Essential Maintenance Tips

Photos by Ken Vaughan

Nest Canyon Creek, LLC

What is the name of your business and how can someone get in touch with you?

We are Bill and Julia Koch our business is Nest Canyon Creek, LLC. Find us online at nestcanyoncreek.com or reach us at info@ nestcanyoncreek.com.

Tell us about your business (what do you do, where do you do it, etc).

We purchase homes and do signifi cant reconstructions. We then make them available for the next family to experience this wonderful neighborhood we call home.

What inspired you to do what you do?

I (Julia) grew up in Canyon Creek and watching the neighborhood grow and change over more than forty years has inspired me. Bill fell in love with this area when we started dating. He caught the Canyon Creek “bug” pretty quickly.

Tell us a favorite story or two about your business.

We have had several experiences with homeowners who have approached us about purchasing their homes at a time when their lives have required a transition. Many of them were original homeowners with a lifetime of memories, making these transitions very emotional. These homeowners had the opportunity to a see the transformation of their home once the reconstruction was complete. The joy they

shared with us, knowing that their home was well prepared to host another family on their journey to create their own memories gave us an amazing sense of satisfaction.

How long have you lived in Canyon Creek?

My parents moved here in 1972 from St. Louis and Bill’s parents moved to the area from Houston the same year. They lived in the Northwood Hills area in the Richardson School district. Bill and I have lived here seven years together.

What brought you to Canyon Creek?

I went to school at Texas Tech in Lubbock and came back to Dallas, but it wasn’t long before I was back in Canyon Creek. I love the sense of community here. It also has a strange way of making me feel so far away from the chaos of the busy city even though the city is so close. Bill shares these sentiments.

What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek?

The amazing neighbors and interesting people we meet here.

Tell us about your family (names, ages, schools, work, etc.).

Bill and I have one “furbaby”. His name is Tucker. He is a 70-lb. brindle boxer and is 1-1/2 years old . . . keeps us on our toes! Bill has three children: Will 24, John 22, and Sarah Beth 20.

Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek.

When I was a child, my favorite memory of summer was jumping off the bridge on Lookout drive in to the creek with all of the other kids in the neighborhood. The water was A LOT deeper then . . .

Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about your business or you?

Our goal is to reconstruct the older homes of Canyon Creek that may need just a little more than simple TLC. Our quality standards are high—they have to be—since we live here and look forward to welcoming the buyers of our homes to be neighbors and friends.

Getting to Know Guitars & Growlers

Some of you might have a noticed a new place near the ‘hood called Guitars and Growlers. It’s not “technically” in Canyon Creek, but it’s close enough already near and dear to our hearts. Learn a little more and stop by sometime soon for some good beer, great music, and delicious food!

What is the name of your business and how long have you been in business?

My name is Amy Baker and we are Guitars & Growlers. We’ve been open for two months!

Tell us about your business (what do you do, where do you do it, etc).

We specialize in custom handmade guitars, fresh kitchen food, and craft beer.

What inspired you to do what you do? Or how did Guitars & Growlers come to be?

My Husband came up with the concept fi ve years ago. He started a club in Richardson with local luthiers (guitar builders). But he realized that there is nowhere to sell and promote local luthiers in the DFW area. Of course, the love of Craft Beer came next. Why not a growler bar and a guitar store? Makes sense.

Tells us a favorite story or two about your business (so far, we know it’s new!).

We love having live music. My husband Rob and I love this whole part of the business. I’m here all day and don’t want to leave at night. We have such amazing support from our friends and community. Every night is a party.

What helped you decide on your location?

We were determined to open in Richardson, and to be on the west side of 75. This location is near our neighborhood and we love our community. It took us a year and a half to fi nd the right location and we absolutely love it.

What makes Guitars & Growlers unique?

I really think just having a place for musicians, craft beer lovers, and our community to have place to hang out makes us unique.

What do you hope for Guitars & Growlers and the area?

I hope that we build our lunch crowd. We want everyone to know what great food we have, as well as beer and guitars.

Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about your business?

We are so proud of being part of this community!

Get a sneak peak of the craft beer and great food available at Guitars & Growlers: http://www.guitarsandgrowlers.com

Then come on over for the good times in person: 581 West Campbell

Paul Voss by Teri Hebert

He’s 77 years old and he’s ridden his bike over 100,000 miles and through every one of the mainland 48 States. This month, we’d like to introduce you to Paul Voss, a Super Senior indeed.

