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

                                   This is a NEWS BULLETIN posted today from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207    This looks like the calm before the storm

There are still some people that say they are going to "ride out" the hurricane or storm. I say "NO" have a plan to leave and don't return until you get the all clear. Don't take any chances.

Below is some information for consumers to include a plan for after the Storm


CPSC Urges Consumers to Prepare for Dangers After the Storm

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 1st marks the start of hurricane season. As you put your hurricane plan in place to protect your family and your home, CPSC is urging  consumers to include a plan for after the storm.

If a storm knocks out power, consumers who use portable gasoline generators to restore power can place themselves at risk for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.  Only use portable generators outdoors, far away from the doors, windows and vents of indoor spaces. Generators should never be used indoors, including inside  homes, garages, basements, crawlspaces and sheds.

The amount of CO from one generator is equivalent to hundreds of idling cars in a garage and can kill consumers in minutes. At least 65 people died from CO  poisoning associated with portable generators in 2006.

CPSC also advises consumers to keep charcoal grills outside. Never use them indoors. Burning charcoal in an enclosed space can produce lethal levels of CO.

       If flooding occurs after a storm, do not use gas or electrical appliances or equipment that has been submerged. The electrical components and safety controls  may be damaged and burner parts may be plugged with debris, leading to a fire risk. Have fireplaces, furnaces, and other heating equipment inspected by a  professional to make sure they are working properly.

It may also be good to have a prepared First Aid Kit

CPSC recommends that consumers install CO alarms in their homes as a line of defense against CO poisoning. Battery operated CO alarms or plug-in alarms with  battery back-up add an important layer of protection in consumers' homes. Remember to replace CO alarm batteries annually.

For more information on protecting your family against CO poisoning, visit www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/464.pdf and www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/468.html

To see this release on CPSC's web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08291.html   

It is always a good idea to have extra food and water on hand. The links above will give you some very good information. Also, have a full tank of gas in your auto (even at the high price we have to pay).

Seeral weeks ago I mentioned to someone that a wind came up and blew the baby swallows right out the nest. A few days later the "mom" I think it was the same one was back again. Yes, more eggs, more sitting, and here are five new little eggs. Now this nest is a work of art, it is on a lip of a ledge about one inch wide and she worked for days building this nest. Too me she could have found a better and safer place to build this nest; but every year for the last three years a swallow comes and constructs this work of art.

Hope you enjoy our pictures.

The Mama Barn SwallowThe Mama Barn Swallow

This nest is a work of art!

There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed across the Northern Hemisphere. Four are strongly migratory. and their wintering grounds cover much of the Southern Hemisphere as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province of South Africa, and northern Australia.^[ Its huge range means that the Barn Swallow is not endangered, although there may be local population declines due to specific threats, such as the construction of an international airport near Durban.

The Barn Swallow is a bird of open country which normally uses man-made structures to breed and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup nest from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on insects caught in flight.

This species lives in close association with humans, and its insect-eating habits mean that it is tolerated by man; this acceptance was reinforced in the past by superstitions regarding the bird and its nest. There are frequent cultural references to the Barn Swallow in literary and religious works due to both its living in close proximity to humans and its conspicuous annual migration

The National Historical Park is having some fun events this summer. One highly recommended watching is "MOVIES UNDER THE STARS" AT THE LBJ RANCH airplane hanger. LBJ had converted the hanger into a theater where he frequently projected first-run movies for friends and family.

These bygone movies have been recreated on a professional screen. The Parks staff  has selected some of LBJ's favorites. FREE for viewing will be June 21, 2008 "True-Grit, June 26, 2008 "Oliver" and on August 9th "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner".

Gather around 6:00, bring your own chair, blanket, picnic basket, mosquito repellant. The movies start at dark.

For a full list of what's planned: www.nps.gov/lyjo

The LBJ Ranch is a beautiful place to visit in the Texas Hill Country. Put this on your calendar for things to do this summer.

                                                                                                                                                               Summer Night In Texas!  Under The Texas Stars Free Movies in The Texas Hill Country

I know you will think I have lost my mind. This is not about Texas, Inspections, Real Estate, Bugs, Flowers or any of that stuff. A friend sent this to me today and someone sent it to him. I almost deleted it but thought what do I have to loose so I got up walked across the room and guess what?\\Now it's your turn.

