Cape Royale Condo Owners

HA HA TONKA - What a great place for a winter hike.

2012-02-05T14:14:00.002-06:00

Hello Condo Owners,
It is a wonderful thing to have such a mild winter because it helps me get outside and avoid the traditional "cabin fever". As most of you probably realize by now, that I love to take pictures of my outside adventures. A few weeks ago, I was at the lake and the weather was pretty good. I decided to visit HA HA TONKA state park in Camdenton, MO. There are so many better things to do than staying inside and watching the proverbial television, ugh!

So my wife and I grabbed the camera and our walking sticks because we knew the terrain can be somewhat rugged even for an experienced hiker. As we arrived we decided to take the 1/2 mile trail down to the lake (once we reached the building after hiking from the first parking lot). It was enjoyable and peaceful even though we had to watch out for all the different tree roots that stick out of the ground which can cause an easy stumble. See the picture to the left at the end of the trail.

One thing about hiking, is that it really takes your mind off of everything else and you can really get out and enjoy the beautiful Ozark landscapes. As with all the pictures, please click on them to enlarge and get a better view.

I hope you get a chance to get out and see what the Ozarks has to offer. Osage Beach is such a great place to own a Condo or Home.
Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you next time at the lake.
Bill U234.

You are Invited......

2012-01-22T13:30:00.002-06:00

Hello Condo Owners. In my spare time, I host a music jam in Lee's Summit, MO and I wanted to give you a personal invitation to come and join us if you are ever in the Kansas City Area. It is open to the public and is on the 4th Friday of every month. It is absolutely FREE! It is not a single band performance but an old fashion jam where local musicians come together and just pick, sing, laugh and have good clean fun. We break up into 5 -6 rooms of musicians jamming. All skills levels are welcome to come and learn. You will hear from many very talented musicians. Many folks come to just listen and enjoy the wonderful facilities at Woods Chapel Church. It is all accoustic genuine Bluegrass, Gospel, and Old Time music. You will see Banjos, Guitars, Upright Bass, Fiddles, Mandolins, Dobros, with an occasional harmonica. If you have never heard this kind of music, come on out we would love to see you. Here is the link to my website, so check it out:

"Picking in the Heartland" - Music Jam

Have a great day!

Please share the link if you know of others who may like this kind of music.

Bill U234.

The Red Tailed Hawk

2012-01-08T17:28:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year Condo Owners. It is winter once again and we are plugging along which is much better than "plowing along" which is what we did last year with all the snow. Having a mild winter is just the ticket for me so I hope it continues until spring.

Winter always bring some new surprises, like you can see in the picture. This is a red-tailed hawk that came to get a drink in my bird bath. He has been visiting frequently in search of one of his favorite snacks..... sparrows! I have seen him SWOOP in the little bushes around the bird bath area and extend his talons and try to grab a sparrow.
Occasionally I will see his smaller cousin, the "Sparrow Hawk", also known as the "Kestrel" Hawk. One of the advantages of feeding birds is that you get to see a variety of species, including woodpeckers. So far, I have only seen the common downy woodpecker and the red bellied woodpecker. I am hoping to see the largest woodpecker, called the Pileated Woodpecker. Click on the attached video to see one in action.
Pileated Woodpecker Keep the volume on so you can hear his distinct call. Hope you get to enjoy the great outdoors, even if it is a bit chilly.
Bill

Christmas Traditions are always Fun.

2011-12-20T15:24:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone.
Hope you plan to make Christmas a joyous time to spend with your families and enjoy some of those seasonal traditions that make lasting memories. One of the traditions in my home is making home made Christmas cookies each year. I will have to admit, my only part is the tasting which is an important job that "someone has to do". Yum! Yum! Honestly, it is a lot of work as you can see from the pictures. The most time consuming part is the decorating, which is where I really don't have the patience. But fortunately others in my family will take the challenge to create each cookie as a piece of "art".
Beyond all that we love to attend Christmas eve candlelight worship services to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the real reason for season. May you be richly blessed with good health, happiness and peace as you celebrate Christmas with family and friends.

Bill

Late Fall and early Winter is a busy time....

2011-12-07T19:44:00.001-06:00

Hello fellow Condo Owners. Hope you are having a wonderful late fall and have your home/condo and boat(s) winterized. Most of the leaves are gone and that cold breeze is in the air and old man winter is right around the corner. We had our first dusting of snow earlier this week, about 1/4" so now I am ready for spring. Seems like I am really beginning to understand the "snow bird" mentality. With my friends it seems like Florida, Arizona, or Texas are the big draws. As I tell my wife, the older I get the warmer I want to be. However, we do have some options and are blessed with a nice condo that allows us to escape to Osage Beach. Even though the weather is cold being able to see the water is still relaxing and enjoyable to see an occasional "eagle". The picture I attached is a male and female cardinals that seem to like the sunflower seeds I place in the feeder each week. Bird watching is fun especially if you have a wide variety to observe.

I hope your spirits will remain high during this Christmas season and you enjoy all that life has to offer, taking one day at a time.

Bill

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-19T13:51:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone. I hope each of you are getting ready to spend some time with your family during the Thanksgiving holiday. I am sure most of you know that in today's mobile world it is difficult to "get everyone together" at the same time. So we must make the best of it and enjoy our families, food, and appreciate all the blessings that we truly have. One such a blessing is just living in a "free" country, where our "freedom" was bought with a steep price of all those veterans that have given the time and lives to allow us to live in this wonderful country. May each of us be "thankful" for each and every blessing we receive each day. Bill

Board Meeting Results

2011-10-30T17:59:00.002-05:00

Hello Condo Owners.
Our annual Board meeting was held on October 29th, 2011 and it was a success. The 2012 Budget has been approved. Also our swimming pool has also been repaired and ready for winter. I took this picture walking the hills around our condos.

