Hello neighbors, I guess it’s time to catch up. As you know, I work for the Appraisal Review Board.
It’s a seasonal job for the state of Texas. We have the legal responsibility to listen to property tax protests and to determine the fair market value, after listening to testimony between the Appraisal District appraiser and the property owner. Sometimes we hear 75 property tax protests per day. The Property Tax protest season is May through October.
When I’m not working for the ARB, I am trying to do the maintenance, repairs and upgrades that I feel my home needs. During the coldest part of winter, my 40-year old bathroom heater decided to quit working. Fortunately my handyman Roger replaced it with a new one. My HVAC heating system was acting up but fortunately, Ruben the HVAC tech was available and the heat was on. We have lived in Oak Hollow Park for 20 years. I have always been unhappy with poor lighting in my Garage. Roger updated my electrical outlets and now my garage gets bright when I turn on the garage lights.
Last November, my wife and I were on the fence how to we should vote … I was looking forward to paying a lower property tax bill, but my wife was hesitant, believing if we pay less property taxes, our local public schools will suffer. Now it is about 4 months later; Yes, my property tax bill is lower, but listen to the news, some schools are closing, teachers are losing their jobs, fewer teachers with more students per classroom.
Now the City and County don’t have enough money to fund the 2026 proposed budget
All property owners that successfully protested their (tax year) 2025 property taxes were promised that their 2026 property tax value would not increase. Now we have the Mayor in San Antonio, stating that the city budget was going to be $1,000,000 less than needed. More financial woes: the new Spurs project was voted in and the County needs to come us with more than a billion dollars.
But they cannot raise market value appraisals to collect more money.
How are the City and County going to collect millions or billions more money?
I can only see one possible way! Please view the 2025 Total Tax Rate used to calculate property tax bills.
When the County raises the Total Tax Rate, every property owner’s property tax bill will increase even if the appraised market value does not increase, and that is how the City and County will pay their commitments.
What can you do if you don’t want a higher property tax bill?
You should protest your 2026 proposed property taxes to keep your property tax bill from increasing.
Please find videos I created, giving you examples on “How to successfully protest your property taxes” online @ OakHollowPark.com/tax/.
Watch Elmer’s three videos: 1- Property Tax protest preparation. 2- The Informal Hearing. 3- The Formal Hearing.
First, I will publish articles featuring tips and strategies to successfully protest your property taxes and every year before the property tax protest season, I will create one detailed video, exclusively for Oak Hollow Park neighbors, showing step-by-step how to successfully protest your property taxes and lower your property tax bill. I have learned plenty about the property tax protest strategies.
Second, I am receiving funny jokes and stories from neighbors and friends every week, and every week I publish new jokes on my website. We all need some free time, a distraction from time to time. A smile is good for the soul!
Third, our homes are 40 years old, and I will share my home maintenance experiences and tips. I will tell you about the wonderful contractors that have helped fix the stuff that I tried to fix myself. I have met a few great contractors:
An affordable HVAC tech that saved my (original 40 year old) HVAC system from failing, and a dependable “Handyman,” that has repaired so many things for my home, and an impressive irrigation guy that solved problems with my “sprinklers.”
Do you know how much it costs to replace a garage door? Both doors were falling apart. I met an experienced (garage door repair) guy, he used “angle-iron” to strengthen my doors, they are stronger than ever now … he’s my call, when my garage door acts up! And (like many neighbors) I had several tree stumps in my yard, I met a guy, an “Arbor” specialist, who removed several tree stumps with precision at an affordable cost. Read more about my “Preferred Contractors” under the “Maintenance” tab.
Fourth, I will publish my “Connections” newsletter with a summary of my other posts, and I will publish the dates when our monthly coffee meetings are scheduled. My promise to you, when I am pleased with a “contractor’s” help, I will broadcast their services to everyone I know.
Our next Coffee & Conversation meeting will be sheduled in March at our home. Meetings start at 9am, for one hour until 10am. Free coffee & chocolate chip cookies.
PS: Working for the ARB is pretty special, great coworkers, and fun learning experiences. If you have any questions, ask at the next coffee meeting. Until then …
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Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react. Being reckless with Pops.
Pops showed me how to drive. Sharing my lesson.
The snow fell in thick, wet flakes, blanketing the high school parking lot in a smooth layer of white. I was 16, just a few weeks into having my learner’s permit, and the idea of driving in winter weather filled me with equal parts excitement and dread.
Pops, my grandfather, sat in the passenger seat of our old Chevy sedan with a glint in his eye and a grin that always meant one thing: mischief.
“Alright,” he said, gesturing toward the wide, empty parking lot. “Take her out there.”
