The May Family  
The May Family; Garland, Texas

 

29 April 2004

Batter up!

Whereas last fall represented Collin's first experience as a basketball player, this spring will be his first as a member of a baseball team. Under the organization of Richardson Sports, Inc., the Rangers are the newest of the eight teams competing within the "10 and under" (10U) league bracket. Practice began this evening and will take place primarily on Mondays and Saturdays with games possible on any given Monday through Wednesday. Additional information will be posted later for the benefit of those who may may be interested in attending a game or two.

27 April 2004

The hills are alive

A large contingent of the SPS student body presented a special production of highlights from the Sound of Music this evening. The venue was the final meeting of the Home and School Organization; the last half being the musical review. Collin participated as a member of the chorus and did a very fine job.

26 April 2004

Klaaack ... Aaaaahhh ... Haaazaaahh!

Our friend, Michelle Stercula, was in town this past weekend. She organized a social event by procuring a block of tickets on the lawn at a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game. This was our first attendance of a double-A Rangers farm league contest.

We had quite a good time. Though originally a single game, it was converted to a double-header following a cancellation of Friday's game. The afternoon was highlighted by three homers (all by the Riders); one of which landed in our section (right field).

The opponents for this series were the Wichita Wranglers. We stayed only for the first game, which was a 5-4 victory for the Riders. It was later learned that the double-header was a split with the Wranglers winning the second game, 4-1

Given our enjoyment, we have already decided to make plans to attend another game or two this season.

25 April 2004

Enchanted Rock SNA, revisited

Highlights, with commentary, of our recent (early March) trip to Enchanted Rock SNA have been published to the #kempiWeb Image Gallery.

22 April 2004

Celebrating Gaia

We invite all visitors to reflect upon the gifts that Gaia provides to all of the residents of the planet Earth. Recognize one's responsibility to be a contributing steward and live one's life accordingly.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Renew

19 April 2004

Back to the roots

It has been just over a decade since we have engaged in a temperate example of subsistence farming. That changed yesterday afternoon when we transplanted twenty "starters" in the makeshift garden in our backyard.

Our foray into modest agrarian pursuits first occurred thirteen years ago when we experimented with tomato cultivation while living in a condominium in College Station. Those early experiments involved the use of four inch diameter PVC pipes, which were cut into twenty inch lengths; placed on end; and populated with "starters" from the local Wal-Mart. They did surprisingly well and provided us with fresh tomatoes throughout the summer and early fall. Just as our harvest was done for the year, we relocated to the Dallas area.

Our first home in the North Texas region was a rent home. We lived there for a little over three years. The yard at that home was quite large and, during our second year residing therein, we selected approximately one fifth of the backyard to serve as our first in-ground plot.

The first year's planting was quite modest, but more than four times the size of our eight PVC specimens. However, it was the first year plants originated from seed. We ended up with about a dozen tomato plants and a half dozen or so legumes. As one might expect, the yields from the plants grown in the ground were significantly greater than that of the experimental plantings of two years prior.

On the heels of this success, we expanded our crop the following year to include zucchini, yellow squash, corn, brussels sprouts, various peppers, lettuce, carrots, and radishes. Most all did quite well and served to provide a fresh accompaniment to the store-bought staples of our diet. The least satisfying specimens were those of both the carrots and the corn. Neither of these plants performed as we had expected, but nevertheless provided great experience. Alas, through the various influences of the Fates, it would be another ten years before we would engage in domestical crop production.

We purchased our present home in the spring of 1994. As one might expect, there were quite a few upgrades and renovations we wanted to execute before indulging our agrarian urges. Over the next eight or so years, one thing has led to another and we never really found ... made the time to put another crop into the ground. Eighteen months ago we resolved to correct this oversight and began the process of identifying a location and preparing the soil for planting.

Tempering our zeal, we have once again started out small. Using transplants procured at the local home improvement store, twenty seedlings were placed within our modest plot. Among the specimens are two pair (two each of two variety) of tomato, six yellow squash, two zucchini, two jalepeño, and six banana pepper plants. We are also experimenting with a novel (to us , anyway) method of bed preparation. The specifics of the latter and the results of our modest return to agriculture will be the highlights of future postings.

11 April 2004

Easter gathering

Kristie and Mark played host to this year's Easter gathering. We, along with John and his clan as well as Margaret and Theodore, spent the afternoon feasting and chatting at the Adame home in Lewisville. Collin, Avery, and Ethan hunted for a hidden bounty delivered by the great, bipedal bunny. Despite the dreary weather, the day was a success and fun was had by all.

06 April 2004

Curing the slab

The final stone has been laid in the foundation of our redesigned site. Visitors to the site are invited to select the "e;Technology" item in the navPanel at left for an overview of the tools and technologies of which we make use daily.

continue to the March 2004 archive

 

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last edited: 2006.10.30