Fall is full a small town Festivals - Have some Fun!

2011-10-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone. Fall is here and we are having the best stretch of weather since I can remember. Warm days and cool evenings is just perfect for getting outside and sleeping good at night. I hope you are getting a chance to enjoy this time of year. Fall is always full of so many activities, like small town festivals. I recently went to Arrow Rock, Mo for the first time to their fall festival. Arrow Rock is a sleepy little town of "79" people whose town is nestled in some rolling hills with several bed and breakfast old historic homes. The town is just west of Boonville, north of I-70 about 11 miles. Any visit there is like stepping back to the 1850's and gives you that peaceful feeling of a more simpler life. It is a great place to take pictures. The fall festival is always the second weekend in October. It is a typical festival where you can hear the old time music while watching the cloggers click there feet to the beat of the music. There are many interesting crafts including pottery, painting, spinning, quilting and lots of good food especially the baked goods (my favorite). If you are interested, click here for more information: Arrowrock, MO

Pictures of Storm Damage to Cape Royale

2011-08-21T20:09:00.002-05:00

Condo Owners. We had quite a wind storm early Saturday morning on August 20th around 5:00am. Please review the slide show to get a better perspective of the damage. You can click on the slideshow and see enlarged pictures and be able to view the captions.
Fortunately, our maintenance person got on sight Saturday morning at 7:30am and started the cleanup (picking up shingles, debris and blowing off the driveway just North of the entry gate. Thank you very much Gary for your continued commitment to our facility.

Summer is Flying By.....here is a glimpse

2011-08-19T21:37:00.002-05:00

Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida

Hello everyone,
I hope each of you survived the "July" scorcher. WOW that hot weather was really something else that I don't want to repeat. Fortunately, our August weather is providing much cooler temperatures and it really makes a great time to visit the lake. As mentioned in the title the Summer is flying by and I seem like I have been in a whirlwind since June and not had a chance to make a posting since late June. Taking pictures of summer activities is fun for me and I wanted to share a few with my Condo friends. Of course Florida has some spectacular sunsets so I have attached some pictures. You can click on each photo to enlarge. Enjoy!

Nature is always full of surprises!

2011-06-29T11:50:00.001-05:00

Being outdoors is always fun weather you are at the lake of the ozarks or at your favorite hiking trail. Unless noted, these pictures are taken in Blue Springs, MO at the Burr Oaks Nature Center. Click on the pictures to see an enlarged view.

Horses in Fillmore, MO (80miles north of KC)

Spring at the Lake-- Always fun!

2011-05-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

April 27, 2011

Hello everyone. Hope you are having a wonderful Spring season. It is great time to get outside and enjoy everything the lake has to offer. I enjoy walking and taking pictures. The two pictures on the left was on a trail near KC, MO. The third picture was taken by Tan-Tar-A. You can click on each picture to enlarge the view. I am not sure what the flower is but it has a slight violet type smell.


April 27, 2011

The mushroom type fungus shown on this tree was about eight feet in the air. I had to stand in the back of my pick up in order to get this view using my zoom. I not sure what type of fungus it is, but I am sure it is not edible.

April 16, 2011

This photo is of a dogwood flower and is very prevalent at the Lake each Spring. Actually there is a "Dogwood Festival" each spring in Camdenton, but I have never attended. The amazing thing is that there is a "Legend of the Dogwood Tree". Check it out at this link if you are interested in learning more and study the leaves in the picture. Dogwood Legend

The Easter Celebration

2011-04-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

Hello there my fellow Condo Owners. Spring is really here and the dogwoods are in full bloom and they are so beautiful down here in Osage Beach. This is the weekend of the Dogwood Festival in Camdenton. Hope you get a chance to go and enjoy the parade and many of the other scheduled activities. Our weather is still going up and down which is typical for a Missouri spring. One day it is very warm then the next it gets cold.

It won't be long till the Easter celebration. For me, it is a very special time of the year and I am not talking about Bunnies, but is about my hope for the future. Wikipedia defines Easter this way:

Easter (Old English: Ēostre; Greek: Πάσχα, Paskha; Aramaic and Hebrew: פֶּסחא‎ Pasḥa,) is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year.^[1] According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Christians typically celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday^[2] (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between AD 26 and 36, traditionally 33.

Have a wonderful Easter celebration! All comments are welcome.
Bill U234.

Have you got Cabin Fever???

2011-03-09T19:43:00.001-06:00

Nice Buck Deer

CABIN FEVER: Every year about this time of the year, I get what is commonly called "cabin fever". It is defined by Wikipedia as: [an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space, with nothing to do, for an extended period (as in a simple country vacation cottage during a long rain or snow)]. Simply stated it is having an "urge" to "go outside" and do something. Note: This is not to be confused with "Buck" fever, which is a different kind of fever.

The CURE: For me, doing something outside can mean almost anything. For example: taking a hike in the woods is one of my favorites. In late winter or early spring, I just love to take a walk in the woods and get away from all the hustle and bustle of normal work life. It is great fun to observe all of God's little creatures running about the forest floor and trees. If is also fun to observe the small ponds as the ice gives way to fresh flowing water that sparkles in the sunlight. Are you feeling better already? I would be remiss if I didn't mention the happiness I receive from playing my banjo outside under a big oak tree, even if it is a little chilly. As a matter of fact, there must be song or some sort talking about "cabin fever".