I blinked at him, unsure if I’d heard him right. “What? Pops, it’s snowing!”
“Exactly. Better to learn here than on the road. Trust me.”
Reluctantly, I shifted the car into drive, the tires crunching softly against the snow as we moved forward.
“Now, pick up some speed,” he instructed.
“Speed up? Are you sure about this?”
“Just do it,” he said with a calm confidence that didn’t match the storm brewing in my chest.
I pressed the gas pedal hesitantly, the car inching faster across the lot. My knuckles tightened around the steering wheel. Just as I began to think this wasn’t so bad, Pops dropped the bombshell.
“Now slam the brakes.”
“What?! Are you crazy?”
“Slam ’em! Trust me!”
With a deep breath and every nerve in my body on edge, I stomped on the brake pedal. The car lurched, then slid uncontrollably, the tires skidding over the ice hidden beneath the snow. My heart raced as the back end of the car fishtailed wildly.
“Feel that?” Pops said, his voice steady and calm. “That’s what losing control feels like. Now steer into the skid. Nice and easy.”
My hands trembled, but I did as he said, gently turning the wheel in the direction of the slide. Slowly, the car straightened out and came to a stop.
“Good,” he said with a nod of approval. “Now let’s do it again.”
For the next hour, we practiced sliding, spinning, and skidding. Pops had me brake hard, accelerate too quickly, and take sharp turns on purpose—everything I’d always been told not to do. At first, I thought he was out of his mind, but with each pass, I started to get the hang of it. I learned how the car moved, how to read the road (or lack of it), and, most importantly, how to stay calm even when everything felt out of control.
By the time we left the parking lot, I felt like a different driver. The snowstorm didn’t seem so scary anymore.
Years later, whenever I hit an icy patch or find myself navigating a blizzard, I think back to that day. Instead of fear, I feel prepared. Pops had given me the gift of experience in a place where mistakes didn’t have consequences.
At the time, I thought he was reckless. But now I know better. He was teaching me one of the most important lessons of my life: how to stay steady and in control, even when the world feels like it’s spinning out from under you.
View tough days as opportunities for learning and building persistence. Remember, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.”
Hello, this is the July 2025 issue of the Connections newsletter. It will include a variety of stories about life in the Oak Hollow Park neighborhood, and I hope you will find this newsletter entertaining to read.
I am hopeful to create a design that can be screen-printed onto a shirt, showing “Pride” of living in Oak Hollow Park. Please find several designs I created @ https://oakhollowpark.com/new-tshirt-design/
A couple years ago, I tried to find where the Oak Hollow Park neighborhood ranked in San Antonio. In my research I found a ranking showing Oak Hollow Park within the top 200. After more research, I discovered there are 173 neighborhoods in San Antonio. So, I guess that puts us in the top 200. At least the Northeast part of San Antonio is ranked the safest area.
The wind and rain left memories.
Last month we had very strong winds and my large back yard canopy almost got blown into our pool. I bought rope and securely tied the canopy poles to my large oak trees. And this week of heavy rain, my poles did not move but the roof-tarp filled up with rain and my sturdy canopy metal poles folded like tin-foil under the weight of the rain water. Did you have any problems caused by the wind and rain?
Humor:
Most of us get heavier as we get older because there a lot more information in our heads. So, I’m not fat, I’m just really intelligent and my head couldn’t hold anymore so it started filling up the rest of me . That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. … anyone else think like this?
Did You Know: Neighborhood Associations across the country are rewriting (CC&Rs) rules to try to prevent investors from purchasing housing in their neighborhoods, The Wall Street Journal reports. Some neighborhood association groups are concerned that an uptick in homes purchased by investors could lead to a decline in property maintenance and make their neighborhoods less desirable.
Experts tells us that when there are more than 10% of rentals in a single-family neighborhood, like Oak Hollow Park, the desirability of the neighborhood goes down. If you have too many rental properties in a neighborhood of single-family homes, it can cause property prices to stagnate or even drop. That’s because tenants don’t always maintain homes to the level that owners who actually live in the property do. When homes start to run down, the whole neighborhood suffers.
In Texas, a non-HOA Neighborhood Association like Oak Hollow Park cannot put a cap on rental properties. However, a non-HOA Neighborhood Association in Texas can discourage investment buyers, by strategically implementing rules and encouraging neighbor involvement … by updating the CC&Rs.
The neighborhood association can maintain open communication with residents about the benefits of discouraging investment buyers and the potential impact on the neighborhood’s character.
Let’s create a Legacy in Oak Hollow Park by creating and enforcing neighborhood standards.
