The first game was won 7-1 with the score being 7-0 in the second game and 6-0 in the third.  All the players worked really hard and played as a team. When it was time to face the last team for the Championship, the opposing team was very aggressive.  There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and the Speed Demons stepped up to the plate, played very hard, and fought fire with fire against the other team’s aggressive play.  The championship game was a hard win with the final score being 3 to 2.

Congratulations Speed Demons! We Are All Very Proud of You!!! A Big Thanks to All The Parents for Their Support!!! And a BIG GOOD LUCK to The Speed Demons as they head off for the Labor Day weekend tournament.

Kyler was concerned since Mater would not talk to him, but I told him that he was busy guarding all the cars in the wrecking yard.  While we were there, 3 cars pulled up behind us to take pictures too.  No matter what you are doing, try to not be so busy getting from one place to another that you miss appreciating the things around you.

 I have really enjoyed looking for Ranch land with my family, just because of all the great quality time we have been able to spend together. We are making some great memories and discovering all sorts of fun places, just a stone’s throw away from home! 

Nothing is more important than the first impression a Buyer will receive when they take their first look at a home.  As a Seller, there are two opportunities to provide a buyer with a first impression.  The first opportunity is when the Buyer views photos are advertising the home on the Internet. The second is when the Buyer sees home for the first time.

There are several things you can do make sure your property will provide Buyers with a successful first impression.  It is a good idea to start with the exterior front of the home. After all, that is the very first thing every prospective buyer will see.  Below is a check list to help you get the exterior of your home ready to be placed on the market.

• If you have a Sprinkler System, check to make sure all heads are working properly and the entire yard is being watered.
• Make sure the Landscaping is in good condition: mow and edge the yard, weed flower beds and add fresh flowers and mulch as necessary, remove all dead tree branches and shrubbery, and be sure to hide all outdoor toys and lawn equipment.
• Check the Fence and be sure to replace all rotting boards, and paint or stain it if necessary.
• Look at the Driveway. Check for oily or greasy spots and try not to have vehicles parked in the driveway while the home is being shown.
• Inspect the Garage Doors and make sure they are in good working order. Also make sure the doors do not need to be painted or stained.
• Take a good look at the Roof from the front yard. Make sure all eaves and gutters are clear of leaves. If you see any loose or missing shingles have them replaced. If the roof is stained with mildew, you might want to consider having it professionally cleaned.
• Review the Exterior Trim, Gables, Soffit, Fascia, and Mailbox to see if any painting needs to be done.
• Most importantly, look at the Front Entrance of the home. Make sure the front door is clean and painted or stained if necessary. Check to insure the doorbell and all outside lights are operating properly.

Happy Selling!

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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has concluded that the fish in the pond all died due to lack of oxygen.  This is also sometimes referred to as the pond “turning over.” My understanding is that this occured because: we had a long period with no rain, then lots of rain at once, with not a lot of natural vegetation in the pond, and a fountain that had recently broken.  Apparently, once the amount of oxygen decreases to a certain level in a tank, it will kill the fish overnight. Now we have tons of algae in the tank and the whole thing looks nasty and green.

This brings me to my latest problem. I hand raised approximately 14 ducks and 2 geese last spring for the the Home Owner’s Association and then released them into the lake. At this point, the lake is clearly less than desirable and the ducks have moved into my back yard.

My two and four year old think it is Easter with the eggs in my back yard! The Tree Walker coon hound  See Meet Snoofy: A College Station Animal Rescue in Need of a Loving Home is definitely NOT a hunter and is no help at all! 

And it has become such an issue in the last 2 days to get water, they are even brave enough to reside on the back porch and drink out of the dog bowl! They don’t go to the South Lake, which is beautiful and in working order because another flock lives there. I am worried they are going to distroy my back porch and kill the grass. Any suggestions would be most appreciated! ;D

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In looking for information as to what type of amphibian this was, I came across the Texas Parks and Wildlife“Frogs and Toads” Texas website. The best part about this site is that there is a section where you can click and hear the calls each Texas frog makes.  If you live near water in Bryan, College Station, you are guaranteed to hear many of these calls in the evening.

At the pond near my house, the frogs “sound an alarm” every night at 8:00 pm. They are on time every evening. Should you want to discover what frogs are around your property, please know there are rules for “Frogging.”  That’s right, a frog is considered a wild animal. LOL! I am not a “Frogger” but I think this is a Narrowmouth Toad.

 To officially participate in Frog capturing, you must have a State of Texas Hunting Licence. For parents of young kiddos, the licence is $6.00 if you are under 17 years old.  You should also attend a TPWD amphibian monitoring workshop which will allow you to receive a scientific permit for hunting frogs. Be sure to check out the Official Rules for Frogging which clearly state how to keep both “Frogger” and Frog safe.

Collecting frogs on public roads is not allowed, but rescuing them from traffic is! For the record, even with a licence, a “Frogger” is not allowed to possess more than 25 frogs or toads. And since we live near Houston, it is important to know that the Houston Toad is federally listed as an endangered species and may not be handled.