What joy it is when my fever breaks as I get lost in many other outdoor activities with friends and family. I am talking about the smell of a small outdoor fire and some hot coffee or cocoa while being with my friends and hoping for spring weather. Hope you can get rid of your "cabin fever" by getting out of your house/condo and doing something to take your mind off the winter. Maybe you could take the cover off your boat and sit in it...ha, ha.

Bill
U234

Pool Repairs continue after the blizzard.

2011-02-17T20:15:00.004-06:00

Last of the Ice - Dock 1

Hello everyone,

Vaughn Pool is at it again, now that the weather has been in the low 70's the last two days. They have now painted the edging around the pool. It really looks nice. Click on the photos to enlarge and get a better view.

Snow Pictures at the Lake

2011-02-05T16:42:00.002-06:00

Notice the snow in the pool.

Hello condo owners.
Even though the lake got 18 inches of snow, it looks like our docks got by without any damage. Now that, we can be thankful. Hope this is the last of our big "monster" storms. Please click on each picture to enlarge the view.

If you have more pictures, send them in.
banjobarron@sbcglobal.net
Bill U234

Blizzard Update from the February 1-2, 2011 Monster Snow storm ........

2011-02-02T21:21:00.001-06:00

Taken during the snow storm

Hello everyone,
After the last ice/snow storm that collapsed several docks at the lake, I was a little nervous about how this monster snow storm impacted things at the lake. The good news is we have no damage to the docks in spite of the fact that there is 18" of snow on the ground. Click on the images to enlarge them. PS: The pictures are from the Kansas City area where we got 9 inches.
Bill

Day after the storm

Update on Pool Repair - December? Are you kidding??

2010-12-30T16:58:00.003-06:00

After repair

Before repair

Hello everyone. It may seem kind of strange to provide an update on the pool repair in late December but Vaughn Pool has been working on the pool for about three weeks and making good progress (click on the pictures for a magnified view). The second picture represents where they ground down the cracks about 3/4 deep and 2 inches wide. You can see the skimmer in the corner. They have repaired cracks in the corner of the pool as well as around the skimmer to prevent as the source of our leaks. They now will power wash the pool and the lip and clean it all up and add water back at the winter level. So we should be in good shape to open this May.

We may want to investigate painting the pool deck as well as the sun deck, but it can get expensive at about 10 dollars a square foot just for the paint.

Have a Happy New Year!
Bill U234

Burrrrr.........Christmas is coming soon.

2010-12-07T19:43:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone. At this time of the year, a lot of folks are pretty stressed about getting ready for Christmas. Not sure why since they starting putting up Christmas decorations in the retail store in early October. I know it doesn't make any sense as all the holidays are becoming "big reasons" to promote more and more and more products we don't need. For me, Christmas is not about all the hoop la from our media moguls, but it is a time to reflect upon our faith, family, and friends and in that order. I hope you get a chance to participate in a candlelight Christmas eve service, a special family get together, or just enjoying doing fun things with your friends. Remember it is better to give than receive and keep your expectations low!!!
I am not saying this time of the year is not stressful. Most importantly it is how we manage our stress that makes the difference. The reality is that things can get pretty tense when just scheduling family events. It is time to "be flexible" and accomodating and think of others while not letting your family take advantage of your kindness. It is a time of mutual consent.
I hope you have a wonderful time this year and not forget the real meaning of Christmas which is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.
Bill U234

Autumn with the Red Maples

2010-11-14T15:55:00.000-06:00

Hello Condo Owners,
Every year thousands of people make a trip to the lake and southern Missouri to view the beautiful trees. This year I was a skeptic about the trees not being very beautiful because of the hot summer we have had. However, much to my surprise, I have seen some beautiful trees, right in my neighborhood in Independence, MO. They were so beautiful, I wanted to share them so I created a slide show. Hope you enjoy them! You can always double click on any photo to enlarge the view. Bill U234

Pool Repair Proposal Status: Board has Approved !!

2010-11-08T19:40:00.002-06:00

Hello Everyone,
We have some good news! Our Board has approved the expenses to repair the pool. Vaughn Pool and Spa are suppose to begin sometime the week of November 15th. Currently, we are not sure how long it will take depending on what they find but I am hoping by December 1st it will be done. Of course, weather is always a factor. Thanks again to the pool committee for getting the ball rolling on this important project.

Bill
U234

Pool Committee Submits Recommendation to the Board

2010-10-30T10:03:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,
Many thanks to the Pool Committee for their work in getting a recommendation to the board. Currently the estimate to repair the pool is less than $6K from a new Vendor named Vaughn Pool and Spa. They are currently maintaining the pool services to our sister condo, "Port Royale" across the lake and are doing a good job. The next step is to get concurrence from all three board members and then we can get a schedule as to when we can get started.

More to come.........
Bill U234

Good News for Building #2

2010-10-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. The good news for building 2 is that the green algae that was growing on the North side has been removed. It really looks great and just like a brand new building. The contractor did a really good job with a very tall ladder, powerwasher and lots of reaching and washing. Next time you are walking along the lakeside sidewalk of building two, check it out!

The pool committee has agreed to let Gary get additional bids (other than Paradise Pool) to determine the cost of the pool repair. Once I find out more I will provide an update.
Bill
U234.

Additional Dock Lockers Anyone?

2010-10-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

I am curious if there is any support among the condo owners for having additional locker boxes on the docks. Ours is stuffed full of every tool, flotable, rope, bumper, cleaning supply, boat cover and who-knows-what-else. I would like to ask the board to develop a protocol for installing additional boxes. Something that would look nice and not detract from the general appearance. Perhaps the box would be identical to the ones already there and be put in a specific location, or something of that nature. Are there any other owners out there who are in support of this idea??