This is the craziest thing I've seen in a long time. For those of you in the 21st century (e.g. Blackberry Owners), you'll need to look at this on a pc. You also Have to get out of your seat and walk away (at least 6 feet or more)from your computer. People may think you're crazy. But it's well worth it. When you look at this picture in a Closer look you see its Albert Einstein But if you stand 15 feet away, It will become Marilyn Monroe. Give a try

 

IT MUST BE MAGIC?

This is Absolutely Awesome. 'Battle Hymn Of The Republic'.  It will send shivers up your spine, put a lump in your throat and put a tear in your eye. This is why we live in one of the greatest country's in the world. We are so proud that we live in this Great Country called the U.S.A. Please remember where we came from, where we are now and envision where we are going. God Bless America!...Thank You to our Military!

Fly Your Flag This Memorial Day: Please take a minute to listen to this to the end; you will be Blessed.

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm  

Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service, Serving San Antonio, Texas and Surrounding Counties          Since 1994, 1-800-258-6888 or Cell: 830-660-0131, License #3630

I thought if you would be going somewhere on that "bird bird" flying high in the sky you might want to read this review. My sister sent this article to me this morning since her husband is getting ready to go to Atlanta he has a severe problem with handling  jet lag. I will give you the entire article to read; it may be worth trying sometime to see if it really works. I have a problem with jet lag and will try next time I fly. Thought I would pass on for your leisure reading.

Ceil

Skip the pretzels: starving may fend off jet lag By Julie Steenhuysen - Thu May 22, 12:57 PM PDT

Provided by: 73% of users found this article helpful.

Normally, the body's natural circadian clock in the brain dictates when to wake, eat and sleep, all in response to light. But it seems a second clock takes over when food is scarce, and manipulating this clock might help travelers adjust to new time zones, they said.

"A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock," said Dr. Clifford Saper of Harvard Medical School, whose study appears in the journal Science.

He said a person from the United States traveling to Japan must adjust to a 11-hour time change.

"Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it's often time to come home," Saper said in a statement.

Saper and colleagues knew that when food is scarce, animals are able to override their normal biological clock to improve their chances of finding food.

Studies have shown that mice fed only during the time when they normally sleep shift their body clocks to this new schedule. "They would be awake and alert and ready to go an hour or two before a meal was due to appear to have maximal chance of getting the food," Saper said in a telephone interview.

"This is built into the brain. The problem is, nobody knew how it worked," he said.

He and colleagues set out to find this mechanism. They used a group of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack a master gene called BMAL1 that regulates the body's clock. They put this gene into the shell of a hollowed-out virus that acted as a vector to deliver the gene only to brain cells they were interested in studying.

When they put it into a small region of the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which serves as the body's primary clock, the mice adjusted to a light-based schedule for waking and sleeping, but not eating.

"If you don't wake them up they will starve to death," Saper said.

However, when they restored the gene only in a section of the hypothalamus called the dorsomedial nucleus, which helps organize waking and feeding schedules, the mice adjusted to the eating schedule, but not daylight.

Saper said when food is scarce, this second clock can override the body's primary clock. He said these same clock genes are known to be in all mammals, including humans.

While skipping meals ahead of a long flight or night shift has not been proven to work in humans, it may be worth a try.

                                                  GO SPURS GO! - Game 5 Playing in L.A.

   WE ARE TAILGATING TONITE!                                                            

San Antonio Spurs vs L.A. Lakers

Kobe Bryant vs The Spurs ... Kobe with his quest to be "top dog".

* The menu for tonite is "sandwich night" - kinda goes with our Game 1 Expectations - Sandwich in those Lakers from the basket so they won't make the two-pointers and sometimes  three-pointers. Keep those "pointers" for Our Spurs.

 *  Each Sandwich Name  Corresponds with a Nickname For The Lakers

  The Chicken Sandwich? (the chickens)  

  The Cheese? (stinky cheese)  

 The Tuna? (flip-flop when they go cold)  

  The Bologna (phony boloney)?  

 The Turkey (or should I say turkey's)  

 The Hamburger (The Hams)  

 The Hot Dogs (The Dogs)

If everyone would like to bring  dips or chips to go with our sandwich, please feel free to do so. Maybe Ms. Judi can stop "screaming" and bring us a great dessert, Please!  Maybe Dale and Ricki can bring some cool, refreshing drinks to go along with our sandwich. We will welcome whatever you bring and long as you join us for fun and games.

