Riverhill Living Fall 2019

RIVERHILL Living Fall | Vol. 3, Issue 3

In this issue:

Resident Spotlight: Dr. Charlie McCormick Decorate for fall Enjoy fall glamping

Thank you Veterans We are Riverhill proud of your service

Riverhill Home Sales and Current Listings Riverhill Home Sales and Current Listings Data source is the Kerrville Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

January 1,Board 2019of toRealtors July 31, 2019 Listing

Data source is the Kerrville Multiple Service.

All residences including town homes and condos.

January 1, 2019 to April 30, 2019.

All residences including town homes and condos.

Riverhill Sales January 1, 2019 to July 31, 2019 SALES PRICE Riverhill Sales January 1, 2019NUMBER to April 30,SOLD 2019 100,000 SALES -199,000 PRICE

0 SOLD NUMBER

200,000 - 299,000 100,000 - 199,000

80

300,000 - 399,000 200,000 - 299,000

106

400,000 - 499,000 300,000 - 399,000

53

500,000400,000599,000 - 499,000

33

600,000 - 699,000 500,000 - 599,000

01

700,000 - 799,000 600,000 - 699,000

00

800,000 - 899,000 700,000 - 799,000

00

900,000 - 999,000 800,000 - 899,000

00

> 1, 000,000 900,000 - 999,000

00

> 1,000,000

0

Current Listings as of May 6, 2019 LISTED PRICECurrent Listings as ofNUMBER ON MARKET 07/31/2019

100,000 - 199,000 LISTED PRICE 200,000 - 299,000 100,000 -199,000 300,000 - 399,000 200,000 - 299,000 400,000 - 499,000 300,000 - 399,000 500,000 - 599,000 400,000 - 499,000 600,000 - 699,000 500,000- 599,000 700,000 - 799,000 600,000 - 699,000 800,000 - 899,000 700,000 - 799,000 900,000 - 999,000 800,000 - 899,000 > 1,000,000 1,000,000 +

0 NUMBER ON MARKET 4 0 8 3 2 4 4 2 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

Prepared by

Prepared by

The Hills Realty

1726 Sidney Baker Street, Kerrville TX 78028

1726 Sidney Baker Steet, Kerrville, Texas 78028

1

#1

RIVERHILL

Living

The Kerrville Daily Times’ Staff Carlina Villalpando Publisher Louis Amestoy Managing Editor Parastoo Nikravesh Special Sections Editor John Doran Advertising Director Contributors Nancy Foster Jeff Talarico Rhonda Wiley-Jones Matt Trevino Frank Dunlap Nancy Watts Photography Tom Holden Advertising Luly Bliss Brandon Baldwin Valerie Tucker Composition Dean Heep Johanna Rangel Contact Riverhill www.riverhillpoa.com Send story ideas to riverhill@dailytimes.com Contact The Daily Times 429 Jefferson St., Kerrville www.dailytimes.com 896-7000

Letter from the President Boy has it been hot, I really hope y’all haven’t melted. For those of you that participated in the second annual Ice Cream Social we do hope you had a wonderful time and we are already looking forward to next year. As we start to wind down summer and approach fall I wanted to take a moment and remind you to keep your eyes open for information on our second annual Christmas Lighting Contest. We had such a great time last year judging all the entries. We are hoping more people get on board this year to help usher in the Spirit of Community during the holidays.

On another note I wanted to say a few things that I hope will bring clarity to some confusion.

Currently, the Homeowners Association in Riverhill is a voluntary organization. Not being a member does not mean that you, as a homeowner, do not have to follow the CC&R’s. As of late, there have been several residents who feel that they can just do what they want and avoid following the rules. Not only is this unacceptable, there could be legal ramifications and it’s just plain rude. This board is doing everything it can to follow the rules that were set up to keep our neighborhood not only safe but a desirable place to live. Everybody wins when we all follow the rules.

We are currently working with a Homeowners Association Law Firm who is providing guidance on what legal grounds we do have when a

homeowner goes rogue, as well as walking us through the process of changing our status to a mandatory HOA. If we can get this done it will most assuredly help with some of the major issues we are facing as a neighborhood and could increase our property values upon resale.