Carl-U233

Annual Board Meeting Recap

2010-09-25T09:18:00.002-05:00

Hello Condo Owners,
We had a very successful annual board meeting and it was very well attended. We now have some new board members and two new associate board members. Please note the names on the right panel of this web site. In addition to the new board members, we approved the 2011 budget with the total being the same as 2010. We also have two new volunteers to investigate getting quotes to repair the leak in the pool. The volunteers are Larry C. - U116 and Diane B. - U234.

If you desire to serve on any committee, please contact any board member and they can get you assigned to the appropriate committee. We are all owners and need to take responsibility for keeping our condos in the best of conditions.
Bill U234

Dismissal Status Update as of 8/31/2010

2010-08-31T17:44:00.001-05:00

Hello Condo Owners,

This message is informational only and is a paraphrase of my interpretation. The case itself is considered complete, as both parties agree to disagree. The dissmissal has been filed by both parties without predjudice, which in effect means the case is dismissed, but either party is free to pick it back up if things don't go right. As long as things go smoothly no one will sue the other.

The parking space lease agreement is signed by all parties, which includes the asssociation and the three unit owners.

The annual board meeting is scheduled for September 18, 2010. Hope you can be there to participate in the agenda addressing new board membership and the 2011 budget.
Bill
Unit 234.

Lawsuit is dismissed as of 8/23/2010

2010-08-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Good news, on Monday August 23, 2010 the lawsuit is officially dismissed, finally!! More details to come within the next few days. So keep checking to read about the latest information. The annual board meeting is still on for September 18, 2010 at 9:00am. Please plan to attend.
Bill
U234

Litigation Settlement Informational Update

2010-08-15T15:40:00.002-05:00

Condo Owners,

The paragraphs below are informational only and are not to be considered an "official" statement but only are my interpretation of what is going on.

Our special board meeting was held Saturday, July 24th.  Following the meeting, the Condo Association lawyer, Mr Harms submitted a document to Mr Marshall regarding a lease of parking spaces to comply with our "verbal" agreements at the 7/24 special board meeting.

Mr Marshall, the plaintiffs lawyer has responded with some proposed changes.   I want to mention just two of the main points of the proposed changes. There are other proposed changes that have to do with damage to the parking spaces, and use of written approval of Lessor.

1.   Apparently, the plaintiffs liability is limited to the compliance with any laws or facts, should any damage occur.
2. Also the plaintiffs do not want to relinquish any rights they may have from the plat filed by Robert Harrison and Ozark Development which assigned them parking spaces and designated as "limited common element".

As of today, I have no further information. When will this end??? I am not sure what the next step is.
Bill, Unit 234

Update on Roof Repairs

2010-08-11T21:12:00.002-05:00

Hello Condo Owners,

Well it looks like it may be awhile before the roof gets repaired from the wind damage a few weeks ago. From what I can find out, currently, the delay is now due to a recent hail storm that blew through Osage Beach. Apparently, our roofers are tending to the hail damage on other homes and properties, and we got bumped as a lower priority. However, the good news is that we did not receive any hail damage to any of our buildings. However, it looks like we are low on the priority list until the roofers get caught up. I will post more info as I learn more in the days/weeks ahead.

Other business: I also will post very soon some new info about our recent litigation settlement attempt. Apparently, the plaintiffs, have a different perspective on what it takes to close the case. More to come .....

Bill
Unit 234

Update on Actions from July Board Meeting

2010-08-03T14:32:00.001-05:00

This is a quick summary of the latest actions from our Special Board Meeting on July 24th. As of last Wednesday, July 28th, the Association Lawyer, Jay Harms has sent the settlement papers to the plantiff lawyer, Larry Marshall for review and signature. As of noon today, there has been no official response that has been communicated.

Also, we have received an incremental invoice from the defendent laywer, Jay Harms of around $5,000 to coordinate the repair of our roofs due to the "wind damage". Other tasks include, attending our board meeting to explain the litigation and answer questions. This is due to the fact that a legal matter prevented our "volunteer" property manager from doing this work.

We are still paying the $5K for an insurance "error and ommissions" deductible to handle the legal costs for the litigation.

Independent of the litigation, we have wave breaker that has broke again and needs repair. Our maintenance manager is coordinating getting it repaired.

Bill - Unit 234

Special Board Meeting - Law Suit is being dissolved!

2010-07-28T17:41:00.005-05:00

Nothing fishy about our special called board meeting. It was held on Saturday, July 24, at Central Bank in Osage Beach. The original intent of the meeting was informational and to have the Condo Owners Lawyer explain the pending lawsuit, which did happen. There were several questions, but the main question by the Owners was: "What does it take to end this? and How do we end it?" After quite a bit of discussion, a consensus was reached to end the litigation, provided the other plaintiff's who were not present are in agreement.

This is clearly a victory for all.   Further discussed in the meeting was legal cost. Fortunately, the Condo Owner Association will only have to pay $5K based on our current insurance policy deductible while the insurance, is paying around $10K or more.   Hopefully, we have all learned some lessons that will preclude something like this from occurring in the future. It is nice to see that our Association was well represented at the meeting and that each of us definitely have our opinions.

In my personal perspective, here is the next steps:
1. The lawyers will have to draft some type of closing documents with the details of the dropped counts.
2. The winning solution is to "lease" the three parking spaces adjacent to Building 2 to the three owners named in the lawsuit. Darrell agreed to this verbally in our meeting.
3.  The Condo Association Owners are not liable for any damage from the maintenance provided to the parking spaces as conducted by or thru the leasee of the parking spaces.
4. Once concluding documents are signed, John Kreisler will officially resign from the board.
5. A September board meeting will be held to vote on new board members.
6. Our current President (Brian N.) has sold his unit and will not be on the board once his sales is closed.
7. John Cartwright will be the only board survivor by the September board meeting.
8. Additional board members, will have to be voted on at the September meeting.