Over the last 3 years, Oak Hollow Park has had more turnover than any other time in the past 20 years and in the past 3 years, there were more homes purchased by investors than any other time. In the past couple years, non-mandatory membership in Oak Hollow Park is about half of what it has been for several years.
A Neighborhood Association can positively impact and even increase property values by maintaining a desirable and attractive environment and enforcing neighborhood standards. This includes tasks like encouraging all resident to keep up with landscaping, cleaning, as well as a boards’ oversight to ensure homes are well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing. Gentle reminders are often helpful.
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This might not be the newsletter that neighbors are paying for, but hopefully it’s worth reading.
I write about “Life in Oak Hollow Park”, and maintenance tips for our 40-year-old homes. I post funny jokes, and I am consistently trying to educate neighbors … How to protest their property taxes, so they have less debt and save more money.
I do wish there were more events so neighbors could meet each other.
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It’s time that Oak Hollow Park has a mission statement, a vision to strive for … may I suggest:
“Oak Hollow Park is a vibrant, connected community where every resident feels valued, every resident feels confident enough to get involved. We have a safe, walkable environment with active participation from residents in shaping the future of our neighborhood”.
Our Goal should be creating events to bring neighbors together, so neighbors get to know each other and create a “BRAND” that Oak Hollow Park is a nice family neighborhood and a wonderful place to live.
I recently un-retired from my 5-year retirement.
I started working for Bexar County. I listen to homeowners protest their annual property taxes. It’s a great seasonal job (May to October), but I didn’t know I’d feel so tired. I only got my weekends to mow my lawn, to take care of my pool and to keep up with my “Honey Do List!” I ain’t complaining, I’m just explaining, but my wife say’s “Just do it!”
I work for the Appraisal Review Board, and I am learning every strategy possible to win a property tax bill reduction. For sure, my annual video next year will be filled with new details how to successfully win a property tax protest exclusively for homeowners on the “OakHollowPark.com” website.
Please know … I hope you don’t plan to sell your home this year … Experts forecast one of the “slowest years” ever for “Home Sales,” and they hope we’ll bounce back, maybe later in 2026.
Your time is priceless!
“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” And “Life” is fleeting, so let’s make the most of it …
The day starts, and before we know it, it’s already evening. Monday rolls around, and suddenly it’s Friday. The month slips by, and before we realize it, the year is almost gone. We look back and see that decades have passed, 40, 50, 60, even 70 or 80 years, and we realize we’ve lost loved ones along the way. Time has flown by, and we can’t go back. So, despite everything, let’s try to embrace the time we have left. Let’s seek out activities that bring us joy and add some color to our sometimes-dull routines. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the little things that make our hearts feel fuller.
We must continue to find peace in this time we have. Let’s stop putting things off, no more “I’ll do it later,” “I’ll say it later,” or “I’ll think about it later.” We often treat ‘later’ like it’s guaranteed, but the truth is: the coffee gets cold, priorities shift, the magic fades, our health declines, children grow up, parents age, promises are forgotten, days turn into nights… and before we know it, life has passed.
Just do it!
So, let’s not wait for ‘later.’ By putting things off, we risk missing the best moments, the best experiences, and the chance to truly connect with friends, family and neighbors. Today is the day. Now is the moment.
We no longer have the luxury of time to delay what matters most. Life may seem like it stretches on forever, but it’s a very short journey. Let’s cherish every bit of it, because time can never be brought back.
Monthly Coffee and Conversations
My wife and I will continue hosting our monthly coffee meetings on Saturday mornings, because some neighbors still enjoy sitting, talking and drinking coffee with us. Please text me if you’d like to join us.
Find our coffee meeting schedule at https://oakhollowpark.com/coffee/
This is another drawing … Oak Hollow Park
… maybe an idea for a neighborhood logo.
Have you ever taken your dogs to McAllister Dog Park?
It gets crowded on Saturdays after 8am, so getting there early is peaceful, before the big dogs arrive. So, my wife wakes me at 7am and says let’s go. We should take the dogs (we got 2) to the dog park before it gets too crowded. I barely sipped my morning coffee, and we were on our way.
We parked about 200 yards from the park and by the time we reach the dog park gate, I am winded.
We removed the leashes from the dogs and watch them run! The dogs race ahead, then return back to us, then race some more. There is a large round path, and we are walking around and around. After about 3 long laps, I am ready to go home, but my wife says one more lap because you need to get your steps in.
Then it hit me! I realized we were at the Dog Park so I could get my steps in…
Humor starts here… Sometimes when you visualize a funny story, it becomes an unforgettable memory. Keep reading.
“Late again, Johnny,” said Miss Crabtree, arms crossed as little Johnny slipped into class nearly an hour past the bell.
