Carl Winters Blog, Real Estate Inspector, New Braunfels, Texas

                                                                                  This EVERYTHING TEXAS #10 will recognize The Texas Hill Country Wine Trail schedule of events that will give you the opportunity to visit some historic areas, see some beautiful wildflowers and taste some Texas wines made right here in The Texas Hill Country in our Great State of Texas. I am familiar with the Sister Creek Winery & Vineyards so enjoy the history of Sisterdale. If you ever have the opportunity be sure to stop in at Sister Creek Winery. Each winery on the list has much history. Make this a full day outing.                            

                                            SISTER CREEK - STOP IN FOR A WINE TASTING

Award Winning Texas Wines
Since 1988

Since 1988, Sister Creek Vineyards has been located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country in Sisterdale, Texas (Pop. 25). Bordeaux and Burgundy wine making techniques are employed to produce our Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot wines. These traditional wines are aged in 60 gallon oak barrels for up to three years. In combination with our barrel aging, minimal filtration methods are incorporated so the wines will retain their fullest flavors. In addition to these wines an Italian style Muscat Canelli is also produced. The winery is located between the cypress lined East and West Sister Creeks in a restored 1885 cotton gin.

History: A Brief History of Sisterdale

The Second Oldest Town in the Beautiful Texas Hill Country

History of Sisterdale,TX              

Sisterdale is located in a quite valley between the East and West Sister Creeks, just north of the Guadalupe River. Founded by Captain Nicholas Zink in 1847, just two short years after Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels settled the town of New Braunfels.

Sisterdale was soon populated with a group of German "free thinkers" who were disillusioned after the failed European Revolution of 1848. Upon arrival, the settlers soon chopped down most of the cypress trees that lined both Sister Creeks for furniture, cabinet making, and home construction...however, it was farming that consumed most of their time. These gentleman farmers thought they would be able to farm part of the day and spend the studying Latin, literature, poetry and music. Most had never farmed before moving to Sisterdale and the few that had quickly realized that the farming conditions varied greatly from their homeland. So, their idyllic vision of studying the arts and farming was soon dashed as the realities of frontier life settled in.

Sisterdale continued to grow and in 1850 Dr. Ernst Kapp and Dr. Rudolph Wipprecht settled here from Germany. Dr. Kapp established the Hydropathic Institute in Sisterdale, which promoted cures with mineral waters. The Comfort Museum displays a Hermann Lunkwitz lithograph illustrating the water curing process. Dr. Kapp later moved and became the first professor of languages at Texas A&M University.

Recently, a University of Chicago professor was researching his ancestors from the Sisterdale area and discovered a historical publication indicating that vineyards were planted in Sisterdale around the 1860's. Additional research indicated that the small limestone building adjacent to the winery was probably the site of the first permanent home in Sisterdale.

The 1885 cotton gin, which currently houses Sister Creek Vineyards, was in operation until 1927. A boll-weevil infestation in the mid-20's devasted the farmers and eventually forced the closing of the cotton gin.

The Sisterdale Valley Historic District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

 School

Sister Creek Winery is located just North of Boerne, Texas...http://sisterdalevineyards.com      

                                                                    Wine & Wildflower Trail Calendar of Events

                                                                                April 4-6 & April 11-13 2008

This is my entry for find an old Texas church. Hope you enjoy a little history and my photo's for this church.

                    BEAUTIFUL 1878 NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

                                                                 CZESTOCHOWA

This church was founded in1876 and was built in and dedicated in 1878 in Cestohowa, Texas (originally Czestochowa) located on Cibolo Creek in northern Karnes City, TX. It is a daughter settlement of Panna Maria, the oldest Polish settlement in America. In 1873 a group left Panna Maria and moved five miles north and named the city after Our Lady of Czestochowa, the patroness of Polish Catholics. They first built a small school that served as a chapel. A priest came once a month to hold mass. The church was completed in 1878 and named under the patronage of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   Tried to get the steeple all in but would have had to go into the creek.                                                                                                                                

This church was remodeled in 1931, repaired and painted in 1973. In 1936 the community had about 100 residents and about 200 in 1970. As of today 110 families call this their church home.

The church was originally built of native rock and stone and was plastered over through the years. This church is well maintained and is visited frequently by tourist because of it's Polish heritage.

Here are some pictures that will show how well the grounds are maintained. They do not have a website. Head Sister said maybe in the future.

     Cestohowa, Texas  (Czestochowa)  

Telephone Number: 1-830-745-2633 Visitor' Welcome... Bluebonnets in bloom on church grounds. March 2008

                                                                          GOD BLESS TEXAS

I know you may haved heard these before but sometimes it is good to refresh; even for new people just coming into the industry.