I look forward to you attending our annual meeting of the HOA on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. at the Riverhill Mansion.

If you would like specific questions answered please email them to me in advance to Jeff.RHPOA@gmail. com. This will give me time to do research if it is something that would require that to be done.

Blessings,

Jeff Talarico Riverhill Board President

On the Cover

Photo by: Getty images

Coming in the next issue: Holidays

Riverhill Living 3

Table of Contents News

6 National Night Out Photos

7 Summer Yards of the Month 8 Bragging Rights 26 Ice Cream Social

13 Thank you for your service Columns

20 Golf Tip 21 Fall Decoration 22 Green Tip Travel

18 Trip Tips 24 Travel Tales 10 Resident Spotlight: Dr. Charlie McCormick

4 FALL 2019

We've expanded heart care close to home.

INTRODUCING THE NEW CARDIOLOGY CLINIC AT PETERSON HEALTH. If home is where your heart is, then that’s exactly where your heart care should be, too. That’s why Peterson Health continues to bring great health home with our expanded heart and vascular services. Our team, which now includes interventional cardiologist Dr. Bryan Waits, offers local access to life-saving, big-city healthcare — right here in Kerrville.

Right where it matters most.

Bryan S. Waits, MD

Our state of the art cardiology clinic offers • Preventive Therapy

• Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

• Cardiac Catheterization

• Echocardiography

• Coronary Angioplasty

• Stress Testing

• Cardiopulmonary Testing

• Vascular Surgery

To learn more about our expanding cardiology program, visit PetersonHealth.com/heart or call 830.258.6244.

Medical Director — Cardiology Interventional Cardiologist American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine

News

Save the date

The Association of Property Owner’s of Riverhill Annual Meeting Monday, Oct. 14, at the Riverhill Country Club Social: 5:30 p.m. Meeting: 6 p.m.

National Night Out

Join us for National Night Out on Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m.

If you would like to be a host home call Andy Magee (830) 377 3615. View host homes on our website at www.riverhillpoa.com.

Come on out and meet your neighbors!

Spread holiday cheer You’re invited to the 6th Annual Members Only Association of Property Owner’s of Riverhill Christmas Party 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3. Join us at Riverhill Country Club for music, food, drink and fellowship. Donations for the Blue Santa Program will be accepted.

Those donating will receive a door prize ticket. The Turning Point Grill will stay open after 7 p.m. if you decide to dine with your friends after the party. If dining, please RSVP Jennifer Gibson at jgibson@ riverhillcc.com to give her your reservation name and number in your party for the Turning Point Grill. No RSVP necessary for the Christmas party. You must be an APOR member to attend. You can pay for your membership at the door. $45 per household. Hope to see you for some Christmas cheer!

6 FALL 2019

Did you know?

The Association of Property Owner’s of Riverhill will host the second annual Christmas Decoration and Lighting Contest.

Let’s make holidays in Riverhill bigger and better than last year!

Rules: 1. Decorations/lights are to be ready for judging by Dec. 8 2. Under no circumstances will decorations/lights possess demeaning or inappropriate gestures, sayings, expressions, etc.

3. Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries.

4. Entrants must fill out the registration and submit to: andymagee1@me.com by Dec. 1, 2019 or postmarked by Dec. 1 and sent to APOR, P O Box 293895, Kerrville, TX 78029. Forms are available through the website at www.riverhillpoa.com.

5. If you have any questions, email us through the website at www. riverhillpoa.com.

6. Applicants do not have to be members of the HOA (although that would be nice!)

News/Yard of the Month

Save the deer, don’t feed them

Riverhill loves our adorable deer, but it is necessary to take caution to ensure a healthy, sustainable environment and population. Feeding deer will cause dangerous, learned behavior that will inevitably do more harm than the kind gesture of a snack could do good.

