The Lake Conroe Group

09/13/2026

The Courier Article by Bruce Sellers
For those of you who were at either of the MOB or NSRW luncheons this past week, you heard your US Representative, Morgan Luttrell, passionately sound the alarm about things the "bad guys" are doing to steal your identity. Seems his family's company had a personal experience very recently. In chasing those bad guys, he learned from his contacts within the FBI and Homeland Security that what his family experienced is a growing trend right here in Montgomery County. That's you, Bentwater, and it's particularly prevalent amongst "senior citizens" who are believed to have money or resources. Most people have heard of others receiving bogus solicitations for money, whether by email or in your mailbox or telephone call. Well, of course you're too smart to actually send strangers money or give them a credit card number. But the bad guys are clever and sneaky, and here's an example. Do you ever get emails alerting you that your "such 'n such" subscription/service is about to expire? These helpful reminders typically suggest you only have a few days to avoid losing your subscription to that service and all its history UNLESS you update your password. No money needed (they know you're too smart to be swindled into actually sending money). If you'll just change your password, all will be well. Piece of cake. You're advised to "click here" to go to your account page where you (and you alone) can quickly and easily change your password and, once done, all your angst will disappear. Easy peasy. And it's all presented in such a helpful demeanor. It's clear they're just being kind by trying to help you avoid the aggravation of having to start all over with whatever service it is that needs updating. How thoughtful! After all, that's the way good customer service is supposed to work, right? Well, yeah. That is if it really is customer service, which it most likely ain't. Nope, it's a scam to gain access to a password which just might be the same password that you use elsewhere. Like maybe your bank account? Your mortgage lender? Countless other sources of wealth? And, when you entered your old password in order to "update" it to your new password, that old password becomes the key to the kingdom, only it's not your kingdom anymore. Nope. It just became that helpful customer service rep's kingdom and, in milliseconds, they're in control of every account that password protects. The solution? Never, repeat NEVER, call the number given and don't dare click the link they so thoughtfully provided. If it seems suspicious, there's a reason, and your inaction is the first (and last) line of defense against such scammers. Thank them for their effort, hang up the phone or log off your computer, and call the sheriff's office at 936-760-5900 to explain your suspicions.
On a lighter note, this Tuesday's Mix 'n' Mingle is will be from 4 to 6 PM and it's back at the country club (it shifted to the Yacht Club last month while the main club was being updated). So, come enjoy your neighbors and, when you do, be sure to show your colors. Your team colors, that is. This month the theme is celebrating the return of the sports season. College. Pro. All sports. Any sports. So, pull out whatever jerseys or hats or tee shirts and show off a bit. You can't get it wrong unless, of course, you fail to show up. So, be there!!
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09/10/2026

Stay warm this winter with a home dcor method designed to keep you cozy...

As the temperatures begin to drop, it’s time to make your home as cozy as possible. If there’s one t...

09/06/2026

The Courier Article by Bruce Sellers
As I hope you're aware, voting is now open to fill a vacant seat as Director of your POA Board. You should have already received your proprietary ballot via email but, if you missed it or accidentally deleted it or simply had no idea there's even an election going on, please call the POA offices at (936) 597-5532 and ask them to assist you because your participation matters. The good news is that you have until the 17th to vote, so it isn't panic time. Yet. But it's too easy to be distracted by the goings on of this Labor Day weekend and let voting slip to the bottom of your to-do list. Plus, if you don't act now, when will you? There are two candidates vying for the one open position, and they are (in alphabetical order) Jasin Dill and Wesley McClain. Irrespective of which one might attract your vote, both deserve your appreciation for their willingness to serve. They each bring a passion to make Bentwater the best it can be and, even if you don't know them personally, you can read their resumes on the ballots or by logging in to www.BentwaterPOA.com.

These days, Bentwater competes (sort of) with lots of newer communities, some with certain amenities we don't have. Some may even have lower costs. Fair enough. It's absolutely true that prospective buyers have choices. So did you. Yet you've chosen to live here. Why? Could it be that Bentwater doesn't really have "competition" per se, other than itself? That's not a trick question. Compare it, for example, to selecting a restaurant. You don't go to the pizza parlor if you're wanting a ribeye or to the steak house if you're wanting sushi or to the sushi bar if you're wanting linguine and clam sauce. Consumers have myriad choices in cuisines and locations and prices, but they will always choose what best satisfies them, even if there are a dozen options nearby. That's because all successful restaurants have one common denominator. Specialization. They excel at their specialty and don't concern themselves with other cuisines, so their "competition" isn't the other eateries at all. It's their ability to tastefully (pun intended) meet the expectations of their targeted clientele. Key word - targeted.

