Susan Brown

Three years ago, a remarkable young man was taken from life way too soon - due to rabies.  Zach Jones, 16, was bit by a bat while napping and that bat was carrying rabies.  He battled the disease for eight days before losing & leaving behind a stunned network of family & friends.  Who knew what symptoms of rabies were?  Who knew that time was of the essence?  Who knew the outcome to rabies?  Who knew that rabid bats could kill you?  

Unfortunately not too many people really know the answers to those questions.  And if you ask your own network of family & friends, I'll bet the vast majority wouldn't have answers either.  We need to know more about this disease.  We need to spread the word.

Since this happened in 2006, I personally know of three people that have had contact with bats.  All three of them wouldn't have given it a second thought.  However, all three of them did go directly to the hospital for treatment because of Zach Jones.

 Rabies Facts:

• Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects the central nervous system.
• Any warm-blooded animal can spread it.
• The five wild animals in Texas at high risk of spreading rabies are bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
• People should avoid direct contact with any wild animals.
• Children should be taught to never handle any animals they're not familiar with.
• All wounds inflicted by an animal should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for at least five minutes and medical attention should be sought immediately.
• All pets should be vaccinated against rabies.

The Zach Jones Memorial Fund was founded to celebrate the life of Zach Jones.  They raise funds to assist with rabies detection, education & finding a cure.  Funds also go to scholarships for Humble ISD seniors.  A Gala & Golf Event has been held each year, with June 6 for the Gala & June 8 for the Golf Tournament being the tentative dates for 2009.  The details will be posted soon.

We are proud to host the PGA Shell Houston Open in Humble, Texas at Redstone Golf Club. This year the event will take place from March 30 to April 5, 2009. Just a week before the awarding of the green jacket at the Masters. The field continues to develop daily, with many of the top golfers making a stop in our town. The pro-am on Wednesday, April 1 is an excellent opportunity to bring your camera and get some photos of your favorite golfers on the course. You can purchase tickets online, as well as find out about parking and hotels.

Fall Creek is always a gracious and welcoming community to the myriad of people that converge to watch the golfers make their magic at Redstone. Fall Creek has a lot to offer a potential buyer looking for a great place to live. They are a master-planned community with homes ready for immediate move-in. Live on the golf course or lake, choose from Houston's top builders and get ready to play lots of golf when you join the Redstone Golf Club. Commuting is easy due to the proximity to the Sam Houston Tollway and/or Highway 59. Plus you are only 5.8 miles to Bush Intercontinental Airport. No wonder the PGA selected Humble's Redstone Golf Club for their tour.

We are proud to host the PGA Shell Houston Open in Humble, Texas at Redstone Golf Club. This year the event will take place from March 30 to April 5, 2009. Just a week before the awarding of the green jacket at the Masters. The field continues to develop daily, with many of the top golfers making a stop in our town. The pro-am on Wednesday, April 1 is an excellent opportunity to bring your camera and get some photos of your favorite golfers on the course. You can purchase tickets online, as well as find out about parking and hotels.

Fall Creek is always a gracious and welcoming community to the myriad of people that converge to watch the golfers make their magic at Redstone. Fall Creek has a lot to offer a potential buyer looking for a great place to live. They are a master-planned community with homes ready for immediate move-in. Live on the golf course or lake, choose from Houston's top builders and get ready to play lots of golf when you join the Redstone Golf Club. Commuting is easy due to the proximity to the Sam Houston Tollway and/or Highway 59. Plus you are only 5.8 miles to Bush Intercontinental Airport. No wonder the PGA selected Humble's Redstone Golf Club for their tour.

While the rest of the country is experiencing all kinds of housing woes, Houston has relatively held its own. We had Hurricane Ike and the holiday slow down but business started out good after the first of the year. In fact, the last week has seen a marked increase in the showings of our listings. One seller even experienced a bidding war!

We at Your Texas Connection feel 2009 is a great time to buy a home. There are exceptional deals out there, especially on new construction. The builder's homes are being offered with huge incentives. And while a seller's sales price may not reach the highest expectations - it will be made up on the buying end.

So come on down to Houston! Get away from the ice & snow and feel the sunshine on your face. You won't have to shovel anything here. You can play golf year round. Are you on the plane yet? Just give us a call and we'll meet you at the airport. www.YourTexasConnection.com

With only three days until the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Oympic Games, I thought I'd brush up on my information about our United States team.  We have 596 athletes going to the games, 310 men and 286 women.  Of those athletes, 43 are from Texas.  You can check your state's representation on the 2008 Roster by State.  The LA Times has an article you don't want to miss in your preparation.

One athlete that really stands out to me is Dara Torres, our 41-year-old American swimmer that is competing in her FIFTH Olympics.  What an inspiration to all!  In an interview for Women's Health Magazine, Dara gave a list of five treats she'd swim 1000 meters for:

1. Root beer float "It has to be made with IBC root beer and Breyers vanilla ice cream."
2. Vanilla cream cookies "They're so good I don't even bother taking bites. I just put the whole cookie in my mouth."
3. Blocks of milk chocolate from Fresh Market "This is real, no-BS chocolate."
4. Lime Tostitos "They have a kick to them. I love to munch on them before dinner."
5. Fresh-squeezed lemonade "I keep it in my water bottle."

Also interesting is Dara's video with ABC News. 

I'll be watching (and recording) starting on 8-08-08, rooting our United States Olympic Team on to victory.