Winter protection Before winter hits, deer must have high quality fall food to ensure they build their fat reserves to keep them warm and reserve energy. By latefall, deer instinctively reduce their food intake and continue to do so through most of the

winter. During that time deer rely heavily on fat reserves and their ability to conserve energy, thereby making those reserves last longer. They travel less and seek protection in cover where temperatures are warmer. If a deer relies on additional feeding from humans, they will seek out the food during the winter and risk their fat reserves by burning the energy they need to save to stay warm and alive throughout the winter.

Human interaction Another issue is when feeding alters the normal avoidance behavior of deer toward humans.

Animals conditioned to human food sources lose their natural wariness and may become aggressive toward people either in protection of, or in seeking, human food sources.

Disease More than one deer will find its way back to a feeding spot and deer

will return in frequency.

Inevitably, large groups of deer in small areas will form and create a risk of spreading diseases such as chronic wasting disease, tuberculosis and mange.

No help for the needy Furthermore, the large number of deer at supplemental feeding locations will increase competition and the deer more likely to starve, fawns and weaker deer, will feel the brunt of the competition where deer who already gained their needed fat reserves during fall feeding will continue to benefit on supplemental food.

Yard of the Month July

Congratulations to the Ways at 2516 Birkdale Lane. The beautiful walkway to the front door is chocked full of different types of foliage and their towering trees offer much needed shade and curb appeal. “Way� to go!

Courtesy photo

August

Congratulations to Charles and Vivian Strebeck at 200 Spring Mill for winning the honor of the August Yard of the Month. Pictured here is only one of their many gorgeous crape myrtles in full bloom. This wonderfully treed corner lot has stunning views from every angle.

Courtesy photo

Riverhill Living 7

Bragging Rights

Serving up wins

Neighborhood Champs

Did a child or grandchild start school or college? Did someone in the family get married or win an award? We’d love to share it! Send a photo and caption to riverhill@dailytimes.com to be featured in the winter issue.

Love lasts Diane and Bob Green celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past June.

Tierce Tallulah Zipp, granddaughter of Lynda and Phil Demasco, won the West Texas Junior Champions Tour Championship Golf Tournament (11-12 girls) held in Kingsland on July 25 and 26. Tierce is 11 years old and resides in New Braunfels.

Rick Perry: My wife, Holly, and I won a national mixed doubles tennis 60+ age group tournament in Denver over the July 4 weekend. It was a Category III national indoor tournament sponsored by the United States Tennis Association. In mid-July we also won the husband-wife division in the San Antonio Adult Major Zone state tournament, which with these results will currently rank us No. 1 in the state. I value those moments even more right now, as I am nursing six cracked ribs and torn ligaments in my right shoulder due to a recent yard working accident. So, all you yard workers......BE CAREFUL.

HOME SWEET HOME

• Quick Turn Around • Buyer Education • Local Market Knowledge • Competitive Rates Jeff Harris

Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID 1678994

1101 JUNCTION HIGHWAY • KERRVILLE, TEXAS 78028 (830) 315-2362 • WWW.CFNBTEXAS.COM

8 FALL 2019

Hey batter, batter!

Asa Lacy, Tivy graduate and pitcher at Texas A&M, son of Phillip and Cynthia Lacy, had the honor of playing for the collegiate Team USA this summer. Team USA played a five-game series against Cuba in North Carolina. The 26 - man roster also traveled to Taiwan and Japan for two weeks. It was a memorable summer full of travel and experiencing other cultures. Asa is looking forward to his junior year at Texas A&M where he is studying business and pitching for the Aggies. Whoop.

Fashionista

» »

Tivy senior Grace Guerriero traveled to two fashion capitals, New York City and Milan, Italy, through the New York Times Student Journeys program. She had an amazing experience and gained a wealth of knowledge about the fashion industry and sustainable clothing manufacturing. Grace plans to pursue a career in fashion merchandising or marketing. She is also planning a local youth style show with up - cycled clothing.

Happy Campers

It’s a Girl!

Charlotte and Larry Petty meet their fourth great grandchild but first great granddaughter — Harlyn Kay Wyatt.

Step it up

Courtesy photos

Fredericksburg Dance Company along with The Fredericksburg Theater will present The Nutcracker Ballet & Coppelia in November.

Kenslea Braaten who dances for FDC, auditioned for a part and will be performing the role of Clara!