While choosing a restaurant may be a choice for a day (or a single meal), choosing a community is typically a choice for years. That's why consumers will always choose what best suits their preferred lifestyle of the moment, irrespective of what other communities might offer. And, Bentwater isn't one-size-fits-all. Instead, it uniquely satisfies the preferences of differing lifestyles. From young families wanting space to grow to "seasoned citizens" wanting to "right size" and everything in between, Bentwater has home choices (size and price) for most lifestyles provided folks also want at least some feature of a gated, country club lifestyle on Lake Conroe. Golf? Tennis? Pickleball? Sports Club? Marina (easy lake access)? Social events with familiar faces? Those features form Bentwater's specialty, making it an ideal choice for buyers who value any (or all) of them. For those who don't, we shouldn't be offended if they choose elsewhere. So, whomever you choose to represent you on the Board, I hope you'll encourage them to focus their considerable talents on helping Bentwater be the best it can be at what it is, and not worry about what it isn't. After all, some aspect of what it is attracted each of us here, right? Now, go vote.

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09/03/2026

VIDEO: Try these tips for a luxurious powder room...

Here are five tips for designing a unique powder room… Tactile Textures and Bold Patterns ...

08/27/2026

VIDEO: These five gardens will add natural charm to your home.

These five gardens will add natural charm to your home… Formal Garden Though they require eff...

08/23/2026

The Courier Article by Bruce Sellers
If you've lived in Bentwater for more than a minute, you've no doubt come to realize that you're surrounded by a very eclectic group of neighbors, each with their own stories, many of which are quite impressive. Sometimes, surprisingly impressive. But once people get to Bentwater, their story tends to become more about who they are rather than who they were. And, as it should be, the focus of their lives becomes the present. So, to learn about someone's past achievements very often requires hearing it from someone else, because most folks simply don't opine about themselves unless prompted. That's where I come in. For example, I recently spent a little time with Don and Linda Gregory. Did you know they both retired from careers in the aerospace field? Aerospace? Let me jog your memory. Perhaps you recall watching (on black and white television back in the day) rockets being launched and, after a relatively short flight, splashing down in the ocean to be rescued? Don was there. No, he wasn't watching television. He was actually there. When spacecraft first left the earth's atmosphere, he was there. When astronauts first circled the earth, he was there. When the lunar space shuttle landed, he was there. Yep, prior to his retirement in 1983, Don played a major role with NASA where he also enjoyed an up-close-and-personal relationship with every astronaut who ever strapped in for a trip. You remember, right? Three, two, one, liftoff. Meanwhile, as Don was at NASA, Linda was on a somewhat parallel career path working with defense contractors such as Martin Marietta, Lockheed and Raytheon. Actually, she and Don first met in a meeting at Vandenberg AFB. There weren't many women in the industry at the time, and Don had a good eye. They were married in 1980 and continued to follow Linda's career until she retired in 2004. After flirting with retirement life in Arizona, they discovered Bentwater where they bought a lot and built a home, now living here since 2012. Along the way, they rescued their fur baby and current roommate, Gus, named after astronaut, Gus Grissom. Who'd a guessed? Now, in the limited space I have here, I can't begin to share all the details or fill in many of the gaps but, hopefully, I've primed the pump enough that you'll choose to explore further on you own. Despite having to always remain earthbound himself, Don has explored a lot of space over his 9+ decades and, in the process, accumulated lots of memories. So, I encourage you to "prompt" him when you have the chance. He might just have a story or two (thousand) to share.
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08/20/2026

Create a water oasis at home that'll rival pools at luxury resorts!

When temperatures soar, there’s no better way to cool off than taking a dip in the pool. For many hi...