Wherever you are, be sure to enjoy the wildlife around you!

Happy Buying, Selling and maybe Frogging!

Snoofy knows her size and would never even consider jumping on or knocking one of my kiddos down, and we are very sad to have to see her go.  She is absolutely no trouble, and we have no intention of just handing her over to the first person who says: “Hey! I’ll take her!” Snoofy’s story with us started like this:

The day after my Yorkshire Terrier died of cancer, my Sister came from Houston to visit me in College Station.  As she was driving on the outskirts of the south Navasota area, she came upon Snoofy in the middle of HWY 6 and moments from becoming a become a Puppy Pancake. 

She pulled the car over, got Snoofy inside, and brought her strait to my house. What a mess Snoofy was! She was so malnourished you could not only see her ribs but her spinal column as well. She was very weak and clearly had fleas and mange.  Her hair was falling out and her skin was in awful condition.

It was obvious that at some point she had broken her tail as a puppy and the problem had not been addressed, and thus it didn’t heal correctly.  She had walked so much, the padding on her feet was worn away and bleeding in a few places, and her right foot had an abscess.  We started the recovery process by giving her a bath and then feeding her little amounts of food every hour.  By the end of the day, she was able to stand for a few minutes. 

As soon as the weekend was over, we made an appointment for her to see the veterinarian at Welborn Road Veterinary Medical Center. He told us the obvious, that this was a horrible case of neglect. We scanned her for a micro-chip and sure enough one was there.  It was time to make a decision about what to do. 

The vet felt that if we took her to the shelter, charges would be filed against the owner, but Snoofy would run the risk of being put down because of the condition she was in.  I called my friends at the College Station Police Department and came to pretty much the same conclusion.  If we filed charges, it wasn’t the best thing for the dog.  Another problem was that if I tried to keep the dog, I would be stealing as the animal is considered personal property.

There was only one choice left. I contacted the owner and bought the dog from her.  My vet then did a fabulous job of coming up with a treatment plan and Snoofy started on the road to recovery. Luckily she did not have heart-worms, and with in 2 months I could not believe what a beautiful dog was standing in front of me.  We went back to the vet who was also impressed and gave her a clean bill of health. Mentally and physically this dog has just blossomed!

She has had to learn how to play and that has been a wonderfully fun process to watch. She knows she will be fed twice a day and she no longer scarfs her food down. She is very much of a hound dog an prefers to sleep during the day on the back porch. As I have ducks in my back yard, and they have no fear of her, I’m not sure she is much of a hunter. She is extremely intelligent, and I have seen her make a few half-hearted runs at them, so I am sure she can learn.

We have taught her to come and sit, and we had just begun the potty training process when we discovered my husband was allergic to her. He has asthma, and our previous dog was a terrier which had “hair” instead of “fur” and did not shed.  Snoofy does.

We have tried regular baths and frequent brushing to no avail.  My husband even started taking allergy shots to help the situation. Sadly, after visiting with the allergist, we have decided it is best to find Snoofy another home as she really wants to be with people and it is not fair to keep her as an outside dog. 

She would be great with children or an older couple as she is not hyper and just wants to be loved and petted 24-7.  She is also a WONDERFUL watch dog. She is not a bark-er but she will howl: 1) if it is late at night and someone is in the back yard or behind the house. (She has amazing hearing). or 2) It is suppertime, and I am taking too long to get her dinner to her.

If you are interested in becoming the permanent owner of Snoofy, email me. She will need a radio collar for when she stays outside as coon hounds can’t help themselves; if they smell something they want to track it.  A radio collar will remind her of where she is suppose to stay. She will also need to be kept on regular heart-worm preventative and receive yearly shots from the vet.

Thanks for Stopping By and Reading Snoofy’s Story!

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Articles on Home Buying and Selling

I was on a final walk through on a home in the country. The Buyer noticed that the chickens were still in the coup in the back yard. She didn’t want them, and the Seller was long gone, so to complete the sale I took them home. Truth be told, at the time I lived in a subdivision and although I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh eggs, one day after work I came home to find two of the birds ”nesting” on the top of my roof.  After that, they had to go, but I found a great country home for them.

Since then there has been a plethora of creatures cross my path: from squirrels, turtles and rabbits hit by cars, to abandoned puppies, kittens, half-starved dogs, goats, wild birds, abandoned fish in fish tanks, etc, and I do my best to help each time the need arises.  I have even assisted a chicken with a broken leg and a mole. Sadly, the mole didn’t make it, but I do have a pretty good track record. ;D

This week, I helped a Buzzard. Yep. A Buzzard.  When I arrived home from work, it became apparent that a buzzard had broken his wing (probably from being hit by a car) and had decided to call my backyard his new home.

I already have approximately 12 ducks that live in my backyard (a story for another day).  As I have no medical training to repair a wing, and as his beak could easily have removed one of my fingers or one of my kiddos hands, it was obvious my backyard was not a good place for him stay.