More to love

Congratulations to the grandchildren of Bart and Karen Jones as these four were all chosen as Campfire Lighters at Camp Longhorn in July which is a distinct honor. From left, Rhett Jenkins, 10; Kay Lee Jenkins, 17; Patton Jones, 10; and Layne Jenkins,13.

Del and Cindy Way’s latest granddaughter was born July 30 at 9:48 p.m. 7lbs 6 oz 20” long. Elizabeth Rae. Parents Laura and Jordan LaClair, big sister Ann turned two on Aug. 11.

Riverhill Living 9

Resident Spotlight

with

Q&A

Dr.Charlie McCormick

Get to know Riverhill resident Dr. Charlie McCormick, president of Schreiner University.

Q: How long have you lived in Riverhill,

still get to be very connected to students and then I get to work with staff, faculty and the board of trustees.

A: In 2009 we moved here for a job. I was offered the

Q: What is your favorite holiday tradition

and why did you decide to move there?

position at Schreiner as provost and vice president for academic affairs. That’s what brought us to Kerrville.

Cayce [Charlie’s wife] had done some work online before we moved down and we saw this house online before we moved here and we knew we were interested in this area. During the interview they took Cayce to Riverhill just showing her neighborhoods. She was impressed enough that after we finished the day of interviews, before we went back to the hotel, she said, “Let’s drive through once more just to look around.”

Q: What do you like best about living in Riverhill?

A: There’s lots of things we enjoy — certainly the

natural beauty of Riverhill, we love the people both our neighbors in Englewood and throughout the community.

I also really love where this house is located. We see a tremendous amount of friends and colleagues on the golf course here, and they come by the house.

It’s not unusual for us to step outside and there’s someone we know trying to chip it up on the green.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Kerrville or Kerr County?

A: It’s almost certainly connected to Schreiner

University. We’re big fans of the Mountaineers. We’ve got some wonderful performing artists in band, theater and choir. Every night there is a lecture, book discussion or something going on on campus. We never find ourselves wondering what we’ll do this week.

Q: Where do you work and/or volunteer, and what is your job title and/or role there?

A: I came to Schreiner as provost in 2009 and in

January of 2017 it was our great blessing to follow Tim and Mary Ellen Summerlin as sixth president of Schreiner university. As president I really get to be involved in all aspects of the university, which is fun because as provost and vice president of academic affairs I was in one world I lived in and didn’t have the time or opportunity to get as involved. As president, I

10 FALL 2019

that your family and/or friends do?

A: My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and frequently we do it here. I have the responsibility of making the dressing, and I work on that with my daughters, both of whom have left home. You know you have to do a little coaching to get them to make it right so I like to torment them a little bit in that process.

Q:

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy in your free time?

A:

I’m an avid reader, as is Cayce, and I also still enjoy some research projects that I developed as a faculty member. I have three research projects, and it’s hard to dedicate time to is as president, but I am still able to do some writing and lecturing on. One is cruising on the strip right out of American Graffiti movie, another is on female bullfighters from the U.S. who fought in between 1952 and 1965 and the Magi, the three wise men and cultural traditions.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

A: Maybe my biggest pet peeve is my pet. When

you move, especially when you have young children, sometimes that’s a complex negotiation. We lived in Philadelphia before we moved back to Texas. Cayce and I both grew up in Texas, but we had been up there for about 16 years. For Cayce and I it was coming back home but for those two girls it was leaving home, so part of the negotiation was to help manage this transition by getting a dog. And I told my oldest daughter she got to choose it. That was a very bad decision. His name is Hector, and he keeps us safe from all the squirrels in the neighborhood but that’s about it. He isn’t terribly smart.

Q: What is the best and worst thing about getting older?

Photo by Parastoo Nikravesh

A: This is Cayce and I’s first fall to not have any children

in the house, and one good thing about getting older is getting to know your wife again. A lot of your life centers around your children, and it’s kind of fun to decide what we’re going to do on an evening or a weekend. The worst thing? It’s harder to sleep in on the weekends.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve been given and from whom?

