We are almost two months into the New Year but it's never too late to make some resolutions! There is alot going on here at The Experiment, and with spring looming and the pace of life quickening, we want to get this done before we get too busy. It's also been more than a year and a half since The Experiment began!
So here are New Year's Resolutions for The Experiment.
1. More updates for the Blog. Unfortunatley, watching a tree grow is only slightly more exciting that watching paint dry. Which of course leads to the question, "how boring would it be to watch a painted tree?" I'm going to try and explore more of the science of trees this year and get a better understanding about the relationship between Mother Nature, science, and good old fashion luck.
2. Continue our refusal to use any Performance Enhancing Drugs or Growth Hormones at The Experiment. Our tree is 100% natural! In addition, Lance Armstrong, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds have been banned from ever visiting The Experiment. In fact, anyone with a head bigger than a size 8 1/2 will have to pass a drug test before then can enter.
3. Make some serious decisions about shapping the tree. The toughest part of doing this is having to make the decisions about what branches stay, and what branches go. So this year I'm going to make a couple of choices in order to better shape the tree. This might not happen until mid-summer because I want to wait and see how things shape up after I clip the candles in a couple of months. It's just tough to make those cuts, because you can't put branches back.
4 Have a GREAT summer in the backyard! The Experiment is only a small part of my backyard world. Right now, with all the grey and gloom of winter it doesn't seem possible, but I really look forward to spending time ourdoors reading and relaxing and working in the yard. Firing up the barbque and entertaining friends! Andas boring as it might be, watching my tree grow! Four months until Summer Vacation! Bring it on!!
Since this is my Blog, I get to add my family photos. We had a great weekend early in February with all the kids in town. Naturally, everyone wanted to see how The Experiment was doing and get their picture taken with the tree.
Family Photo - Me, Caitlin, Kris, Elizabeth, and David. I think this is the first time that my wife Kris has made appearance on the blog. It's too bad we didn't have the tree when the kids were little and we could have taken photos every year of how tall they were compared to the tree.
My son David and daughter-in-law Elizabeth were visiting from Las Vegas where they keep track of The Experiment through the blog. They were impressed by the way the tree is shaping up.
Daughter Caitlin and her boyfriend Les were also in town. It was Caitlin who helped me get The Experiment started two summers ago with a birthday gift certificate for the tree. Les has been a faithful follower of the blog and was anxious to get a first hand look at The Experiment. Both were impressed with how green and fragrant the tree is.
Winter can be dreary in the northwest and a lonely time when you are stuck inside on a cold wet day. Just remember, everyday is one day closer to summer! It won't be long before the weather starts to warm, the flowers begin to bloom, and the candles start to shoot out and our tree is ready for another trim.
Visting Hours: Because of my duties coaching baseball, winter hours at The Experiment will be cut back to weekends from noon to 4 until further notice. Please call ahead to make sure we are open for visitors. And it is never to soon to plan your summer event or trip to The Experiment. Please call guest serivces to book your wedding, reunion, or birthday celebration.