“It ain’t my fault, Miss Crabtree,” Johnny said, eyes wide with innocence. “Blame my Daddy. It’s ‘cause he sleeps in the nude!”
Now Miss Crabtree had been teaching third grade for over thirty years. She’d heard every excuse in the book … but this one gave her pause. With a wary sigh, she asked, “Johnny … what does your father sleeping naked have to do with you being late?”
Johnny grinned, clearly enjoying every second of his story.
“Well, Miss Crabtree, we got ourselves a real sneaky coyote out at the ranch. The past few nights he got six of our hens and even killed Mama’s best milk goat!”
“So last night, Daddy heard something in the chicken coop. He jumped up, grabbed his shotgun, and hollered, “That dang coyote’s back … I’m gonna get him!”
“He told me to stay inside. And off he went, naked as a jaybird! No boots, no pants, no nothing!”
Johnny pantomimed crawling on the ground.
“He creeped out to the coop real quiet-like, crawling through the dirt like some kind of cowboy ninja.
Then he poked his double-barrel through the henhouse window, just waiting …”
Miss Crabtree raised a brow. “Go on.”
“Well,” Johnny continued, “our old black Lab, Bob, woke up and went looking for Daddy … and just as Daddy was staring into the dark, thinking he had that coyote cornered …”
Johnny paused dramatically, “Bob snuck up behind Daddy … and stuck his cold nose right in Daddy’s crack!”
Johnny’s class erupted in laughter.
Johnny added proudly, “We’ve been plucking chickens since three this morning because Daddy fired both barrels straight into the chicken coop!”
…… Find new funny jokes and stories every week @ https://oakhollowpark.com/jokes/
( Another one) The Lawyer Knows Best
So, a young man goes to see a Texas lawyer and says, “My neighbor borrowed $500 and won’t pay me back. What should I do?”
The lawyer asks, “Do you have any proof he owes you the money?”
“Not really,” Andy replies. “I trusted him. I thought we were friends.”
“I see,” says the lawyer.
“Alright, we’ll send him a letter asking for the $5,000 he owes you, with a stamped return envelope.”
The young man says, “But it’s only $500?”
“Exactly,” the lawyer grins. “And that’s the amount he’ll correct us with in writing … giving us proof for court!”
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After being married for 40 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, ‘Forty years ago we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep with a hot 23-year-old girl every night.
Now, I have a $400,000 home, a $45,000 car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV, but I’m sleeping with a 63-year-old woman. It seems to me that you’re not holding up your side of things.’
My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 23-year-old girl and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.
“Aren’t older women great, they really know how to solve an old guy’s problems.”
Hello, this is the June 2025 issue of the Connections newsletter. It will include a variety of news, funny jokes, and a self-created crossword puzzle … hopefully you feel this newsletter has enough variety to make it worth reading. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the content will be until I actually start writing this newsletter.
Congratulations! Our Oak Hollow Park neighbors did it! We successfully protested against the zoning change for the proposed car wash … next door.
It’s amazing how our neighbors … all came together! Let’s do it again.
Oak Hollow Park is a vibrant, connected community, where every resident feels valued, and every resident feels confident enough to get involved. We have a safe, walkable environment with active participation from residents in shaping the future of our neighborhood. Let’s work on campaigns to bring neighbors together!
May 3rd – Coffee meeting recap: (next event is June 7th)
For the 20 people that attended last month’s (May) Saturday coffee meeting, we enjoyed the Q & A with financial consultant Brian Thompson from Edward Jones (210) 824-7811. We talked about how the tariffs affect the stock market, the cost of insurance and convalescent care, to Wills, Living Trusts and so much more. We discussed “Real IDs, property taxes, and apps by insurance companies that monitor our driving habits.
The hour flew by … Now I am preparing for our next coffee meeting … Unfortunately, Mike Paul has a conflict and will miss our June coffee meeting, but on the Calendar at a later date.
AND we will talk about how some of our neighbors are saving money with HEB coupons.
Consider joining us for coffee on Saturday June 7th from 9am to 10am. Once a month, my wife & I host a coffee and conversation meeting with neighbors.
If you haven’t attended and would like to spend time getting to know your neighbors, text me, so I can make room for you.
Les Earls, text # (210) 442-9886. We also have chocolate chip cookies. Bring your spouse. 15331 Pebble Path.
Good luck with this self-created crossword puzzle … need to figure out the riddles for answers. Find answers at https://oakhollowpark.com/crossword-riddle-puzzle-answers/
Anybody else have old recordings in a closet?