A: Always go to class. Always go and participate. A

cousin of mine, Mark McCormick, who passed away several years ago and was working in Snyder, Texas which is where I grew up, and Mark lived there and we were working together. I was about to go to college and that is the advice he gave me. And it was true then,

and it is true now. It is absolutely true in life. Showing up and participating is about 95 percent of everything.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: My family inspires me a lot. My dad certainly

does. He’s always been a very quiet but steady man, and he took care of my mom in her last years of life in a way that helped me understand what a man should be and what a man should do. It’s also that case that I get inspired by the students at Schreiner. The last two nights we’ve had them over, and it’s hard for us to go to sleep at night because we’ve been on such a high from their enthusiasm and interest and passions.

They just live in this world so well, and it is a good reminder for all of us to do that and for me to do that.

Riverhill Living 11

Feature

Answering the call of

Duty

W

Navy. He entered basic training in 1944 at Sampson’s U.S. Naval Training Station in New York and by early 1945 was training as a gunnery in South Carolina.

From there he leapfrogged to assignments in Portland, Oregon, San Diego, Pearl Harbor to Japan, and was discharged from the Navy in 1946.

Tom was born in Queens, NY. His dad was in the Army during World War I and, when Tom was in high school, his brother was serving in the Navy.

Feeling the need to explore, plus a keen call to duty as rumblings of war with Japan took root, Tom left high school when he was only 17 and enlisted in the

PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS Before the planned invasion of Japan, he was stationed on the coast of Okinawa at Buckner Bay and served on the USSLCS3100, a 175’ flat-bottomed gunboat designed to cruise into shallow waters to support military personnel landings. His was part of

Story by Nancy Foster e tried to address him as Lt. Colonel, but he said, “Just call me Tom.” Such is the personality of Riverhill resident Tom Gavin, a soft-spoken 93-year-old gentleman who served his country well.

12 FALL 2019

Top, Gavin’s journal depicted drawings and thoughts of his time in the military that he hopes to one day donate to a museum. Bottom, Gavin served in the Navy until he was discharged in 1946. Top photo by Tom Holden. Bottom courtesy photo.

Riverhill Living 13

a five-ship convoy that carried ammunition ahead of the troops. Tom served as a gunner and described the time as being precarious work for all. “We were unsure if we would come back.” He reflects on the night they were on the boat “and the sky lit up over the shoreline with explosive blasts. It was very frightening.

We didn’t know what to think.”

but he did visit the site two months afterward, and what he saw burned into his memory.

“I couldn’t believe the devastation, and I hope it never happens in the U.S.”

“I was proud to do something for my country.”

The crew soon learned war had been declared over and the commotion was one of exuberant celebration.

When asked about this memorable period, he said with a firm sense of patriotism, “I was proud to do something for my country.”

HIROSHIMA

Tom was not in sight of the Hiroshima bombing,

14 FALL 2019

He vividly remembers coming upon a very young girl standing by herself and crying amid the rubble. “She was so scared,” he whispered.

POST WAR AND ROMANCE Following the war, Tom finished high school, then entered Syracuse University for a Business Administration degree. In 1951, because of his military record, he was enrolled into ROTC and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

Tom and Bernie have been linked to the military

and a stint working as a home builder.

Feature

THE MOVE TO RIVERHILL Tom and Bernie eventually chose Kerrville and Riverhill as their retirement home and moved here in 2003, lured in part by the golf course that gave him hours of pleasure, not to mention two holes in one.

Although failing eyesight has ended his golfing days, Tom’s memories on the links still conjure up a smile.

PROUD VETERAN Bernie keeps scrapbooks, mementos and photos as a reminder of Tom’s achievements, including a carefully-detailed diary of his military years that may one day be donated to a museum. Like many in the military, Tom plays down his single accomplishments, opting instead to laud all who answered the call to serve. Lt. Col. Tom Gavin is among the many — including numerous other Riverhill residents who served.

