Canyon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Events EVENTS Winter Texan Reception Thursday, February 17th 10-1:00pm CRRC Below the Dam First Chamber Business After Hours Mixer of 2011 Tuesday, February 22nd 5:30-7:30pm Texas Pride Insurance – Sattler Water-Oriented Recreation District FunFish Event Kids 5-17 Sunday, February 27th 12:00-4:00pm Camp Huaco Spring North Shore United Methodist Church BBQ Fundraiser for Local Missions Friday, February 11th 5:30-7:30pm 830-935-2171 Canyon Lake Rotary Club Annual Fundraiser Romantic Rendezvous Saturday, February 12th 5:00pm New Braunfels Convention Center Dinner & Dance $50 – Including dinner, drinks and 5 piece band Habitat for Safe Seniors Proud partner of the San Antonio Food Bank Food Fair Distribution February 28th 830-899-2256 or www.safoodbank.... 01/31/2011

Do you ever feel like the world and everything we have to deal with on a daily basis is upside-down?                                      See for yourself what some folks are feeling right now.                   Is your home upside-down. Maybe from your financial situation. Maybe from maintenance projects that are left undone. Maybe too large for you as a senior citizen to continue keeping up such a large home. Maybe....Maybe...each person's situation is different.                                                                                Keep Reading                          Carl's Computer Gone Crazy!  Is your computer or should I say double that since most of us have more then one gone crazy. You can not get connected to the internet, you can not get your Email's, you can not get... 01/31/2011

There’s something for eveyone at Canyon Lake Texas! We love our “Winter Texans” the honorary members of the Lone Star State who come from all over the United States to escape the harsh winters and enjoy our charming community!  To welcome them to Canyon Lake, we are proud to announce the   13th Annual Winter Texan Reception Canyon Lake, Texas     Hosted by the Canyon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. We are expecting 300 guests who will have fun enjoying:   Texas Trivia Game Pinpoint Your Home on the Map Welcome Goodie Bags Sample an Assortment of Treats Entertainment   Thursday, February 17th, 2011 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Location: Community Resource Rec Center (below Canyon Dam), 125 Mabel Jones Drive Canyon Lake, Texas     Every year this event just gets better and better! For more infor... 01/30/2011

Speechless Sunday...It's hard to brush your teeth... when your cat is laying in the sink! This is Sammy, our ultra spoiled and very comical Tuxedo Cat. He has a thing for laying in my bathroom sink.  It makes is hard to brush your teeth when he jumps up on the counter and crawls into the sink.  One day he moved too fast and he ended up with toothpaste on his head! Silly Sammy!!! 01/30/2011

Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake Texas ~ A Lakeside Community Canyon Lake Texas is a popular vacation destination in the heart of the Texas Hill Country that often times lures people back to live here permanently.  The beautiful scenery, wildlife, friendly people and never ending list of things to do make Canyon Lake a great place to live, work and play! When looking for a place to call home at Canyon Lake... people have different ideas about what their ideal Canyon Lake hometead will look like.  Mystic Shores is a master planned development with something for everyone!  The amazing neighborhood amenities of Mystic Shores are rivalled by no other and the views are endless! The lakeside pavilion at Mystic Shores. Want to host a party?  Want to gather the family for a reunion?  Want to have ... 01/29/2011

Ensenada Shores at Canyon Lake Texas ~ A gated lakeside community! The Texas Hill Country is a fabulous place to live, work and play and of course to own real estate!  There are many wonderful qualities about the Hill Country, but the ones that stand out the most in people's minds tend to be the lakes and rivers of this Central Texas Region. Canyon Lake Texas...A Hill Country treasure! Canyon Lake is one of the regional favorites for locals, tourists, snow birds, and water enthusiasts alike.  Through the years the residential developments around the lake have evolved from somewhat "anything goes" to upscale gated communities with restrictive covenants in place.  Ensenada Shores at Canyon Lake Texas is one of those communities. A Warner Group Development... Beautiful Ensenada Shores was... 01/28/2011