This is for my (AARP) neighbors that used to own a VHS VCR. I found over 50 VHS disks in a closet with recordings from back in the day. I am curious what we have recorded. I imagine my daughter as a baby, our wedding, vacations, parties, our daughter growing up, and road trips. I barely remember myself over 30 years ago, it might be fun to look back. And, I just found an old VHS player in the back bedroom closet, so when time permits and when I remember, I got me some videos to watch and some memories to remember. Do you have any VHS recorded tapes in your closet?
Some things you do once a year, like re-register your car, pay property taxes, and some things every 10 years like renew your driver’s license, and renew your passport. So now it’s time to renew my passport. I remember 10 years ago, I made an appointment at the post office, I got both the photo and application there. They don’t tell you online that our local post offices don’t renew passports.
At the post office, I grabbed an oversized letter Priority Mail envelope and went to Walgreens for my passport photo. The passport photo ( 2 in a pack) was $18. I got home and I clicked the official state link:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew.html … I was on a roll.
I was able to complete the DS-82 form and print my completed application on my home printer. I put a check (payable US Dept of State), my completed application, my expired passport inside the Priory Mail envelope and drove back to the post office. It cost $10 to mail everything to National Passport – Processing Center, Post Office Box 640155 Irving, TX 75064-0155, and I got my new passport 2 weeks later.
Over the past couple years, I have had 6 trees that I had to cut down, leaving me with 6 ugly tree stumps in my back yard. And finally, they are gone. My neighbor was having a large tree removed by a tree service. I was impressed how quickly a couple guys removed that tree. The next day, they brought a “riding stump grinder.” And I asked if they could remove my 6 stumps when they got done next door. I left to pick up my daughter from school and when I got home the stumps were gone (and all cleaned up too). I got a deal (in my opinion). So, if you need some tree stumps removed call Patrick Samaniego at Quicken Tree Service (210) 812-9138.
Welcome New Neighbors:
Info you can use when you move into Oak Hollow Park. I remember moving into Oak Hollow Park like it was yesterday, although it was actually in 2005.
New neighbor, when you move in, you probably have the big stuff working, the roof with no leak, the HVAC system working with cool or warm air. The hot water is good. If you do need a “big fix” go online to nextdoor.com and look for contractor referrals. Also, after you are able to login to the Oak Hollow Park Families Facebook page, ask for recommendations. Read more tips at:
An elderly San Antonio man lay on his deathbed
He was surrounded by his wife, three kids, and a nurse.
With a deep breath, he began speaking: “Bill, you get the Alamo Heights houses. Mary, the houses in Castle Hills are yours. Tom, the Hill Country Village houses are yours. Debra, the town homes in Shavano Park are all yours. And my dear wife, you take all the homes in Fair Oaks Ranch.”
The nurse, wide-eyed, said, “Wow, your husband must’ve been an incredible man to amass so much property to leave behind.”
The wife sighed and replied, “What property? My husband has a paper route!” (do I see a smile?)
One day a fisherman was sitting on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
“You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman to the fisherman, “you should be working rather than sitting on the beach!”
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”
“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!”
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. “You can buy a bigger boat and hire some people to work for you!” he said. “And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”
Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?”
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again!
You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”
When Mom was on a business trip and Dad was left home alone with his toddler daughter for a couple weeks, he quickly discovered how adaptable she was. One of the cutest things? Her newfound obsession with tea parties. Every evening while he relaxed in front of the TV, she’d waddle over with a tiny plastic teacup and declare, “Tea time, Daddy!” He’d take a dainty sip of the clear “tea” and proclaim, “Wow, that’s delicious!” She’d giggle, glow with pride, and scurry off to refill his cup.
By the time Mom came home, he couldn’t wait to show off how their little girl had been taking care of him like a proper hostess. Right on cue, the toddler burst into the room with her tea set, handed Daddy a cup, and stood expectantly. He took a sip and smiled. “Still the best tea, I’ve ever had!”
Mom watched the sweet scene, then raised an eyebrow. “Aw, that’s adorable,” she said.
Then, with perfect calm, she added: “Just curious … have you ever asked where she gets the water?”
Dad shrugged. “Nope. Why?”
“She can only reach one place on her own,” ………. Mom replied, “The toilet.”
Hello Neighbors, this is the online version of the Oak Hollow Park Connections newsletter for May 2025. This newsletter is written for the benefit of our neighborhood. Please find a variety of information, home maintenance tips, funny stories, local news that affects us and self-created crossword puzzles.
Are you planning a trip by plane or crossing the border anytime soon?
Starting May 7th, 2025, you will have to show a “Real-ID,” compliant driver’s license that meets federal security standards for identification. The “Real-ID” is marked with a gold star in the upper right corner and is required for boarding domestic flights and accessing certain federal facilities starting on May 7th.