See the next page to meet other Riverhill veterans Courtesy photo, Gavin and his wife, Bernie, on their wedding day.

since the day they met. She was a nurse and went to an off-base club one night after work. He asked her to dance; she accepted. She needed a ride home; he offered. Her home was 80 miles away; he didn’t care. Their wedding in 1953 was full military-style, complete with crossed swords. Since then, milestones and memories have accumulated of raising a family (they have three sons), multiple bases they called home, career steps and lifelong friends they’ve met from around the globe.

Following a three-year tour in the Panama Canal Zone where he served as Chief, Military Personnel Division, Headquarters USAF, Southern Command, he was reassigned to Headquarters USAF and became part of the Project Automate team, charged with systematizing and automating USAF personnel functions on a worldwide basis. After serving in a variety of Air Force administrative and personnel management positions, by 1974, while at Randolph Air Force Base, he faced another reassignment but didn’t know where. Lt. Col. Gavin felt the time was right to retire, allowing more time to spend with his sons, who were by now in high school. The next few years brought several moves throughout the country

Riverhill Living 15

W

e would love to thank our Riverhill veterans who protected our country. Thank you to all those listed, and any neighborhood veterans we missed, for your service and for bringing joy to our neighborhood and lives.

• Bill White - Vietnam • Charles Pendleton Vietnam, Navy

• Hank Ortega - Combat Medic

• Jeff Harris - Marine Corps

• Robert Fairchild

• Kristy Harris - Coast Guard

• Roy Boudreaux - Air force

• Truett Airhart - Korea

• Leo Boudreaux - Air force

• Don Holloway

• Clement Proud Vietnam, Navy (1960 1968) • Ralph English - Army

16 FALL 2019

• Marion Giesecke • Van Wells - Vietnam, Navy Special Forces • James Horne - 1st Lt. US Army (1967 - 1969)

• Dan Fox - Vietnam Cobra Helicopter pilot • Jerry L. Stroud - Army (1964) • Karen Bammel - Army, Germany (1976 - 1977)

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Community

Travel Tip

Camping in style

Story by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

W

hen I was a kid, my mother said about my dad, “He wouldn’t camp out in anything less than a Holiday Inn.” In a similar vein, my neighbor said of his wife, “She’s not interested in camping without fine dining, wine glasses and indoor plumbing.”

Some of us have camped in the wilderness all our lives, while others have camped seldom or never.

Many of us feel our bodies no longer would take the hard, cold ground for a bed.

However, a Hill Country autumn night or weekend may be calling to you. The cicadas are still singing in September and noisy frogs are croaking their own kind of percussion. Do you itch to sleep under the

18 FALL 2019

stars, but can’t fathom a night in a sleeping bag?

WHAT IS GLAMPING? About ten years ago the idea of glamping surfaced. Since then it has spread worldwide and is flourishing here in the Texas Hill Country. Someone merged two words, glamorous and camping, to come up with the term glamping. Since then the Merriam-Webster dictionary added it to their list of new words in 2018.

One definition of glamping is “a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.” Marketers for the online Glamping Hub says, “glamping is where luxury meets simplicity.”

It is what I call roughing it in comfort and style.

The concept has been around for centuries. As kids, many of us watched movies about the British on safari in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia with all the amenities of home in the wilderness, from servants to linen table clothes, and silver to fine wine.

$75-125 a night. To my surprise, I learned there are a number and variety of glamping sites all over the Texas Hill Country, close to home.

The appeal of glamping would likely not have enticed my dad, but it does me.

If you are ready for a night under the stars, sleeping to the music of cicadas and frogs (or Bach), you do not have to go far from home to enjoy a luxurious night in a king-sized bed with a down comforter.

“Do you itch to sleep under the stars, but can’t fathom a night in a sleeping bag? ”

FACILITIES You get to decide what kind of facility you want to experience. Do you prefer rustic or wellappointed conditions, plush or primitive? Would you like to sleep in a treehouse, teepee, geodesic dome or yurt? Inside with air conditioning or heat, or outside under the stars? If you read the series of The Boxcar Children as I did, you might want to see what it is like to glamp in a caboose. Tiny houses, airstreams, as well as cabins and huts offer lodging opportunities.

Do you want the companionship of other travelers or the privacy to skinny dip if you want? Are you willing to go abroad for the experience or to find a glamping experience closer to home? The Texas Hill Country boasts glamping on private property, at established KOA campgrounds, and through Airbnb.