                                   Can you guess what these photo's are all about?   We all know it is good advice to give someone to have a home inspected before you purchase and all the reasons why. Have you ever thought about having a home inspected for regular maintenance much like a car or health check-up? Sometimes things can be happening without you even realize it is happening, as above, maybe hiding behind a hedge. This is a photo of a very slow water leak in a older home located at Canyon Lake Texas. You will see the water line had a slow leak and probably had been leaking for awhile. Unfortunately the homeowner did not see the leak because the boxwood hedge was blocking the view. This situation is fixible and not expensive to fix other then the time involved. It can be put ba... 01/20/2011

                             Carl's Thought Provoker Get ready for the rising cost to conduct business in 2011. It's already obvious at the pump. Now we hear the cost of food, home insurance, auto insurance, insurance premiums increase...License Fee's, E&O...you get where I'm going. Carl's Thought Provoker...The best strategy is to plan ahead. Your goal should be to think proactive and not wait until you really get in a bind. Being proactive just reminds you to anticipate and plan ahead. Are there some costs you can reduce? Search out and compare cost before you purchase an item.Are there some memberships you can cut? I bet if you really think about it you can control some cost of doing business. As a home inspector I want to be proactive an get ready for some of the things that may occ... 01/06/2011

Happy New Year!!! I am particularly excited about 2011 because the ringing in of the New Year is also a ringing in of a new identity for me and my Texas Hill Country Real Estate firm.  My mom and I are operating a virtual real estate company.  We have the same agents and same great service, we just don't have the overhead of an office that was barely used by our agents who are all operating virtual as well. This business model works better for our personal situations and allows me the flexibility to travel more with my real estate education business "The Learning Jeani."  I recently became a core certified instructor (I was already an MCE instructor) by the Texas Real Estate Commission and will be teaching several times a month starting this year.   We are excited about our new venture... 01/03/2011

Speechless Sunday...How to wrap a cat for Christmas! After one of my cousins sent me an adorable Youtube video of a tuxedo cat being gift wrapped for Christmas, I just couldn't resist the urge to try that with our Sammy!  He is quite a cooperative fellow and loves wrapping paper, so here he is, ready for the big day!   12/26/2010

                      Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all of Active Rain friends.  May this holiday season be a peaceful one, filled with love and laughter, and may the Mew Year bring you and your family the best of everything good. To all our friends and family throughout San Antonio, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels and Boerne we'll be looking for you at the family gatherings. We hope Santa will bring each and everyone of you something special. To all of our military families our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless!                                                                                                                                      Carl and Ceil Winters   12/23/2010

Canyon Lake Happenings for the rest of 2010! WEDNESDAY, December 15 Wednesday Taco Night at VFW Post 8800 5-8:30pm Gruene Hall – Checker Cab Sessions Kevin & Dustin Welch w/special guest 6-10pm No Cover THURSDAY, December 16 CRRC Rec Center – North Pole Village 6-9pm Fee Gruene Hall –Chris Ruest Band w/special guest 6-10pm No Cover FRIDAY, December 17 Silver Sneakers II at CRRC – 8:30am Lucky’s Holiday Cheer & Beer 5-Midnight Sweet Treats on the house CRRC Rec Center – North Pole Village 6-9pm Fee Hamburger Nite at VFW Post 8800 5:30pm – 8:30pm Lakeside Magical Christmas Drive-thru Light Display 6-10pm Fee Gruene Hall – Jerry Jeff Walker 9pm Cover SATURDAY, December 18 Lakeside Magical Christmas Drive-thru Light Display 6-10pm Fee HOLIDAYS IN GRUENE – Cowboy Kringle Kids Workshop 8-5pm... 12/15/2010

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE AT CANYON LAKE TEXAS WHAT: The annual Canyon Lake Christmas Parade. WHERE: At Canyon Lake in downtown Sattler. WHEN: Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 11:00 am BUT...get there early because the streets close down before the parade starts! WHO: The parade is sponsored by the Canyon Lake Noon Lions Club and the participants include San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo Assn, The Shriners, Local and State Dignitaries, Canyon Lake High School Might Hawk Band, Cheerleaders, Dance Teams, Mountain Valley Middle School Mighty Hawk Band, Dance Team and Cheerleaders, various civic, church, community, youth organizations, military and local businesses, plus more!   The parade is emceed by Jeani Thomas Richie (me, pictured above). WHY: Because the Canyon Lake Christmas Parade is a mu... 12/08/2010