Some good items to carry in your purse and wear the whistle around your neck. Blow as loud as possible to draw attention.

These are some very good safety tips

1.  Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO THEM.
 Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse
than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER
DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail
lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The
driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

•·        (Note - newer cars have a safety latch inside the trunk that glows a yellow-green. This latch will open the trunk.)

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating,
working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.
DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect
opportunity for them to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your
head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
        a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
            repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything,
            wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back
            seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and
            run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5 A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking
garage:
           

•o       Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side
floor, and in the back seat.
             

•o       If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger
door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their
vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
          

•o        Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the
passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car,
you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman
to walk you back out.
It is better to be safe then sorry.

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible
places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at
NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even
then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. Run in a zigzag pattern.

8. It is best not to try to  be sympathetic; Stop. It may get you
raped, or killed..
 If you see someone walking with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle
or with his vehicle don't try to help; just call for help on your cell.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a
crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police
because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her
"Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door."

Now that everything is beginning to bloom here in Texas, and being that tomorrow is the first day of Spring, let's talk Honey, Beeswax, Sugar and all the wonderful things we enjoy because we have the Honey Bee.

     Call me crazy. One minute I'm blogging on home inspection, next  time Texas birds and now blogging about Bee's. The last few years we have seen fewer honey bees buzzing around our garden. Let's just hope this is just a cycle and our honey bees will soon return.

Did you Know?   

 Honeybees everywhere are disappearing. They aren't dying in their hives. They're leaving and not returning, absconding the hive only to leave it with a queen and a small brood.

In the 1898 and again in both the 1960's and 1970's, bee colonies experienced what was known as "dwindling disease." But since the 1980's, problems for bee keepers have increased. Its become harder and harder to maintain bees than ever before as beekeepers struggle to fight parasites and malnutrition.

Mites have been a problem, particularly since the Varroa mites were unintentionally introduced from Asia in the 1980's. Varroa mites suck the blood of bees, weakening and shortening their lifespan.

The mites have nearly eliminated feral colonies of honey bees, which used to pollinate many vegetable crops. Many farmers must now rent bees for pollination, which has contributed to the growth of large-scale beekeeping.

So what's the big deal about bees anyway?

The honeybee is more than just a source of honey for sopapillas, marzipan,  and fried chicken -it's essential to pollinating crops for human consumption. Bees pollinate billions of dollars worth of crops each year, including cucumbers, squash, almonds, apples, cherries, strawberries, melons, peanuts, cotton, soybean, and many, many more.

Here is a small description on Pollination.

POLLINATION

     Since many of our pollinators are now scarce, we are dependent on the honey bee to pollinate our crops. Pollination starts when a field bee crawls around a plant blossom. The honey bee is dusted with pollen. Then the field bee flies over to another blossom with the pollen in its hair. When the bee lands, the pollen falls onto this blossom's stigma. Now a fruit, vegetable or other crop can grow.

     Farmers actually rented colonies of bees to pollinate their crops. Even though other insects pollinate crops too, honey bees are one of the few that are synchronized and managed with the development of crops. If honey bees didn't pollinate, crops wouldn't be able to grow. Without the pollination from the honey bees there would be one third less crops in the world than there is now.

Here is a good link that is easy to understand very descriptiive about the Honey Bee

http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/bees/honey/index.html

 As families and friends gather to enjoy this Easter Season, we must also remember our gift of freedom and our troops that are fighting for our freedom. As Americans we need to take a moment to remember how fortunate we are to be Americans and enjoy the opportunity to spend this day in prayer and fellowship with family and friends.

I would like to share one of my easter bags I prepared for our grandchildren (their pictures in the background). Our grandchildren are the joy of our life.

                                                                  HAVE A FUN DAY!

to say a great big Congratulations Dale Baker  for reaching 100,000 points on Active Rain. You are so good with bringing such interesting information and always getting around to making nice comments. You have also given us such nice photographs to go along with your blogs. Needless to say, always helpful to everyone. You are helpful to not only people in your state but throughout the United States. I would have never thought when I joined Active Rain I would have developed such wonderful friendships. Thanks for your friendship.

If anyone should stop by be sure to leave our friend   Dale Baker  a  big  Congratulations.

  http://activerain.com/bakerhome

Hello - This is Ceil. A friend of mine that lives in Lubbock sent this to me and I thought it was well worth sending your way. I hope I know how to get this on here so you can hear The Star Spangled Banner and video.

This is wonderful!