If anyone sees something different, please advise me
PS: Click on the picture to see an enlarged view of my 14" crappie I caught after the board meeting.
Unit 234 Bill

Happy Fourth of July at the Lake

2010-07-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

Hope you are enjoying your time at the lake. The weather this last week has been absolutely wonderful. Don't forget our special board meeting on July 24th. Try to be there if you can as we will be discussing some important topics.

Condo Owners Legal Right to Information

2010-06-16T20:22:00.005-05:00

As a condo owner, and after two appropriate attempts at having an association meeting by our board, I plan to contact Mr Jay Harms (defendant's lawyer) to get his perspective on our legal right to view the filed lawsuit so we may better understand exactly is going on. Why are we not getting regular updates from our defending lawyer advising us the what and why of this case and what is the result of court discussions? When is the next court date? I would like to think that in September, we legally must have our annual meeting with the board. Is there any legal way to stop that meeting? I still have lots of questions and feel the need to get further involved as an association condo owner defendant. I hope you will get involved as well so we can be an informed defendant.

As of yesterday, I have personally contacted our legal representative's voice mail, which he called me back and left a message and then I called him back today, and left another voice message. Typical phone tag. Hope I will hear from him on Thursday.

I hope each of you feel the need to be presented with the facts of this legal matter since the association is also being sued by the plaintiff.

How about some comments from the rest of you condo owners? NOTE: To post a comment please click on the 'comment' link below.
Bill

Home Owners Association Meeting of June 5th is CANCELLED !!

2010-06-02T21:58:00.006-05:00

NOTE: The following statement is a paraphrase from a letter we received from our lawyer, Gerard "Jay" Harms, Jr. He is asking we cancel the meeting due to a motion filed for a temporary restraining order by Weatherman Construction. The judge has scheduled a full trial on June 11th at 9:00am at the Camden County Courthouse. All condo owners may attend.

Cape Royale Website remains active!

2010-05-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

Are you were wondering whether anyone is looking at our Condo website?
As of today we averaged 111 visitors to the website in last thirty days. I would like to see more comments being posted so you can ask questions or "make a statement". Our website is for the Condo Owners. I can still post any pictures you want to share, so if you desire, email me at: banjobarron@sbcglobal.net

Also, if you have technical issues, ideas or suggestions, please email me.
Bill - U234.

Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray! It is the first of May, outside boating starts today!

2010-05-01T09:41:00.004-05:00

The month of May is officially here and it is time to get things going. Have you planned your summer vacation yet? Is your boat ready to put in the water? May is always a good time to enjoy getting outside and enjoy everything the lake has to offer. Cape Royale provides many amenities and it is very well maintained. As a condo owner, I always look forward to those weekend get-aways and enjoy life in spite of all the other worldly distractions that create stress and frustration. Life has its challenges, whether it is a legal issue, health problems, financial concerns, or family relationships. Life is short, so let's try to focus on all the good things that are right in front of us. Let's reflect upon ourselves and make sure we are not creating additional stress for ourselves or others which may cause us to miss all the positive things life has to offer. Personally, I really appreciate taking time out and viewing all of God's marvelous creation. It is really amazing and a blessing. Hope you will take some time to sit back and relax and enjoy your condo and all your lake activiites as the weather continues to get warmer. Bill

MARCH 20TH CONDO OWNERS MEETING IS CANCELLED

2010-03-19T18:35:00.000-05:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE: More information will be communicated at a later time.

Happy Valentine's Day at the Lake!

2010-02-14T16:24:00.001-06:00

Hello Condo Owners. Hope everyone is enjoying the Valentine holiday. I understand that chocolate and flower sales are booming, at least for this weekend! The name Valentine has a Latin root meaning strong, healthy.

Winter is still visiting the Lake!

2010-01-31T14:29:00.005-06:00

Ending January with a little snow storm in Osage Beach is just one sign that winter is still here. Based on my judgement we received about 2 to 2.5 inches of snow over the weekend. To my amazement, the maintenance folks were out there two different times with a blower to blow snow off the veranda for each of the condos and then blew it off the sidewalks as well. Thank guys, great job! In wintertime, the lake can be a beautiful place as you can see from the picture I took from my condo in building two. We can now safely say that January is now behind us, so now we can look forward to February for Valentine's day and romantic get-a-way. Try posting a comment, especially if you have any concerns or questions about anything that might impact all the owners. Hope to see you out and about! Bill

New Year - More fun at the Lake!

2010-01-16T11:36:00.003-06:00

Hello Condo Owners and Happy New Year. We are off to a new year that will be filled with many opportunities to enjoy the Lake of the Ozarks. We are very fortunate to have owners that really do care about dealing with maintenance issues and biting the bullet when necessary. This pervasive attitude will help prevent long term problems. I thank our board members for their level of commitment and excellence in property management. That in itself saves us lots of money.

WOW, how about these freezing temperatures. I am sure ready to get rid of all the snow in the KC area. I think St Louis missed most of the snow, but we have had 23 inches of snow so far since the begining of the winter season. Fortunately, we had an escape weekend during New Year's when there was nothing more than a dusting of snow at the Lake. Those winter get aways are always nice and relaxing provides opportunity to reflect upon life.

How about you make a 2010 resolution to be a participant in our blog website, so let's here from some of you. It would be nice if someone wanted to write something other than me!!!!! How about it? Anyone can write an article or post a comment to an existing article. Anyone can post a comment to an existing article. However, if you want to write an article, I need to have your email address in order to provide you with website author priveledges. So just send it to me and it will be done. If you are having technical issues, just let me know and I will work with you to resolve. I can be contacted at banjobarron@sbcglobal.net

Best Regards,
Bill - Unit 234

"Days of Auld Lang Syne" - Not at the Lake !!!