Wordless Wednesday...The best sunset in the county! I took this photo from the dining deck at the Canyon Lake Marina.  This is simply the best place to watch the best sunsets in the county or even in the entire Hill Country.  There is just nothing like a sunset over water and we've got over 80 miles of shoreline on Canyon Lake, so there is plenty of water to enhance the natural beauty of our sunsets!  If you are ever in the area, visit the Canyon Lake Marina at sundown and check out an event that is sure to please! 12/08/2010

  Speechless Sunday...He Makes My World Go 'Round! A few shots of my 13 year old son from the recent photo shoot we did for his 8th grade year.  He is first chair trombone in the MVMS Honor Band and Brass Section Leader on the Band Leadership Team, he is a Boy Scout Star Rank working on Life Scout Rank, plays on the MVMS Tennis Team and just an all around great kid...I am blessed!   Our beautiful Guadalupe River in the background with the majestic cypress trees of the Texas Hill Country.  It's cool to live in such a gorgeous place!   My Boy Scout!   11/28/2010

  The Next Level...Second Place! Last week I posted about my son who won first place in the engineering division at the Mountain Valley Middle School Science Fair.  This qualified him to compete at the Comal ISD District Science Fair which was held this past Saturday. Jordan's project involved building a hovercraft and testing its performance on various surface types to determine its most effective performance.  Today we learned that he got 2nd place at District and will be moving on to Regionals in March 2011!  Last year he made regionals and did not place but earned a Director's Award for presentation and an $8,000. college scholarship at age 12!  We are hoping for more scholarships this year and perhaps to make it to State!!!  Congrats to Jordan, I am so proud of you!!! 11/23/2010

What can a REALTOR learn from a football game? First I must compliment and thank the Canyon Lake High School Mighty Hawks Varsity Football Team for an amazing season and a trip to the playoffs.  This extraordinary group of young men worked hard, practiced hard and fought hard all season long and made it further than any time in the short four year history of our school.  As a twenty year resident of Canyon Lake, it warms my heart to finally have an identity, The Hawks and to finally have this cemented sense of "community" that having our own schools has brought.  To have this happen at a time when my son can be a part of the tradition that is being built is even more special!  Congratulations to the Hawks on an amazing season and never hang your head over the elimination from the playo... 11/22/2010

Oh So Good! One more reason to move to To The Texas Hill Country you can plan a BBQ all year round. Look what I threw on the pit this afternoon, eight hours later it was good for the taking. A nice boston butt pork roast with a honey brown sugar glaze. Step 1 - Have a good pit.                      Step 2 - Have a nice slow fire in the fire box, slow cooking is the way to go  Keep a nice fire going Step 3...Lookie, let it sit for about 15 minutes before you carve. Time to Ring the Dinner Bell                                                                                The Texas Hill Country....Where Life is Good                       Have a great week from Carl and Ceil Winters, Canyon Lake and New Braunfels Texas Localism-Hyper Local Blog November 14, 2010, Looking for a home inspect... 11/14/2010

I know it is not a pleasant thing to do but if you do you can save yourself some money. Here are a few inexpensive items you can purchase at any big box store. Weather Strip (different sizes) under $30.00 - Doors and Windows          Caulk (different types) Under $20.00            Programmable Thermostate for under $100.00 (This is a money saver) You may be able to catch them on sale this time of the year.      Under the door stripping really helps Outside and inside pipe wrap will certainly protect your pipes. Most Important a pair of warm slippers Winter time will be here before you know it so ... Get Ready!                      ******************************************************* 11-12-2010 Inspect your home for possible ways to save on your energy cost. Tips by Carl Winters Advan... 11/12/2010

SPEECHLESS SUNDAY...PLAYOFF BOUND!!! One of the best things about living at Canyon Lake is our sense of community.  As a twenty year resident of the lake, I have been a witness to a community that has evolved into my hometown through the years.  I was a twenty something when I came here and today I am the single mom of a teenager, a REALTOR in the community and a volunteer for many groups.  One of the things that has cemented the sense of community at the lake was getting our own schools, our own mascot and our own sense of school pride.  We love our Canyon Lake Hawks, we love our green and gold and we love our kids!  Four years ago we got our own high school, three years ago we got our own middle school (which my son attends) and we have two elementary schools.  All the Hawks, all gre... 11/07/2010