                                                                Thank You!

        PLEASE REMEMBER WHAT WE DO AND SAY IS ALL PART OF HAVING FUN AND WISHING OUR SAN ANTONIO CHAMPS TO ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP                                    

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS Schedule

Game 1 - Wednesday, @Lakers, 8 p.m., TNT                        GO SPURS GO!
Game 2 - Friday, @Lakers, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - MAY 25, @SPURS, 7:30 P.M., TNT
Game 4 - MAY 27, @SPURS, 8 P.M., TNT
*Game 5 - May 29, @Lakers, 8 p.m., TNT
*Game 6 - MAY 31, @SPURS, 7:30 P.M., TNT
*Game 7 - June 2, @Lakers, 8 p.m., TNT
* if necessary

We are in the process of replacing the old screens with SOLAR SCREEN (Charcoal Color)

Our house has major problems staying cool in the summer. The air conditioner would run
all day and would be hard pressed to cool the back of our house. The back of the house is
where the afternoon sun comes in, so it just baked my office and the kitchen.  We are using Sun Guard 90 Ultra Sun Block.

We are using a Charcoal color, which I was not sure would work, but after re-screening a couple screens it works great. Just sorry we didn't do it before. I also purchased the black splne to match the screen. It was time to do it anyway since my son's little pooch walked right through the screen on the sliding door last weekend. (I wasn't very happy with his pooch and told him not to come back until he could teach him some manners, ha, ha).   

Here is what it looks like and a very nice weight. If you want to save money on your electric bill you may want to consider this solar screen. You can purchase at Lowe's or Home Depot.

             This is something you can do yourself...No I don't work for the compnay. I'm your Preferred Home Inspector for New Braunfels, Texas.

 We started this list Mother's Day WHEN AFTER DINNER WE SAT AS A FAMILY EXCHANGING MEMORIES 

                                         DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

          Carl remembers when his Grandmother made him this Cowboy Outfit for Christmas.

I remember when I played "Pretend".

. What a handsome cowboy!          

Carl's really good memory...His First Car - His Corvette - Those were the days!  

Remember When WE had dark hair?