2009-12-30T14:00:00.006-06:00

Hello Condo Owners,

As we close out the year I am wondering if any of you will be singing "Auld Lang Syne". This is very traditional on New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight. Do you remember that it was sang at the very end of the movie: It's a Wonderful Life. Did you ever wonder what it really means? Any guesses? Actually it a phrase from the Scottish dialect. It is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. The lyrics goes as follows: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne!

Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Literally Auld (pronounced like Bald) means "Old"; Lang (pronounced like Sang) means "Long"; Syne (pronounced like sign) means "Ago". You could also think of it as "long, long ago" or "days gone by".

Have a Happy and Safe New Year!
PS: The pictures were taken 12/30 from my balcony. We got about 1" of snow.

Christmas at the Lake!

2009-12-15T17:25:00.005-06:00

Hello all you condo owners!
Hope you are having a wonderful early winter. Seems we are getting our share of the cold weather. I hope each of you are collecting ideas for the blog. This is the condo owners blog so any topic you want to discuss is open as long as it fits in normal context of the lake. Try posting a comment or if you want access to write you own materials, just let me know and I put you on the list of authors. Oh yes, I snapped a picture of the Carolers who sang at my company's Christmas luncheon. They were very good and enjoyable.

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Bill

Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

2009-11-23T20:12:00.004-06:00

I hope each condo owner has a Happy Thanksgiving and takes some time to be thankful for the blessings each of us have and remember the source of the Blessing.
Bill

Ringling Brothers Museum

2009-11-03T20:07:00.004-06:00

You may be wondering about the picture in the heading of this blog. It is one in the courtyard of the Ringling Brothers Museum in Sarasota, Florida. If you have never been there it is fantastic place to visit when you are not at the lake. It is also free on Monday and there is 66 acres of immaculate grounds to stroll including a wonderful rose garden and the Ringling Mansion (it costs to go inside) which sits right on the Tampa Bay. It is fabulous and beautiful. The art museum itself is un-believable source of fine art worth millions. I have posted one picture above to give you an example. You may have to click on it to see the enlarged view.
Bill

Celebrating Fall at the Lake of the Ozarks

2009-10-17T20:10:00.009-05:00

< Hello everyone,

Hope you are having a great fall even though it is already "colder than normal". This is great time of the year to enjoy the lake and take a nice hike in the woods and enjoy all the fall colors. Other fun fall family activities to consider include: campfires, having some apple cider, cooking some hotdogs and then toasting marshmallows, smores or just watching the open fire burn and feeling warmth it provides. Of course we can have any campfires at the condos, but you could go the parks and give it a try.

The pictures represent my neighborhood in the fall. They planted a lot of red maples and they are really beautiful this year. Hope you enjoy the views. Perfect for October!!!

Bill

Annual Board Meeting is a Big Success

2009-09-19T20:48:00.003-05:00

We had a very informative meeting and our new 2010 budget is now approved. The meeting was well attended and many owners had good ideas on how we continue to move forward and keep our property looking new. Many thanks to our existing board members for all of their time and effort as it saves us the expense of having to hire a property manager. However, each of us has personal responsibility to report any safety concerns, damage or misconduct within the complex, which may mean calling the police for any disruption of the peace. Our board has always been very receptive to open communication and appreciates each owner's input to make things better for all. As noted in the picture our President was calling on an owner that had a question. Click on any picture if you want to see an enlarged view.

Look for the meeting minutes in the mail.

Don't forget our Annual Board Meeting

2009-09-16T17:00:00.007-05:00

Hope you can attend our annual Condo Owners Board Meeting on Saturday 9/19 at Central Bank on Hwy 54 at 9:00am. It is the only required scheduled meeting by our loyal board members. It should be very interesting and will enable us to be up to date about our association in a face to face setting.

PS: Anyone wanting to be able to write on any topics, like I do, please send me your email address at: banjobarron@sbcglobal.net and I will add you as an editor which enables you to write articles and others to post comments to whatever your write. REMEMBER, THE BLOG IS FOR ALL CONDO OWNERS!

By the way, if you click on this picture you will get an enlarged view and you can see the fish jumping out of the water on the right side of the photo. What are the odds of me taking a picture of this pond and capturing the fish. Go figure!

See you there!

Are we having fun yet?

2009-08-24T19:41:00.005-05:00

Hi Condo Owners, hope you are having a great summer. Even though most kids are back in school, there is still several weekends left to "go to the lake" and enjoy the great outdoors. I have attached a couple of pictures of a "blue" catfish I caught a couple of weeks ago. The strange thing is I was fishing for my favortie fish, the CRAPPIE! I didn't have scales to weigh it but I suspect it weighted around 6-7 lbs. As you can see from the picture it is 24 inches long.

I wish someone would post a comment on the blog as I get kind of tired writing without getting any response. I know you are out there and reading the blog, so just be bold and let me know what else you would like to see on the blog. We have the annual board meeting coming up in September, so I hope all of you can make it.