AMENITIES For my dad, he liked Holiday Inns because he knew he could get a clean room, excellent service, and a good firm bed every time. It was the consistency he looked for.

What do you want to do, see, and experience when you get away?

For an adventurer, glamping locations often offer wildlife observation, caving or rappelling, as well as water sports, hiking and biking. For a couple who needs to relax, sites often include things like a pool, spa, meditation, or yoga. For a family of five you will find toys, bikes, and pool or skiing equipment.

If fine dining is your idea of a sublime time, then you can reserve gourmet meals and wine served, mood music and lighting, even pick your play list. If you can’t or don’t want to get away from technology, then take your phone and ask for WiFi, recharging outlets, TV, and streaming movies.

Whatever you want, you can find it.

PRICE I found a night’s stay ranges from $30 to $450 around the nation and an typical price between

Meet the columnist Rhonda Wiley-Jones facilitates workshops on keeping a travel journal, travel writing and the craft of writing. She is the author of her memoir, “At Home in the World: Travel Stories of Growing Up and Growing Away,” and is currently writing fiction. Contact Rhonda at rhonda@rhondawiley-jones.com or visit rhondawiley-jones.com.

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Community

Golf Tip of the

month Tip by Matt Trevino

Should you hit down or up on a shot off the ground?

The answer is down. A great drill to help hit down on the ball is fold a towel in half and lay the it on the ground about 6 inches behind the ball. The goal is the hit the ball and not the towel. If you are hitting up you will hit the towel, try it again and make the club come down steeper. For help with your game contact Matt Trevino, Director of Golf at Riverhill Country Club.

20 FALL 2019

Autumn Decor Prepare Your Home for fall

Story by Nancy Watts

S

ummer has finally come to an end.

Although, it tries its best to hang on as long as it can. Families are busy getting geared up for school, and Halloween is upon us.

Christmas decorations are already taking up more aisle space … but, don’t forget fall!

Fall is my personal favorite time of the year.

October in the Hill Country is beautiful. Just driving across any of our local Kerrville river crossings, gives you a moment of awe as you glance left or right to see the golden needles of the giant Cypress trees.

In our own Riverhill neighborhood with its abundance of Bradford Pears, which put on their own show of color. This is the color that inspires fall decorations. I look good in these colors, so why shouldn’t my home?

Whatever the budget, it is simple thinking.

What gives the most bang for the buck? Mums!

There is nothing more eye-catching than yellow

mums at your front entry. Easily assessable and affordable. Our local nurseries, overrun with mums, draw us in as we drive past. Drop them in your own pot with some added Fall ribbon.

Additionally, I enjoy making a wreath from fresh magnolia leaves. The front and backs of the leaves, being a rich, deep green and velvety rust, makes a beautiful contrast of colors as the leaves dry and curl. Usually, a bunch of fresh Magnolia leaves can be purchased at our local HEB. The dining room table calls for special treatment, as well. Try some fall leaves from Hometown Crafts with a variety of small gourds and pumpkins down the center. Or, you can go with all white gourds, to create interest.

Always experiment. Go beyond the norm and try something different.

One more very beneficial aspect to decorating for fall is that it will cover three seasonal periods.

Halloween, Fall and roll right into Thanksgiving.

All you have to do is remove the witches, black cats and jack-o-lanterns after Halloween and you will be set.

Riverhill Living 21

Community

Green Tips Story by Frank Dunlap, Master Gardener

A

ny good landscape plan can be enhanced by keeping an attractive and healthy lawn.

Even though we’re almost through the hottest months of this year, healthy grass blades that develop a deeper root system will keep your lawn healthy all year long. Cutting grass aggressively or “scalping” forces grass to spend its’ energy re-growing the blades, not deepening its’ roots. Scalping also encourages weeds to take over.

St. Augustine will respond best to having the mower on a higher setting, while Bermuda grass does better at one of the lower settings. With the mower set at the highest preferred setting for your grass type and only cutting the top 1/3 of the grass blades at any time, your lawn has the best chance of surviving yearround.