Paul fi rst moved to Canyon Creek 44 years ago. He lived in his house for 42 years with his wife Lynda until she passed away nine years ago. They raised two sons in the only home they’ve had in the neighborhood. Paul sold the house two years ago but wanted to stay close, so he still lives in the neighborhood in the Homes of Prairie Springs.

Paul also has four grandsons, two boys for each of Paul’s sons. (Fun Fact: there has not been a girl born on Paul’s side of the family in 100 years!).

Originally from Chicago, Paul moved to Canyon Creek from Atlanta. Now retired, over the years he worked with Arby’s in management and ownership. Later he ran his own company providing services to software and hardware companies. Remember fl oppy disks? Among other things, Paul’s company duplicated fl oppy disks and 3.5 disks for many companies right here in the area.

He began biking in 1991 after his kids were out of the house and in college. He also loves to eat, so he knew he needed to do something active to keep in shape despite his love of food. A friend of Paul’s got him interested in cycling, and he’s been on a bike ever since.

About four years ago, Paul realized that he was biking some serious miles—by his calculations he had cycled a total of 85,000 miles in all of his years of cycling! So, he made a goal to complete 100,000 miles

by the end of 2017. But then he took it a little further in 2016. Not only had he biked a signifi cant amount of mileage, he had traveled and biked in 23 States.

So, he added a second goal to bike in all 48 mainland States and hit 100,000 miles by the end of 2017. And, he’s done just that. His goal was to tackle 100 miles in each State, and he did this mostly on his own. Through a combination of driving to each State, choosing a place and route, then riding between 25-45 miles per day to reach 100 miles he “completed” each State. He remembers his longest day was probably between 45-50 miles. That’s a solid day in the bike saddle no matter how old or young you are!

With his careful planning, on September 6, Paul’s bike journey took him on a county road west of Geneva, Nebraska where he passed 100,000 miles in the last State on his list—offi cially achieving both of his goals. On this ride, he had two outstanding moments: One, he was chased by some cows who were fortunately on the other side of a barbed-wire fence. And the other, as he completed his ride Paul says, “I was coming down a hill overlooking the top of these corn fi elds. The setting sun painted the fi elds gold. It was truly an amazing sight and an inspiring end to an amazing journey.”

Some of his most memorable rides include biking in Yellowstone and a magnifi cent trip through the Idaho mountains on a “rails to trails” ride where old railroad tracks are transformed into trails for bikes. One of his favorite highlights was in New England. Paul says, “I began a bike ride where George Washington was able to move 2,500 soldiers, 500 horses, cannons, and supplies across the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776. That was very special.”

He also enjoyed biking through Manhattan, which he calls “thrills and chills”. In August and early September, Paul rode through Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. He went back to his hometown of Chicago, biked “along Lake Superior on a beautiful day with not a white cap in sight on the lake,” and he noticed how clear the air was compared to when he grew up there. The steel mills he worked in years ago are gone, allowing the air to be free of the mill smog.

One of his most challenging rides was from Rapid City, SD to Mt. Rushmore. Paul was inspired by Admiral McRaven’s Commencement Speech at UT a few years ago. The Admiral says “Never ring the bell.”. And Paul says, “That is what prevented me from calling it quits on those last three miles up to Mt. Rushmore.”

He met many interesting people on his bike journey through the States, sometimes in some surprising places on lonely country roads. He made wonderful memories, often alone with his thoughts or admiring the beauty of our countryside. He remembers cherishing a moment laying in a fi eld in Wisconsin watching the wind whip over the corn and bean fi elds.

He also made memories in August with about 8,000 of his closest cycling friends by participating in this year’s Pelatonia, a large cycling fundraiser that helps fund live-saving cancer research through Ohio State University.

Aside from cycling, Paul loves Canyon Creek. He and his wife Lynda loved the schools when their sons were at Aldridge and on through PISD schools. They live close to the creek not far from the

waterfalls and they enjoyed being so close to that area. Paul has great friends and enjoys that he can bike the neighborhood and over to UTD to get in a good 25 miles about fi ve days a week.

Paul loves that he’s been able to watch people grow up in the neighborhood. He keeps in touch with some of his sons’ friends from when they were younger and in school. He’s glad he is able to stay in the neighborhood among friends and neighbors he’s known for many years even after selling his house.

Now that’s he’s accomplished his big multi-State 100,000-mile goal, Paul isn’t sure what his next goal is just yet. But, he plans to keep riding his bike most days of the week. He says it keeps him young and healthy. He adjusts how he rides and how far he goes the older he gets. But, he doesn’t stop.

We love seeing Paul bike around the neighborhood! Thank you for sharing your story with us this month. Keep cycling!