An “Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) is a state-issued card with enhanced security features and can be used to cross the border, often marked with a flag. If your current driver’s license doesn’t have a gold star, you’ll get the gold star on your next renewal, or you can request a replacement ID card.
Voters beware: A new billed passed in in the U.S. House that will require voters in federal elections to prove their citizenship, a military ID, or a REAL ID card (could be REAL ID Driver’s License).
What is your favorite hobby?
A hobby is a regular activity that someone enjoys doing in their spare time, for recreation or pleasure. Some hobbies are playing video games, knitting, photography, creative writing, crochet, drawing, cooking, embroidery, sewing, painting, hiking, dancing, woodworking, exercising, gardening, hunting, acting, baking, scrapbooking, singing, playing board games and I guess watching tv.
After a few minutes of thinking about it, my favorite hobby appears to be publishing funny jokes and stories on the OakHollowPark.com website. Almost every day, neighbors and friends send me funny jokes and stories they believe are worth sharing. Sometimes I have to create a clipart image to go with the joke, sometimes I re-write the joke to tone it down for publication. I have published almost 400 funny jokes and stories, and I believe I may hit 500 by year’s end. Think about it. What occupies your spare time?
To Flush or not to Flush? Are you in Hot Water? – I will share my experience at the next coffee meeting.
I don’t want to create a problem when one doesn’t exist, but I get reminders often saying I need to flush the water from my hot water heater every year, or every 5 years. I have lived here 19 years and have never flushed my hot water heater. So far, our hot water comes on when we need it, and I don’t see water leaks.
How often do you flush your hot water heater? I am simply trying to keep up with home maintenance.
My friend “Roger-the-Handyman (210) 241-8713 told me (over the phone) that he drains his hot water heater tank every year and it is easy. He told me to hook up a garden hose to the tank’s spigot, turn the valve and drain away the water. Leave the water valve on so tank will refill. Sounds easy enough… stay tuned in.
Time to prepare for your Property Tax Protest
By the time you receive this Coffee Invite, you might have received your annual Property Tax proposal! You must protest your 2025 property taxes to avoid a 2026 increase! Please view my video, “How to Protest Your Oak Hollow Park Property Taxes.” The link @ OakHollowPark.com/tax
Page 2, Connections continued with some humor.
Two men are in the woods and come across a big, deep hole in the ground.
“Wow, that looks deep,” one says. The other nods. “Sure does.
Let’s toss a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is.”
They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in. They wait to hear a noise but there’s nothing, so they decide to throw some larger rocks down to see how deep it is. They toss them in but again there is no noise.
They look at each other in amazement. One gets a determined look on his face and says: “Hey there’s a railroad tie over there. Help me carry it over here. When we toss it in it has to make some noise.”
The two drag the heavy railroad tie over to the hole and heave it in. Not a sound comes from the hole, but suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a goat appears, running like the wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them, running as fast as its legs will carry it. It leaps in the air and straight into the hole.
The two men are astonished with what they’ve just seen. Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and runs over to them.
“Hey, have you two guys seen my goat out here?”
“You bet we did! The craziest thing I’ve ever seen.
The goat came running like crazy and just jumped into this hole!”
“Oh no,” says the farmer. “That couldn’t have been my goat. My goat is chained to a heavy railroad tie.”
Page 3 … Connections continued.
We all occasionally need a distraction, so let’s try more humor.
This humor is called “Fifty Bucks is Fifty Bucks!” … Buddy and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year, and every year Buddy would say, “Edna, I’d like to ride in that helicopter.”
Edna always replied, “I know Buddy, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks.”
One year Buddy and Edna went to the fair, and Buddy said, “Edna, I’m 85 years old. If I don’t ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.”
To this, Edna replied, “Buddy that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks.”
The pilot overheard the couple and said, “Folks I’ll make you a deal.
I’ll take both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don’t say a word I won’t charge you a penny!
But if you say one word it’s fifty dollars.”
Buddy and Edna agreed and up they went.
The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks repeatedly, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Buddy and said, ‘By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn’t. I’m impressed!’
Buddy replied, Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Edna fell out, but you know,
“Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!” ( for the record … my wife read this & said, “that’s bad”, but she was still smiling)
Today, I got up at 5am … I ran over 3 miles around the neighborhood, got home and I made myself a vegetable smoothie for breakfast, and did 2 loads of laundry, vacuumed and mopped all our wood floors, and that’s all I remember about my dream.
Are the proposed Tariffs a good thing for you?