                                    Feel Free To Add Your Memories To This List

1. All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?  
2. It took five minutes for the TV to warm up? (if you had a TV)
3. Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school? 
4. Nobody owned a purebred dog?
5. When a quarter was a decent allowance?
6. You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny? 
7. Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces? 
8. All your male teachers wore neckties, and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels?
9. You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free.
10. Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.
11. It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant.
12. They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed . . . and they did.
13. When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber, people went steady and watched submarine races.
14. Went to drive-in movies. Carload for $1.00.
15. No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the unlocked car.
16. Lying on your back in the grass with your friends counting stars?
17. Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game? 
18. Playing I spy for hours. (I spy something red within ten feet) Getting hot, your cold.
19. Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger.
20. When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that waited for you when you got home.
21. Friday night football games.
22. The sock-hop with a live DJ (Ricki Ware)
23. Saddle Oxfords (black & white) and (Brown & White)
24. Leisure Suits with white buckskin belt and shoes
25. We dressed in a dress, stockings, gloves and hats to go to church.
26. Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shooting, gangs, DRUGS,etc. Our parents and grandparents were a bigger threat. BUT, WE SURVIVED BECAUSE THEIR LOVE WAS GREATER THAN THE THREAT.
27. When we read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boy's, The Lone Ranger, Roy and Dale, Laurel and Hardy.
28. Summers filled with bike rides, baseball games, Hula Hoops, bowling and visits to the pool, eating Kool-Aid powder sugar, those great tasting candy cigarettes in a neat box.
29. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside. Ummm Good!
30. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.
31. Coffee shops with tableside jukeboxes.
32. Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum.
33. We ordered our clothes from Sears catalogue
34. We shopped at Kress and McCroy's NikeL and Dime Store
35. Mother made our school clothes
36. Grandma made the boy's shirts from washed feed sacks. 
37. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers. 
38. Telephone numbers with a word prefix...(Raymond 4-601). Party lines. 
39. Peashooters. 
40. Cap Guns to play cowboy and rubber tipped arrows to play Indians. 
41. Hi-Fi's & 45 RPM records. 
42. 78 RPM records! 
43. Green Stamps & Gold Stamps (the wonderful catalogues that we got free stuff.
44. Mimeograph paper.
45. The Fort Apache Play Set. 
46. Do you remember a time when...decisions were made by ‘eeny-meeny-miney-moe'? 
47. Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, 'Do Over!'? 
48. Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
49. Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening? 
50. It wasn't odd to have two or three 'Best Friends'? 
51. The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was 'cooties'? 
52. Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot? 
53. Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?
54. Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles? 
55. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
56. We caught ladybugs in a mayonnaise jar with punched holes in the top. 
57. War was a card game?
58. Attending the Snowman's Ball in the high school gym at Jeffrson High.
59. Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
60. We listened to the baseball games on the radio. 
61. Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin?
62. When we had no air-condition; the windows were always open
63. Mother hung clothes on the clothesline
64. We wore starced pettycoats and waiste-cinchers to keep our pettycoats up.
65. It was exciting to have the opportunity to Vote.
66. We served our country with a proud heart.
67. We had to wear those dreaded garter belts.
68. We teared with pride when we heard the national anthem.
69. When we were pregnant we had to ride the bus to the doctor because we didn't have a car.
70. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon? 
71. Made your kits out of pine sticks with tissue paper and old sheet torn in strips for the tale.
72. Hide and seek......took up summer nights. 
73. When it was only 10 cents to get into the Saturday morning movies. Popcorn and coke 5 cents
74. When "GAS" WAS 20 CENTS PER GALLON.
75. They bagged your groceries and carried to your car and we could give a tip.
76. When we didn't have copy machines and had to use carbon paper.
77. We had hand operated adding machines with tape
78. WHEN WE DD NOT HAVE COMPUTERS, BLACKBERRIES, GPS,VIDEO GAMES
79. WHEN WE DID NOT HAVE THE INTERNET
80. WHEN WE DID NOT HAVE CELL PHONES
81. WHEN WE THOUGHT 'ACTIVE RAIN' WAS WATER FALLIG FROM THE SKY

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have lived!!!!!!!

 GOD IS GOOD...GOD IS GREAT...WE ARE PROUD TO LIVE IN THE U.S.A. AND THIS GREAT STATE OF TEXAS

Motor scooters popular in efforts to save on gas

I think Ceil and I are changing our mode of transportation to save fuel: What do ya think?

I solved the problem for all my Texas friends....Vespa Scooters...gas or electric. They are fun and economical, economical is the key to this blog. With a gas 4 stroke gas engine you can go shopping, carry your clients to view homes, use for your inspection and still be able to save money.

Vespa Scooters I'm using Vespa as an example because I heard on the news today that "Vespa" sales are skyrocketing. Here is a portion of an article that I read... Today, Vespas, like other motor scooters, are the beneficiaries of the increasing willingness of US consumers to buy motor scooters. Sales of motor scooters have doubled since the year 2000. Rising fuel prices are being given the lion's share of the credit for the increasing popularity of motor scooters.

How about this one with this luxuary sidecar?

                                                                                           How about this one with or without the flower? I can use this one for my inspections but without the flower please.        Now this one is top of the line. You can even get a cover for the sidecar so your clients won't get wet on rainy days.   

Wow! Great colors and even a rear view mirrow. I like the Red One.

"Green is in" ... a lot of people have become environmentally-friendly these days. You can say that it has now become trendy and chic to travel in these "green" modes of transportation.

Pollution free ... Because electric vehicles run on batteries and do not burn fossil fuels as their main system of propulsion, they provide the opportunity to reduce your personal environmental impact and improve local air quality.

Quiet ... There's nothing better than cruising down the streets and the only thing you hear is the wind blowing in the air. Electric motors are quiet and give you an entirely different feeling when riding. Many gas-powered personal vehicles are louder than lawn-mowers. Quiet electric vehicles seem to glide down the road with ease and are welcomed in most communities.

You can even consider an "electric" scooter.

 This is what it is going to come to if we don't get this fuel situation under control. Your choices, carpool, mass transportation or a way to travel and get around more economical.

                                                                     This could be our future

               I can not even ride a bike anymore so I guess I'll have to get roller skates for Ceil and myself