hunt - Spurlock Park
• Apr 06: Regular garbage collection (not impacted by Easter Holiday weekend)
• Apr 09: Happy B'day Dennis Quaid (Bellaire HS)
• Apr 10: WALK30
• Apr 13: Recycling
• Apr 15: The Tax Man Cometh
• Apr 17: WALK30
• Apr 21: Civic Club Meeting @ 7pm, 6720 Sylvan Rd.
• Apr 22: Earth Day - go plant a tree
• Apr 22-23: Lyrid Meteor Shower - peak viewing
• Apr 24: WALK30
• Apr 27: Recycling
• NOTE: Heavy Trash/Tree Waste - pending new On-Demand (311) program update

Woof ! Chloe here !

Listen, I'm typing this with my paws, so bear with me.

My life is basically a high-stakes thriller, and I am the undisputed star.

The Management:

My human is a total Real Estate Legend. Her entire job is finding the perfect backyards for dogs (and I guess their humans can live there too, whatever). I've successfully trained her to ignore "Cat People". We don't do whiskers in this house. It's a firm boundary.



Since she works from home, she is essentially my 24/7 personal assistant. This means I get maximum trail time and long walks where I can sniff important things and keep the neighborhood in check.

Pawed by Chloe to John Segovia

Friendly Reminder From The Pets



For the health and safety of all neighborhood pets and people,

please keep us on a leash and scoop our poop -

even along the bayou trails !

Nature News

Wildflowers are at home along Texas highways!

It's that time of year to travel about the highways and byways of Texas. The spring flowers are so colorful and worth the views. This article explains how the flowers started across the country and the important work by Lady Bird Johnson that continues! To learn more, click the link below:

Wildflowers

Blue Zone Plans for Galveston could help people

live longer and have heathier lifestyles!

Galveston's University of Texas Medical Branch and the Blue Zones Project are partnering in an effort to enhance residents health and longevity.

Blue zones around the world are areas where people live longer and

have a higher quality of life as they age!!

To learn more, clink on the link below:

Blue Zone Plans for Galveston

Gardening Tips from Neil Sperry

This March 28 Chronicle article gives handy tips regarding why magnolia leaves are starting to fall, daffodils that green up instead of blooming, yaupon holllies that lean, Bermuda grass that spreads everywhere, growing hydrangeas from cuttings, and more!!

To learn more, click on the link below:

Tips from Neil Sperry

____________________________

Nature In The Neighborhood

Reflections ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Submitted by Peggy Wallace

Neighbors: If you have a photo(s) of nature in action in Idylwood (animal or plant),send it to me and a short story to: phattenbach@gmail.com.

__________________________

Going Native !!

Tips from Buchanan's Native Plants

Incorporate Texas Natives into Your Landscape!

Native plants. The term has different meanings for different gardeners. There are Texas natives, US natives and those plants that act like natives. All in all, what most of us want in our garden are low maintenance plants that are attractive and functional. Plants that are not invasive and are a benefit to wildlife.

When you plant a garden, it is not just for you – it is a habitat for all living things around you. So, with that in mind, here is our top 10 native plants for Houston that do just that. Many are heat and drought tolerant – cheerfully returning year after year in your garden.

Click here to learn more: Buchanan's Top Ten Native Plants.

Remember to take a stroll along the bayou to enjoy the naturalizing flowers, herbs, bushes, trees, and myriad of insects, birds, waterfowl, fish, turtles, and so much more !!

If going out of town, alert your neighbors and request a Vacation Watch from Precinct 6 Constables. Click HERE to access the form.

Please keep an eye out for unusual activity and report to HPD (713) 884-3131 and the Constable's office (713) 274-3400. Please keep your home and cars locked at all times. Report any incidents to ALL authorities; 

more reports = more patrols.

To view crimes reported to HPD from through Feb 2026, download the HPD Excel file here and sort by zip code or beat. Our beat is 11H10, which includes several zip codes. 

Click here to view the Community Crime Map. Enter 77023 in the search window and filter by date range.

Jake Goldstein and Steve Palmer co-chair our patrol group and report the group’s collective hours per month to HPD. Please contact Jake if you are interested in volunteering with our citizens patrol group.

Having a patrol presence in the neighborhood is a crime deterrent and a great way to give back to our community.

Please join us! More information on HPD's Volunteer Citizen Patrol is available here.

president@idylwood.org