Concerns that tariffs will lead to higher inflation and a potential recession are also contributing to market sell-offs. Consulting with a financial advisor can help you develop a strategy that aligns with your risk tolerance and investment goals. For my May 3rd coffee meeting, I have invited my own financial advisor, available for Q & A.
While tariffs can create uncertainty and volatility in the stock market, they don’t automatically mean your money is unsafe. By understanding the risks, diversifying your investments, and potentially adjusting your strategy, you can mitigate the potential impact of tariffs on your portfolio.
Page 4 … Connections continued – Be aware of Today’s “Scams”
The Latest Scam – Beware neighbors – from a homeowner in a nearby neighborhood.
I just received a phone call from a restricted number (note #1). This person identified himself as a Sgt. with the Bexar County Sheriff Department and we are on a recorded line. He proceeds to ask me if I received a federal jury summons in the mail to appear in court for jury duty today.
I, of course, being over 65, did not. He then tells me the judge issued 2 Class C warrants in my name. He then proceeds to tell me the Case #, and the 2 warrant numbers. He tells me he has my case file in front of him (note #2) and that he can see that I am an upstanding citizen. He says since I say I did not receive the summons he will note that in my file. He then gives me the address of his office, 200 N Main Comal St in San Antonio. Then he says he is going to transfer me to Captain Frank Scott (note #3). While talking to him, he is telling me basically the same thing the Sgt told me.
I told him I’ll come down to the office immediately and take care of this. Then he says, well, if you come to the office since there are 2 warrants out for your arrest, we will have no option other than to arrest you. We want to take care of this now and not cause any problems (note #4). I’m busy taking notes and in walks my husband. He reads my notes and takes the phone. Now my husband is a retired public servant AND a Defense Investigator. He is listening to this Captain, getting all the information that I just jotted down. Now, I’m not a stupid person. This sort of sounds like a scam but then again … I’m just not sure. So, my husband walks outside with my cell phone, talking to the Captain.
Meanwhile I call the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on his cell phone. The deputy I spoke to says, “and there is a warrant out for your arrest, right?” He says this is a SCAM! Hang up the phone, don’t give out any information. I told the Deputy that he had my address. He said some of these people do. The Deputy said he had just gotten off the phone with another lady who almost paid ALOT of money, ALOT of money says the Deputy. The Deputy also told me that if there are any warrants out on a person, they will come to the house to get that person, not call on the phone.
SO … BEWARE EVERYONE! Bexar County Sheriff’s Office will never call you on the phone. They will come to get you. Please tell others. You may save someone thousands of dollars. Once the money is paid, you probably will not get it back……..More Scams …
How to Prevent Credit Card Skimming … Skimming is a method of obtaining personal data from ATM, debit, or credit cards while they are used at an ATM machine or a merchant location.
In addition to spotting skimmers that have been installed, you can lessen your chances of skimming by choosing locations that have high traffic, are well-lit, and are closest to attendants or workers because these locations are less likely to be tampered with. Going inside the gas station to pay is also safer, as is using ATM machines inside the bank.
When entering your PIN at an ATM machine or using your debit card,
… cover the keypad with your hand.
If you have the option, use a credit card rather than a debit card and swipe as a credit card whenever possible. Credit cards have an extra layer of protection when it comes to fraudulent activity.
Finally, monitor your accounts regularly. You can even set up text alerts with your credit card company, so you are immediately aware of any questionable transactions, “Real-time updates on your card usage are super helpful!”
Our Monthly Coffee Meetings:
If you live in Oak Hollow Park, and you are interested in coming to our monthly coffee meeting and you did not receive a printed VIP Invite, text me at (210) 442-9886 and let me know that you are interested in attending. I am inviting a different local business person to join us at our future meetings. I think connecting with local business people is important. For May our Financial Advisor will join us and in June we have a Lawyer joining us for Q & A.
Hello, this is the Connections newsletter for April 2025. It is my goal to entertain you with neighborhood news and humor. Hopefully this newsletter has enough variety to make it worth reading.
During my morning walk: Yesterday, around 7am, I noticed neighbors driving really fast through the neighborhood. Most of the drivers seemed young and in a hurry. Too, bad our residents don’t remember to “slow down” when driving through the neighborhood and I am asking parents to remind their adult kids to do the same.
Not enough reminders … our neighbors walking their dogs, please be responsible and pick up after your dog. Don’t leave deposits on yards, or sidewalks.
I remember it, like it was yesterday, on a Monday afternoon, I heard a sound outside, like someone firing a fire hose against my master bedroom wall. I walked out of the bedroom, through the living room and looked out into my backyard. The patio was flooded, I thought we had a freak thunderstorm, but it was 80 degrees outside! No such luck. I had a water leak underground in my back yard. Fortunately, I know a guy and he said he could come over to fix my leak, in the next day or two. To turn off the water and wait.