Just as it is best to water your lawn and plants in the morning, a good policy is to mow your lawn when it is dry, and that means early evenings when the temperature is lower.

It is a good idea to leave the clippings on the lawn

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since grass clippings break down quickly and return beneficial nutrients to the soil. However, do not leave clumps of long clippings on the lawn as they can smother the grass and result in brown spots. Do you have questions? Master Gardeners have answers.

Call 830-257-6568 or email kerr@ag.tamu.edu Hill Country Master Gardeners, a Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Other suggestions for a beautiful lawn: • Each time you mow, do it in a different direction. By varying the mowing pattern, grass will stand taller and look better.

• Don’t stick to a schedule. Mow your lawn when it actually needs it.

• Sharpen mower blades annually.

Continually using a dull mower blade can cause grass to weaken, making it more susceptible to disease and insect damage.

Party of Six ...

Your table is ready.

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May not be combined with any other discount or offer. May not be submitted for cash in lieu of services.

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Riverhill Living 23

Travel Tales

Share your trip Did you recently travel somewhere? We’d love to share your story. Send photos, captions and story to riverhill@ dailytimes.com.

Into the Wild Julie and Boyd Robinson. Courtesy photos

By Julie Robinson We planned a cruise to Alaska for our 10th anniversary. The itinerary included flying to Vancouver which was our destination to board our cruise ship headed to a northern port where we would take a train/coach up into Canada followed by the Yukon, Denali National Park and down to Anchorage.

Alaska truly is still a vast and incredible frontier, and the people and places reflected that romantic idea wherever we went. After three days on a wonderful cruise ship we disembarked in Skagway for our land portion of the trip. Starting in Skagway we headed north to White Pass, Dawson City (epi-center of the gold rush), Fairbanks, and the highlight of our trip Denali National Park.

Boyd having grown up in Montana saw many bears,

Aurora borealis

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moose, wolves, and other wildlife. However, Julie growing up in a large city had never seen a bear in the wild. Her first experience seeing a grizzly bear was entertaining. We saw several female bears with cubs, moose, Dall Sheep, golden and bald eagles, reindeer (caribou), and various ground birds within Denali national Park.

The trip inspired us to remember that much of history comes from the pioneer men and women who forged their way over and through mountains to get to the gold, with hope for a better future. After being there and seeing the rough conditions they had to endure (and still do), we appreciated our IPhones, cable, good roads, and homes that have central heat and air conditioning. When God made Alaska he had in mind something absolutely magnificent.

1

3

2 1) This cabin in Dawson, Alaska (where the Klondike gold rush took place) belonged to Jack London who wrote Call

of the Wild. It contained animal skins, a cot, traps, and a few guns. Not exactly a writer’s setting except we are sure he suffered there in the bitter winter cold.

2) Alaska is full of beautiful wild flowers everywhere during the summer. The weather was dry and cool between 65-72 each day. The beauty was so vast we typically captured it through small venues.

3) The Dome train from Denali to Anchorage through the wilderness.

Riverhill Living 25

Ice Cream Social Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Ice Cream Social! See you next year!

26 FALL 2019

Our Club Members Are Our Passion Our remarkable golf club started with a friendship between golf legend Byron Nelson and renowned course designer Joe Finger. That tradition continues today with the friendships still formed and strengthened on the rolling hills of Riverhill Country Club just as Byron Nelson had hoped.

You are invited to be a part of that tradition and the present celebration of the game of golf, fabulous dining and events, world-class tennis, swim and fun for your entire family.

Many families have taken part in what Riverhill has become over the past 112 years when it began as the mansion at Cedarcrest. Many families return generation after generation to enjoy the important history of this estate and the wonderful part the club continues to play in their lives.

RiverHill Country Club has several membership packages that include resident, senior, junior, corporate and non-resident.

Summer Fun for the Entire Family!

Riverhill Country Club • RiverhillCC.com • 896-1400 •100 Riverhill Club Lane • Kerrville Please contact Membership Director Bryan Hargrove at (830) 896-1400 x2230 for more information about memberships and initiation fees.

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