08/16/2026

The Courier Article by Bruce Sellers
Okay, we're finally moving toward the end of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. So, in addition to the schools being back in session for the kiddos, there are learning opportunities on the horizon for us "seasoned" citizens as well. It's true. All the groups and clubs and organizations which have been on hiatus are coming back to life with meetings being scheduled even as you read this. A couple that come to mind are the MOB (that's Men of Bentwater for the two or three readers who didn't know) and NSRW (North Shore Republican Women). The MOB's meeting schedule kicks off for the season on September 8th with their luncheon at the Yacht Club. I know. That's not tomorrow so there's still a little time, but the featured guest is Morgan Luttrell so, fair warning, it's likely to fill up fast. Happening a little sooner is North Shore Republican Women with their luncheon on September 2nd. In addition to the lunch and meeting activities, Lee Billingsley is heading up an initiative, in conjunction with the Lion's Club of Conroe, to collect glasses (magnifiers for reading and old prescription versions you no longer use) and redistributing them to others in need who will absolutely use them. You could be helping a child learn to read or an adult succeed at their job or a senior maintain greater independence. You know you have a pair (or ten) laying around the house somewhere, so gather them up and bring them to this next meeting. Can't make the meeting? You can drop them in the box that is always located in the Fitness Center. NSRW will then deliver them to the Lion's Club who will, in turn, ship them to a regional sorting center where they will be cleaned, sorted, and sent to locations around the world, places where eyeglasses are not available (or affordable). So much good for so little effort, and your effort can be a difference maker. But don't trust me to have the details right. This coming Tuesday, the 18th is the monthly Mix 'n Mingle (it's never on hiatus and always happens on the second Tuesday every month), this month at the Yacht Club (normally at the BWCC dining room which is temporarily closed for remodeling/repairs). Folks start gathering around 4 PM and many will linger there for a couple of hours, just mixing and mingling and talking and listening. So, you have lots of flexibility to just drop in and, while you're there, you'll be able to check out upcoming activity for these and other groups in the hood. After all, if you have an opinion (and you know you do) about things affecting life in Bentwater, you should show up face-to-face to share them. Your neighbors will appreciate you. And who knows? You might even learn something yourself. Seriously, it could happen.
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08/13/2026

VIDEO: Here are five ways to create the perfect space for your little ones!

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08/09/2026

The Courier Article by Bruce Sellers
The purpose of this article is to write about the events and people of Bentwater, but there are also some interesting "others" in of our community this time of year, guests that you simply can't ignore. I'm talking about mud daubers. My bride has a running war (that she generally loses) with these obnoxious little critters because they're everywhere, gluing mud pies on every surface you own, in places you didn't know you had and, most annoyingly, in places you just cleaned. It's true. In the time it takes to remove one glob of mud, they've added two more right behind you. Maddening. Well, I'm no Pollyanna, but I do generally try to find the good in things. You know. Half full, half empty. So, I asked myself, would our Maker place such frustration in our lives without a counter balance, a benefit, that somehow also makes our lives better? Wouldn't think so, even though this pest seems to exist solely to blotch the face of Bentwater. But, moving on. What could possibly be the benefit? Well, there's an answer and, in a word, it's spiders. Folks living close to Lake Conroe spend a fortune on spray systems, gallons of chemicals and unusual paint colors in a seemingly futile effort to control spiders. So, how do mud daubers deal with spiders? Simple. They eat 'em. Who knew? Mud daubers are actually predators. Moreover, I've learned there are different species of mud daubers, and they're all connoisseurs. Each species prefers specific kinds and sizes of spiders. Better yet, they appear to know exactly what they are hunting for and where to find them. For example, black and yellow mud daubers primarily prey on relatively small, colorful spiders, such as crab spiders and some jumping spiders. Meanwhile, blue mud daubers are the main predator of the brown and black widow spiders. How 'bout that? Chances are, the more daubers you have the fewer spiders you have. Betcha hadn't thought about it that way, hadja? Starting to see the pesky dauber a little differently maybe? But, here's our conundrum. Do we perpetually clean away the dauber nests and deal with the spiders ourselves or do we leave the nests alone and trust that the spider population will dwindle? Before you answer, just consider that each of those little mud tunnels holds perhaps 15 spiders, still alive but paralyzed. Their eventual roommate is a single dauber egg which, when it hatches and becomes a pupa, consumes the tenant spiders over the course of several weeks. And, understand that the daubers are territorial, building several nests. Left undisturbed, they'll occupy those same sites year after year. Seems they're the original "build it and they will come" optimists. So, scrub away if you must. Just know, they'll be baaack...
Send Bentwater news and fun tidbits to [email protected]