Bill

Enjoy the Greek Isles - Beautiful Water in Rhoades and Santorini, Greece

2009-08-16T16:48:00.012-05:00

Hello once again to all you condo owners. It is really nice to be back at the lake and enjoy all it has to offer. I wanted to share some more pictures from our trip to Europe. In this posting you will see two photos of Rhoades, Greece. It is really a beautiful place and the water is a very tourquise blue. The dolphin photo is actually a picture of the ground in front of a small retail store. This type of motif is very common in Rhoades as most of the stores have some artwork in front of each little tourist shop. It helps decorate the streets. Each stone is about the shape of a "three inch round baked bisquit by 3/4 inch thick" and is turned on its edge and placed in cement and dyed to get the colors. As matter of fact the entire streets where we were "paved" using these stones. They were not too bad to walk on but it is not for bare feet. The other photo is a "cruise ship" that is used to tour people from island to island. Note: Greece uses Euros!
For more fun and sharing of global pictures, I have posted a slide show of Santorini, Greece. You will be able to view it on the right navigation panel. You can click on the slide show to see any of picture in an enlarged view. Enjoy them and let me know your travels by sending a picture or posting a comment.

WOW, what a Lake or better said: the great Sea

2009-08-05T20:34:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone, I am trying to get back into the swing of things now that I am back from Europe. The jet lag (7 hrs) is harder to adjust to than I thought but after one week, I think we are getting less fatigued. Our 30 year anniversary trip was a wonderful experience that was not only educational but also created many new memories. I took about 300 pictures and 1.5 hours of video. I am attaching a couple of pictures to share a glimpse of Mykonos, Greece. You can click on the picture if you want to see an enlarged view. This water is so beautiful.
Hope to be back to the Lake Condo soon. Bill

Summer is in full swing!

2009-07-15T20:03:00.004-05:00

Hello all you condo owners! About this time of the year vacations start to peak and fun is in store for all who take the challenge of taking a family vacation (espeically with teenagers). I sure most of you will spend some vacation time at the lake and some other place of your choosing. I have a friend who went to Yellowstone National Park. It is their 12th vacation at the park and I asked what if he is stuck in a rut, and he said: "nope, it is a big place and lots to see". Oh well I hope your vacation plans take you somewhere new and adventurous. By the way the picture is of my little back yard pond with my coi goldfish. If you click on the picture you can see a much larger view. My wife named the yellow fish "lemon drop".

Fun at the Lake!!!

2009-07-04T14:16:00.007-05:00

Hello Condo owners! Hope each of you are having a great time at the lake this summer. Fortunately, we have been at the lake for a week and there is so much to do. We enjoyed a great meal at Ruthie D's. If you have not tried their stuffed mushroom apetizer you are really missing a good one. You will see some pictures I took to show you "my catch". It is a 24" Flathead catfish. It is very ugly and really had an foul odor, so I threw it back! It is so nice to have a turn around in the weather. Hope you enjoy your stay and as always if you have some pictures you want posted (your pet, your boat, etc), just email them to me at banjobarron@sbcglobal.net PS: I forgot to remind you to "step out" and try posting a comment and get yourself engaged in "blogging". It is FUN &FREE!
One last thing, don't forget to cast your vote regarding internet service. This is not an official poll but it gives all of us a view of what you would like to consider.
Bill

Outdoors much? Watch out for Poison Ivy.

2009-06-15T19:38:00.008-05:00

If you are planning any outdoor activities this year make sure you watchout for poison ivy because I believe we are having a banner year because of all the mosisture. I have added a photo of poison ivy in case you are not sure what it looks like. It is most recognized by the distinct "notch" in the leaves. There are many people who are severely alergic to this plant. So the advise is: "Leaves of three, let them be". If you see anything that looks suspicious stay away. If you ever get it, you will have a rash that itches so bad you'll want to jump out of your skin. So be careful and have fun and also look out for those pesky mosquitoes, ticks and those invisible chiggers. ps: Welcome to Missouri!

Springtime

2009-06-09T20:45:00.008-05:00

The first picture is my back yard taken from my upper deck. The second picture is a water lily blooming in my little gold fish pond.
Bill

Lake Homes Tour

2009-05-16T08:34:00.007-05:00

Hello again Condo Owners! Hope everyone is making plans for some great times at the lake this summer. I notice more condos are being sold, which is a good thing. We decided to come down this weekend instead of memorial day weekend. The property is looking really good, but the pool is not yet open. The lake water is fairly muddy and up about three feet. During memorial day weekend, I am sure the parking lot will be filled as owners and guests arrive for the first big event at the lake. It is such a blessing to own a condo and have a nice place to "get away". We are planning to attend the annual "homes tour" today. Last year it was a lot of fun and viewed several million dollar home. You have to buy ticket for $18 each but it is worth every penny. Thanks to those who have sent me pictures. I will continue to post them as I get them. Let me know if you have any suggestions for our blog and let me know what you think by posting a comment. Have a great day!

Condo Pictures Cape Royale

2009-04-25T21:07:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the Mabry's for sharing a picture of their boys. Having good family time is so important (especially these days) and the Lake is a great place for our families to create long lasting memories. Wow! My parents had four boys and no girls. After 30 years of marriage, three daughters and a female cat, I had to learn many things about how women think and it has been an interesting journey and wonderful experience I wouldn't trade for anything. By the way, I am still in training!!

Let's talk Real Estate at the Lake!!

2009-04-08T21:35:00.003-05:00

We are in difficult economic times and second home markets are really feeling the effects of the housing bust! How do we get out of this mess? or is now the time to get some great deals??? Condo Owners, let me know what you think!! Post a comment!

Adding New Gadget

2009-04-04T21:05:00.005-05:00

Hello Condo owners. Hope you are having a great weekend. I wish I was at the lake. Currently, it looks like it will be after Easter before I get there. Remember you can always post a comment and provide any suggestions to what you would like to see in the blog. I am going to add a national debt counter as a gadget. Can anyone tell me how spending money we don't have will fix our economy!!! The US National debt is now over $11 Trilion!!! I guess time will reveal if the spending/stimulus strategy is successful. That's all for now enjoy yourself at the lake.

How to post a comment?

