South Austin Real Estate Blog,

Here is a great idea, with the weather cooling now and the days still long enough to enjoy the outdoors, try this with friends and co workers to help Keep Austin Beautiful and feel like you have really accomplished something for your community.

Longhorn Football is on Paid Service Only.

This stinks. I have been a University of Texas at Austin Longhorns Football team fan since my youngest grandson could say, HOOK EM Gran!

That a few years ago. Last fall I heard about this was going to happen, but ya know sometimes one just has to see it happen before they believe it. In this case that is true.

First UT Longhorn Game is tonight, kickoff was at 6PM .. what am I watching on the Television? Alabama vs Virginia Tech. Not to say its not a great game, I'm sure it will be but how do I say HOOK'EM?

Don't my taxes pay for the University here? Real Estate taxes, county taxes, road taxes, retail taxes and you name it taxes? School fees and etc? Why do I have to pay a cable company to get a special channel to watch the LONGHORNS play football? This Stinks! I am one disgruntled gran.

The City of Austin has an Ordinance with a new proposal to ban TEXTING while driving.

The Austin Business Journal of Friday Sept 4,2009 carried an article about the proposed ban along with an informal poll of 1,048 votes in the poll. 56% voted to ban texting while driving, while another 29 percent said the use of cell phones should be banned altogether. Only 15 percent said the city should not ban texting while driving.

It is expected the Ordinance will come before the City Council this fall for confirmation. Recently it was in the Austin American Statesman that talking on a cell phone when in a school zone will be a traffic violation subject to ticketing. Sounds like Austin is getting serious about their traffic laws. From this drivers perspective, that is a good thing.

This is a Shameless Plug for Aspen Tree Service and Landscaping here in Austin Texas. This week Eddie and the crew came out and trimmed several large oak trees, removed the ball moss from many of the trees on the property, took out one maple tree and a dead oak tree. Cleaned it up into a brush pile at our direction and left everything neat and tidy.

Our property in Southwest Austin is over 2 acres and has more than 100 oak trees, of Spanish Oak, Pin Oak, Live Oak and various other trees like Maple, Sumac, Juniper and Pecan, over the past 14 years some of these have gotten beyond just a mere trim here and there.

In the photos you can easily see the before and after differences and what a big impact it made on the house viewed from the street. Don't be surprised to see more work being done soon, since now we can see what we are working on.

Aspen Tree Service and Landscaping does Residential and Commercial, they have an Certified Arborist on Staff and also do 24 hour emergency service. Call for a free onsite quote. 512-552-5966.The photo to the left was taken inside the gate/driveway area before, the right photo was after the cleaning trimming taken from another angle but the same gate post is in the photo.

I ran into Mad Cakes of Central Austin yesterday and got the surprise of the week. I am sure this is a local secret but it's time to let the cake out of the bag! I stood in line and watch people pickup orders, place orders and take away various cookies, cookie bars and cakes.

Check out the photos I took yesterday to see some of their latest designs. Of course they are not limited to these designs. Speaking to Anne Marie, one of the co-owner along with Rebecca who was working in the bakery room, Anne Marie told me they have been in business about 4 and a half years and currently also have a mobile truck for catering events and corporate functions around town.

Now let me tell you about those award winning Lemon Bars, just the right tartness, perfect weight of crust, not too thin and not overthick. This was undoubtably the best Lemon Bar I have ever tasted. The sizes were generous, I took some back to the office and we cut them into 4 parts. That was more than enough if you wanted to try another flavor too. We also sampled the Bourbon Pecan, it was absolutely awesome, just a hint of a great agood southeern Bourbon in a pecan pie with the thickness of a cookie bar, it was so scrumptious those of us at the office will definitely order more of these. And the double chocolate bars... let's not even try to describe that piece of heavenly delight. All I know is when you have your next chocolate craving day you must run not walk to the Mad Cakes store and get one or two of these delights. You will not be disappointed.

The Lemon Bars are an old family recipe of Anne Marie and Rebecca's mothers. The new LONGHORN ORANGE is a local recipe and sure to be a real favorite with the football and fall season starting up.