Dove Hunting in South Texas

Alright I know this is not about Richland Chambers but it is about having a lot of fun with some great guys who live on the lake.  I was invited to go on a dove hunting / golf trip down in south Texas outside of Uvalde not far from Concan right on the Frio River.  What a great time.  The hunting was fantastic. We had great guides, lots of birds were flying and several of the guys shot their limit a couple of days.
The golf club is called the Club@Concan and is ranked 21st of the the top 50 courses in Texas. We played two mornings in an absolute picturesque Hill Country setting with beautiful weather. During our games we saw multiple deer, some turkey and bobcat tracks in the sand bunkers.
The lodge we stayed at is called Margaritaville and was just right for our group of 17 hunters/golfers. It is owned and operated by our outfitter, Frio Country Ranches 
Clint Arthur is the gentleman's name who was running the show and he and his team did a great job taking care of us.  We golfed in the morning, hunted in the afternoon and ate like kings every evening.  I highly recommend these guys and look forward to going next year. (I have got to practice my shooting for next time, both birds and golf!)

House Construction on Richland Chambers, Step one

My original intention was to document the house building process, so here's goes the first installment to recap the last few months of construction.

Step One: Get a soil analysis.

Everybody knows the foundation is the most important part of any home. The soil analysis is accomplished by doing core samples on the building site, then the engineer prepares a report based on the sample. Around  Richland Chambers Lake  Navarro county has "highly expansive" clay soil which shrinks and expands depending on the amount of moisture in the soil. So an adequate foundation is critical. The soil analysis is then taken to an engineer along with your floor plans and he generates a foundation plan. In our area we see a lot of post tension, big beams and piers depending on the engineers recommendations.

The house pad is prepared by establishing the grade, then select fill is brought in, spread and compacted in 'lifts'. This is not a real glamorous stage of construction, however extremely important.

Select fill being installed in 'lifts onsite

View of back of house pad

Home Construction update on RCLake

The house is moving along nicely, slowly, but looking good. The framers have gone as far as they can with siding, trim and soffits and will be back next week to finish up with posts and beams. We are still waiting for the last window to arrive and when it does they will be finished pretty quick. The HVAC is roughed in, that is the air handlers have been set and all the ducts are in. The plumbers are working on 'top out' and my buddy Fred with Delta Electric is getting started wiring the house. The next thing will be to finish all he cedar and paint the gables and trim.

Richland Chambers is down like most Texas lakes right now so might as well get everything finished now so we can enjoy the lake when it comes back.

Lots of good deals on lots in The Shores right now, the water is falling and prices are too.

Launch at Oak Cove Marina on Richland Chambers Lake

Richland Chambers is almost 9.5 ft low as of today and the hot summer continues. Apart from the record low of 11.5 feet in 2006 this is the lowest the lake has ever been. There is still plenty of open water for boating out there and the place to put in is at Oak Cove Marina.

Oak Cove Marina on RC Lake is located right off of US 287 just before the bridge if your heading south east. Jerry and Roylene have taken advantage of the low water conditions to improve the boat ramp. They have done a lot of dredging, put down more rock and the ramp has 5 ft of water all the way out to the end of the cove today.

So yes you can launch your boat on Richland Chambers.

To keep up with the lake level go to: RC Lake Level

Good deal on Richland Chambers Lake Property

The Shores on Richland Chambers is a 600 lot, almost 800 acre subdivision that opened around '04-05' and sold by Texas Land and Lakes. The neighborhood was sold out by about mid 2009. Since that time there have been many changes in the economy and now in 2013 there are quite a few lots for sale by individual owners. There have been some very good deals in The Shores  and this is one of the best.  The lot is .59 acres and is a good building site with just a little slope.  There is also a single slip boat house on the water included with the property.  Check out the listing:  Lot 511 The Shores.  
Like more info or would like to see it in person?  Shoot me an email: johnteelremax@gmail.com

Cool Spot on the south side of Richland Chambers Lake

Cool Spot on the south side of  Richland Chambers Lake

Time for little business!  This is a really cool restaurant / bar on the south side of Richland Chambers on FM 416.  This used to be the 'Draft House Grill and Bar".  The business at one time was moving along pretty well and it was a great hang out on Friday & Saturday nights.  Live music, good food and great atmosphere made for a fun evening on RC Lake.  The facilities are in great shape with all of the kitchen,  bar equipment and some sound equipment is in place.  The owners have moved on to other things and are wanting to sell.  This place is perfect for someone who wants to open a "Pub Style" operation, Sports bar, or just a good restaurant.
Check out the listing:  470 FM 416 Streetman, TX 75859

An impromptu 'jam session' at The Draft House  spring 2012

Like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream

Where has the blog gone?  Nothing is worse for a blog than inconsistency, right?  Well it has been many months since I have blogged and you can see in the picture where the house is as of yesterday 17Aug13.  Yes, some progress has been made though not what you would expect from supposedly a well thought out and planned building process.  

Building a house for yourself requires many things, perhaps the most influencing of which is motivation.

Many things have happened in our lives for Julie and I this spring, beginning about the time the blog dropped off.  So not wanting to sound as if I am complaining or offering up excuses, I won't.  Suffice it to say we have not been as motivated to make the change and move south down Chambers Creek about 12 miles or so.

The real estate market has been good and busy this year.  The lake is down 8 1/2 feet and we have moved our boat to a deep water slip in the marina at The Shores.  

We have been on the water quite a bit however not as much as last year.

Our motivation is returning with each new board nailed up and the goal is to move in around Christmas.

We'll see.

"Like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream"

~John Candy~