The water leak explosion happened at almost noon, and for over 24 hours, I had to turn off my water from the street. Imagine, no water in my home, no water for the toilet, or to take a shower. Guess I take it all for granted. When my wife came home from work, she took us to Walmart, we bought some buckets, and we took water from our pool. We put it in the buckets so we could flush our toilets. No shower, no dishwasher, no clothes washer, for at least 24 hours but the TV worked fine, and I saw the devastation of tornado damage, and I felt a pang of guilt. The following day my water leak was fixed and every day since, and I feel very grateful.
Life has a way of humbling us. As we grow older, the drive to chase big dreams often fades, and we start to find more value in the little things. We come to savor the quiet moments, like the first sip of coffee in the morning or the gentle touch of a loved one’s hand. The simple pleasure of laughter shared over a humble meal or the calm of a peaceful walk in the neighborhood becomes more precious.
Growing older shifts our focus from grand ambitions to the everyday joys that surround us. We begin to appreciate the beauty in routine. It’s in these small, simple moments that we find true contentment. In the end, it’s not the grand achievements that define our happiness, but the simple, tender moments that shape our lives. Do you agree?
My OHP Home Maintenance Checklist for my 40-year-old OHP home.
What am I missing? What maintenance do you do? When was the last time you walked around your home’s exterior? Homeowners should walk outside their homes, observe, and access anything that doesn’t look right. Like, spray and remove wasp nests.
The same should happen inside.
The most important home maintenance tasks that I do for my home:
- I change my HVAC air filters every month.
- Every 3 months, I pour a cup of vinegar into my (attic) HVAC drain pipe to avoid blockage.
- Annually, I clean my (outside) AC condenser with soap and water.
- Annually, I clean leaves and debris from my rain gutter.
- Annually, I lubricate my Garage Door track and rollers.
- Annually, I wash all my windows and screens, I also check for cracks.
- I try to mow my front and back lawn once a month.
- Annually, I trim trees, shrubs, and bushes away from my house.
- Pool, I make sure my pool chlorinator always has chlorine tablets.
What am I missing? What maintenance do you do?
Pay it Forward … I am sure during tough times, there are wonderful stories of hope and kindness between our neighbors happening every day. For example, a couple days ago, I had 3 errands to run and a tight schedule. As it was lunch time, I decided to drive through McDonalds for a quick simple bite. The line was long and with 2 order lines, I let a shiny little red sports car go in front of me. When I got to the window to pay, I was greeted with my ticket and “There is no charge – the car in front of you bought your meal.”
A huge smile came over my face and a chill. What a wonderful gesture to brighten my day. A simple act of kindness. So, I decided to pay it forward. I paid the ticket for the car behind me. Maybe their day was a little brighter also.
I try to be kind, but my wife is kinder and much more observant. We were eating a burger at a local restaurant. My wife told me there was a guy, that was sitting at a table, and he was eating ketchup and chili peppers. She excused herself, talked to him briefly, then she went to the food order line. She paid for a meal and drink and walked back to the guy and handed him the meal receipt. We were finished eating and getting ready to leave. We noticed him getting up to go retrieve his meal, and he had the biggest smile. I’m really proud of my wife.
KEEP Oak Hollow Park Beautiful … What influenced you to move to your neighborhood in Oak Hollow Park?
You probably looked at many other places before you decided to make this your home. But what were the factors that convinced you to say “This is where I want to live? We all have different reasons why we decided to make our home in Oak Hollow Park. Maybe it is because of our great schools in our area. Maybe it is because it is close to work.
Perhaps, you wanted an established neighborhood close to shopping, recreational activities, or medical facilities. Maybe it fit your lifestyle, or you knew someone that lives here. Or maybe, it just felt right.
You know that feeling, the one you get when it “fits.”
Which brings me back, “What influenced you to move in the Oak Hollow Park neighborhood?”
I am hopeful to post your story, who you are, why you moved here, what has changed, what do you like about living here.
Please look @ https://oakhollowpark.com/neighbors/ & read about neighbors that live here, stories from neighbors in Oak Hollow Park.
Today I posted “online” about Rick & Linda Somers, in 1982, why they moved here, what has changed, what they like, and some about them, before they moved here, & some after.
Back to my request:
I am hoping I can persuade you to share something about you, your family, why you moved here, what has changed since you moved here, and what you like about living here. Let’s talk about it. I am interested in publishing your story.
Read the articles from current homeowners, Richard Oliver, Elyse Allen, and Rick & Linda Somers, and myself @ https://oakhollowpark.com/neighbors/