2009-03-29T18:42:00.004-05:00

Ok, it is time for everyone to learn how to post a comment. It is really very easy. Just follow these steps. 1. At the bottom of each post, you can click the link entitled: "comments". 2. It takes you to another page where you can type in your feedback for regarding the posting(ie, your comments). 3. Next, click the "down arrow" to the right of "comment as:" field. 4. Then you will get a edit profile window and you just type your name and leave the URL field blank. 4. Next you simply click the "post comment" button. 5. Next you are done, then at the very bottom, you can click "home" to go back to where you started. 6. That's it your done. 7. Congratulations, you did it!. If you need help just call me at 816-224-2330 or email me at banjobarron@sbcglobal.net.

Deck View from Unit 233

2009-03-22T21:24:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. Hope you all are getting ready for fun trips to the lake. Thanks to Carl M. for his picture from Unit 233. As you can see everything looks pretty smooth as the lake is shimmering while we get ready for spring. I met the new maintenance man about two weeks ago. Seems real nice and very knowledgeable about the construction of our condos. I think he is going to work out great. Please post a comment and let me know what you are thinking.

Emergency Phone Numbers - Cape Royale

2009-03-16T11:24:00.002-05:00

This list provided by our Maintenance Contractor.
Ameren U.E. 1-800-552-7583
Police: Osage Beach 573-302-2010
Fire: Osage Beach 573-348-5222
Phone: SBC Service 1-800-464-7928
Plumbing: MO Plumbing Services 573-348-3713
Heating and A/C: B&B Heating & Cooling 573-302-4552
Cable TV: Charter 573-348-2944
Electrical: Pat Murfey 573-873-5751 or cell 573-286-6294
Wall Covering: Jim Crouch 573-346-0741
Water Cleanup: United Carpet Cleaning Keven 573-365-0755
Mirrors Shower Doors: Accurate Glass - Jason 573-280-0401
Appliance Repair: American Appliance 573-374-8804

Having fun at the lake.

2009-03-15T18:37:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone. Here we are at the lake again and as normal it is so enjoyable to be here. Getting away from the normal stresses of life and spending time at our condo is always a great treat for my wife and I. This weekend, I even had some luck catching some crappie, but nothing to brag about. The water levels are way down, but I guess that is normal for this time of the year. All the facilities are still looking good. The good news is that each week should be getting a little warmer and that always means more outside activities. We are very blessed to have such nice condo facilities to enjoy especially with the current economy. HOpe you all have a good week. Please make some comments to keep our communication going as to what you would like to see on the blog.

Wanted: Photos around Cape Royale

2009-03-10T20:40:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! If you have any pictures you want to share at Cape Royale, please email them to me at banjobarron@sbcglobal.net and I will get them posted on the blog along with any descriptions you send me. Jpeg format works just fine.
Thanks for the comments already. Please make sure you cast your vote on the "owner poll". If you have any suggestions for another poll please let me know.

Cape Royale - Home Owner's Directory

2009-03-08T21:05:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone. Thanks to the work of our board members we now have an updated Home Owner's Directory as of 2/11/09.

Valentine's Day at the Lake

2009-02-15T19:56:00.002-06:00

Hello Condo Owners!
Ever since we purchased our condo at Cape Royale, we have made it a tradition to come to the lake on Valentine's Day weekend. This weekend was no exception! We have enjoyed the cold, but sunny weather which made it perfect for walking. We also enjoyed a wonderful meal at Michaels' 539. They offered a $60 per person Valentine special but it was not worth it so we ordered off the menu and had a great meal for the price of one valentine special. Hope each of you had a great Valentine's weekend.
Our next board meeting will be March 14th, so we plan to be back for the meeting.

Wanted: Helpful Links for Condo Owners

2009-02-04T20:30:00.003-06:00

If you have any links that may be helpful to all condo owners, please post a comment and we will get the link added to the blog. For example, we could add links to the weather, chamber of commerce, local parks, etc. The blog is to be used as a resource tool for everyone so let me know if you have any suggestions.

January Lake Report

2009-01-27T19:30:00.006-06:00

Hello everyone,

I was at the lake over the weekend and things are cold there as well but functional. Personally, I am not a warm weather person and the older I get the warmer I want to be. [ha, ha]

While looking out my condo window I saw a large amount of "bubbling water" at the first slip on the left of Dock 6. My first inclination was that a pipe had bursted, but I later found out it is just the "dock de-icers" running to prevent the lake from freezing over in the dock areas. This must be a good thing because, I understand we have 12 of the de-icers installed. Next time I will take a picture so you all can see what I was talking about. Other than that things were really quiet! Which I why I like to be there during the winter. As far as the Hwy 54 by-pass is concerned, it looks about the same but I can never figure out exactly what is happening. Does anyone have a map or drawing? It is obvious that there is a connector at the intersection of 54 and 42 and maybe even an exit to 54-22 for us (not sure about that).

Anyway just wanted to post my update from my visit.

Welcome to the New Year - 2009

2009-01-01T08:59:00.002-06:00

Cape Royale is a wonderful place for family and fun! Each of us has made an investment in our future and we want to ensure our investment is well maintained.

Please make sure you take time to thank each of the board members for the "work" they do to help us "manage" the property, coordinate the board meetings and openly bring to the rest of us all the issues we need to deal with, especially those that may have a financial impact. We save ourselves money by the dedication and volunteer work done by the board. They deserve our appreciation.

We have a wonderful facility here in Osage Beach and we all want to keep it that way. Of course this means the owners must be personally responsible to help minimize our expenses and be good stewards of the grounds and docks. It also a good idea to make sure our guests are responsible as well!

May this be a great year for each owner. Please stay tuned for more postings!