Thus, I called on my friends at the City of College Station’s Animal Control Division. Within 20 minutes, a officier was on hand to help relocate my new feathered friend.  For those of you who don’t know, Animal Control will take injured animals to be evaluated by a veterinary rehabilitation specialist. If the animal is in a condition that can be helped, help will be provided and the animal will be rehabbed.

One thing you may not know about buzzards, (I did not know this before today) when they get upset, they throw up. And if you think it is yucky and smelly to see your food for a second time, imagine the results this bird can produce as we all know what they just got finished eating. BLAH. 

To put an end to this long story, I would like to thank the officer who came out and helped me de-buzzard my yard and I would like to thank my husband for helping him do it. I wish the buzzard a smooth recovery an a happy life at his new location.

Please: be kind to animals, and help them when they need it!

Happy Home Buying and Selling!

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More Articles By Raylene Lewis

Typically, “extras” are added features or upgrades to a property. Extras can also be things that are on your “Buyer’s Wish List.”  You should ask your Realtor to help you keep track of the extras and point out the upgrades in each property as you are viewing the home. 

It is also important to ask your Realtor to help you identify potential problems and maintenance issues. Although your Realtor is NOT an inspector and can not advise you on what is wrong with the property, they can point out the current appearance of things that will require ongoing maintenance; for example: paint, appliances, windows and carpet. 

If you are a very detailed and organized person, it can be helpful to make a list of questions you have about a property ahead of time to help you keep your information and your thoughts organized.

Here is a list of additional things to consider:

• Does this home have the amount of space you are looking for and need? (Both for now and in the next 3 or so years)
• Are there enough bedrooms and bathrooms to suit your family’s needs?
• Does the home appear to be structurally sound?
• Are there immediate upkeep and /or repairs that need to be done?
• Does the Floor Plan fit your lifestyle?
• Is the yard the appropriate size?
• Will the furniture you currently have fit in the space that this property offers? 
• Is there enough storage space? (Always pay attention to the number of closets and storage cabinets.)
• Is there anything that the Seller is currently offering to repair or replace?
• Does the property appear to be situated on the lot in a way that water is designed to run around and away from the home? (vs. in the garage or towards the back patio) Is the grading and drainage on and around the home adequate?
• What exterior maintenance will be required on this home?
• Does the home have a sprinkler system and how much landscaping has been done?
• Is the home wired for or does the home have a security system?
• What upgrades have been added to this home?
• How well does it appear the home has been taken care of?

Your Realtor should also be able to provide you with a Seller’s Disclosure of the home you are interested in.  The Sellers Disclosure is the document that the Seller fills out that states what the seller”knows of” that is wrong with the property.  This will help you to identify if something needs to be replaced and provide good insight to the amount of existing life the major things like HV/AC Unit, Hot Water Heater, and Roof have left.    

Your Realtor should also point out the pros and cons of each home you view from a professional standpoint.  As a Housing professional, your Realtor’s responses should be clear and complete.  Remember, it never hurts to ask questions, so continue to ask until you have a clear understanding of all the information you are given, and never hesitate to view a property multiple times.

Happy Home Buying!

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The West Team had initally lost its opening game in the Southwest Region Senior League Tournament, but aggressively fought through the consolation bracket to reach the finals.  David Williams pitched the decisive final game by throwing a complete-game two-hit shut out in a 1-0 victory. The West Pitcher also struck out seven players and the Team followed that with a 15-4 victory.

In the opening game, West only had three hits but ended up scoring the only run in the second inning when Jacob Sutherland walked, stole second and then scored on David Contraras’s single.

Miguel Perez scored the win in the second game. He also had two singles, a triple, and three runs. Player Matt Byer had a triple and three RBI’s.  Tommy Galvin hit two singles and also drove in 2 runs.

The Senior League World Series hosts its opening game this Sunday, with Bryan West stepping on to the field to play at 9:00am Monday morning.  West will be competing against the champions from Lithuania, Vilnius in a Pool B opener. 

Raylene Lewis’s office and all of Century 21 Beal, Inc. Congratulate Bryan West for their accomplishments this season and wish them the best of luck at the Senior League World Series! Wendy Martinez, Raylene Lewis’s Office Manager will be watching the games very closely, as members of her extended family: Michael Martinez - Player, Richard Martinez - Manager, and Johnathan Martinez - a Coach, are all members of the team!

Good Luck Guys!!!

• School Locations and National Rankings
• Access to Shopping and Public Transportation
• Average Lot size for the area
• Deed Restrictions
• Proximity to Other Homes
• Proximity to Parks
• Noise of the Train
• Noise of the Highway
• Children in the Area vs Students in the Area
• Open Lots vs. Homes with large Established Trees
• Amount of New Construction in the Area
• Amenities the Subdivision Offers
• Safety of the Area

When you find neighborhoods that you like, it is important to talk to the people that live in that neighborhood. Homeowners are excellent sources if information. They typically know the most about the area, and it is always a good idea to get to know your future neighbors. Researching the neighborhoods of homes you are looking at will insure that you find a location you feel comfortable in.

Happy Buying!

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