Every year, the Bandera Business Association holds a big party on the banks of the beautiful Medina River on the last Saturday of June. The Bandera Riverfest includes live music, an antique car show, a BBQ cookoff, arts and crafts booths, lots of food and drink, children's games and the final competition of a musical talent show (the Bandera Idol contest). And there are many activities within the crystal clear waters of the Medina River. You can paddle, swim, float or fly into the water from a cypress tree rope swing. You can take part in a water rodeo on tubes or enter your dog in a water fetching contest. And if you want, you can join the Great Hill Country Anything That Floats Regatta at the end of the day.

The regatta always has some interesting entries to entertain the crowd who flock to the river's edge when it starts. One of the annual favorites is from Buddy's Water Well Service - it is basically a big raft with an outhouse and a bunch of hillbilly's playing catchy music - you have to see it to appreciate it.

Since C.I.A. Services is now established in Bandera, we thought we'd enter something this year. Since an important part of the day is the car show, we decided to float a car down the river. We selected a 2006 red Corvette convertible. To keep costs down, we decided against using a real one. But our version was to scale in all the details: 175" long, 49" high, 22" wheels and 5,967 cc 6 liters V 8 front engine with 101.6 mm bore, 92 mm stroke, 10.9 compression ratio, overhead valve and two valves per cylinder LS2 (actually a Sears trolling motor but that fit the budget).

Everyone enjoyed our unique entry and we ended up winning first place overall! That has energized us so we already have grand plans for 2011.

Thanks to everyone who helped. Our designers & painters: Tina, Annette, Amanda and Ralph. Our dress rehearsal crew: Roseann, Cindy, Annette, Tina, Kerry, Jeff, Ashley, Courtney & Ralph. Our race day pit crew: Phillip, Jeff, Bob & Ralph. Our drivers: Annette & Kerry. Our photographer: Roseann.