This is a video of the Cactus Cuties, Young ladies ranging in age from 8 to 13 singing The Star Spangled Banner. The performance was at the Texas Tech vs. Texas basketball game January 20, 2008 in front of over 11,000 people.

This is the way the National Anthem should be sung!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKCVS57j284

Some records mark milestones we'd rather not see, and one was reached this week in Texas and across the United States when the price of gasoline reached an all-time high

I know this doesn't really have anything to do with real estate, or when you think about it maybe it does. What is happening to our extra spending money ? I use to spend $200 per month on gas, now I'm spending $400 plus.

LOOK  WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  MY  PIGGY  BANK  AFTER  I  FILLED  UP  WITH   GAS  THIS  MORNING

  POOR PIGGY!  

With what we pay for milk and bread and normal living expenses and  with gasoline constantly going up, I won't have any pennies for my piggy bank. Piggy is hungary for some relief.

Where will it end?

Great News for Spring & Summer Tourist Coming to New Braufels...River Ranch RV Resort has opened...Enjoy River-Side Camping....Texas Style.

This is great news since it had been closed from the floods from a few years back. This is such a beautiful place next to the river.  Camp in  New Braunfels. tube the Guadalupe, spend the day at Schlitterbahn or sail at Canyon Lake; yet close to the San Marcos outlet stores and easy to drive to San Antonio. Don't fortget to visit Historic Gruene 

Plan your schedule now and visit New Braunfels, TX and surrounding area's while camped at the River Ranch RV Resort now opened.

Have Fun! Below are additional information links.

Camping in Texas Hill Country at our New Braunfels RV Park between San Antonio and Austin

Gorgeous weather, rolling rivers, and all the attractions of San Antonio and Austin combine to make River Ranch RV Resort an incredible place to camp. Our family-friendly RV park is open year round, welcoming Snow Birds, Winter Texans, groups, and campers of all kinds. Join us for superb camping activities like biking, golfing, boating, fly fishing, inner tubing, shopping, festivals, horseback riding,and more! Click to view larger photo Click to view larger photo Plan your visit today with our easy-to-use online reservations system. River Ranch RV Resort is conveniently set in the quiet town of New Braunfels, just off Interstate 35 N. Our Central Texas campground makes the perfect home base for exploring nearby attractions like Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and Natural Bridge Caverns. You can go dancing at Gruene Hall, see the exotic animals at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, or head to the Tanger Outlet Mall in San Marcos for a day of shopping and bargain-hunting. We offer excellent facilities at River Ranch RV Resort, from free wireless internet access and cable TV to full hook-ups for RVs. Be sure to ask about our waterfront campsites! Our New Braunfels RV park is newly renovated with cable TV, concrete pads, clean laundry and shower facilities, and both pull-thru and back-in sites. This is an ideal place for fishing, picnic lunches, games on the sports field, or relaxing in your sunny campsite. Click to view larger photo Click to view larger photo Camp with us while you plan outings to explore San Antonio sites like the River Walk and Market Square (El Mercado). You can visit the Alamo, explore the Guadalupe River, or go fishing and boating on nearby Canyon Lake. Whether it's a day of golfing, touring the Gruene Historic District, or an evening at a fine restaurant you're after, you'll find it right here at River

Hello - I'm Ceil, Carl's wife. He said I should post this to the group with recipes but I wanted to share this with our Texas groups. Here is a good and easy one I used last year for St. Patrick's Day. Gotta have something "green".

    Gotta Have A Wee Bit of Green For St. Patrick's Day

Green Pepper Jelly

Ingredients

•·                                 7 sweet green peppers  - Use Texas Green Pepper

•·                                 1 hot pepper - Use Texas jalapeno

•·                                 1-1/2 cups cider vinegar

•·                                 1-1/2 cups apple juice

•·                                 1/2 teaspoon salt

•·                                 1 package powdered pectin

•·                                 5 cups sugar

•·                                 Green food coloring

Preparation

1. Wash peppers, and remove stems and seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch squares.

2. Puree half of the peppers and 3/4 cup vinegar. Pour into a large bowl. Puree remaining peppers and vinegar, and add to bowl.

3. Add apple juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Pour mixture into a large pot. Stir salt and pectin.

5. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

6. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam on top if necessary.

7. Add a few drops of green food coloring.

8. Pour into 6 hot, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch of space at the top. Adjust caps. Process 5 minutes in boiling water bath.

Yield: About 6 half pints.

NOTE: Use caution when seeding hot pepper and do not let hands touch your face.

TO SERVE: Pour 1/2 half pint jar over large brick of softened cream cheese. Serve with Triscuit crackers for a great appetizer!

It's the same recipe  I use for my japaleno recipe for Christmas except I use all jalapeno's.