Kestrel Landing Strip

Summer 2017 Volume 6, Issue 2

Reporter: Emily Sutter Design: Joyce Allen

Inside this issue: The Big Dig 1-2

Neighborhood News 2-3-4-5

Association Business 6

Calendar of Events 6

Planes of Kestrel Project Amelia Earhart 7

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Contact Emily Sutter

Page 1

If you’ve ever tried planting in your yard you know the challenges of our hill country soil – or lack thereof. Your shovel drops maybe 3 inches before hitting rock, and then more rock. Now imagine digging holes for about 150 shrubs in 5-gallon pots. Mind-boggling? That’s what Gail Digman’s gardening committee accomplished in mid-May. It all started with the Singing Hills build. Screening the Skilled Nursing Facility and homes in the “Preserve” opposite the end of Kestrel’s runway became more imperative as the noise and trash increased. The promised masonry screening wall was not to be, so Kestrel’s gardening committee began planning for a wall of green - evergreen to be exact. First the water well had to be tested to ensure an irrigation system could be installed. Then electric power was brought to power the pump (and light the mailbox area if needed). The gardening committee debated about what plants to buy that would be drought tolerant, deer resistant, 6’ to 8 ’ t a l l , a t t r a c t i v e , a n d l o w maintenance. Three types of shrubs/trees were selected and approved by straw vote in the Unit 1 Board meetings and Association meeting. Selected were the Green Cloud Sage, Blue Point Juniper, and the ever-popular Texas Mountain Laurel.

Mike Foster saved the digging day with his power auger, drilling all 150 some holes and extra for neighbors who took advantage of the offer to participate in the project. Then using their trailers, our Kestrel men hauled the plants from the nursery to Kestrel and more than a dozen residents helped get the plants in the ground.

Mike Foster Augers the Holes

Planting day

The Big Dig

The Big Dig…(Cont.)

Page 2

But there’s more! The gardening committee obtained coupons for deep discounts at a San Antonio nursery. They then proceeded to secure (at no cost to Kestrel) and plant some 112 perennial bedding plants to add color to Kestrel’s entrance and the island at Flightline and Navigator. Plants selected were salvias, Texas betony, Mexican oregano, bi-color iris,

lantana, blue plumbago, copper canyon daisy, butterfly weed, and mealy blue sage. All the new plantings are drought tolerant once established. Within a year these areas should be bursting with color, butterflies and hummingbirds. Within 5 years, the buildings visible south of Flightline should be replaced by a beautiful wall with shades of green.

Hangar Dance. “Y’all come,” was the invitation extended by Rick Kelley to all of Kestrel as he opened his hangar for a big party in late spring. Some 80 to 100 folks took him up on the invitation, dancing, playing pool, watching the Spurs g a m e , v i s i t i n g , a n d consuming an endless spread of tacos, beer, and all the sides. A DJ downloaded

music from the Internet by way of the “search” engine to meet partygoers’ requests. The interior of Rick’s hangar is of his own design and construction – and it’s huge. Of course, there’s the main area for his plane. But then there’s also a bathroom, laundry room, pool room, workshop and storage room. Most of the guests spent some time in the lounge with big screen TV, couches and chairs, and fully stocked granite-topped bar. Posted all over the walls and ceiling were military pictures and memorabilia from his 30 years as an Air Force officer. Obviously enjoying themselves, guests partied till the wee small hours.

Neighborhood News

Chip Brown and Rick Kelley

Planting crew Row of plants

Neighborhood News…Cont.

Page 3

New Attorney. What’s a career military man to do when he retires? He’s much too young to sit on the porch in a rocker. After 21 years in the Marine Corps, Lt. Col. Eric Rine decided to pursue a new dream career, becoming an attorney, handling estate planning, probate, and business taxation. It meant returning to school for 3 years just as a beginning. But on May 20, Eric graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Mary’s University, earning his Juris Doctorate. His wife, Dana, their children, and Eric’s father were there to celebrate. But that’s not all. Eric passed the Texas bar exam on his first try and is now fully qualified to practice law. This is an extremely difficult 3-day exam consisting of multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, 12 essays, and the preparation of written legal documents among other challenges. No one is surprised that Eric passed with

flying colors. Congratulations to Eric. His legal expertise will be most welcome at Kestrel!

The Rine Family

Mountain Lion. Reports of mountain lion sightings have occurred from the gate area to the far side of Kestrel by the Ahern gate. Last year Doug Hooker spotted a mountain lion and her 2 kittens in the fields behind Unit 2. This year he got a telephotograph of a mountain

lion (perhaps the same one or one of her kittens) in the same area. A mountain lion, also known as puma, panther, or cougar, is a very big and powerful cat. The largest wildcat in North America, they are 6 to 9 feet long, around 2 feet tall, and weigh over 100 pounds. They have powerful limbs and can leap 18 feet high and as far as 40 feet. They are carnivorous, with favorite food being deer. But they also hunt smaller animals such as raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and possums, so do bring your pets inside at night!

Picture taken by Doug Hooker near Unit 2

Neighborhood News…Cont.

T i g e r M o t h Visits. A rare plane, a 1940 De Havilland Tiger M o t h , v i s i t e d K e s t r e l t h i s spring. Now based in Boerne, this plane has a

special history. The owner’s Great Uncle designed the Gypsy Major engine and his grandmother was the first female to fly a Tiger Moth solo in Rhodesia (where the family originates). It served as a training plane with the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) during the war, crashed several times but

underwent a thorough refurbishment in 2001. Highlights include a float type fuel indicator, a spring resisted airspeed gauge on the left wing strut (called a “windy” and placed so the pilot can determine speed while watching his left traffic pattern to the field), mechanical leading edge devices (slats) on the top wing, and a classic flat floating compass that looks like it came from a sail boat. The original engine is a 6 liter, inverted, inline four cylinder. With each cylinder displacing 1.5 liters, it makes quite a rumble! Because the plane has no lights, the owner and his son were only able to visit for a few minutes before returning to Boerne by evening.

Yard of the Year. This year marks the initiation of Kestrel’s Yard of the Yea r con te s t . The President of the Bulverde Garden Club, a recognized garden/landscape expert,

served as judge. The winning yard belongs to Ed and Rhonda Dahlke on Navigator. Ed is the acknowledged gardener in the family. Rhonda says her role is to bring Ed bottles of Gator-Aide as he works. An architect and builder, Ed designed and planted their yard and flower boxes. The judge’s decision was based on the contest’s criteria of “curb appeal” or overall attractive landscaping. Factors include neatness and appropriateness for hill country drought conditions, pruned and trimmed trees and shrubs, clean walkways and driveways, healthy and weed-free and defined lawns, borders and flowerbeds, and a visually appealing appearance using color and textures that might include garden art, hanging

baskets or pots. Beautiful yards in the pool of finalists belonged to Tom Puglise, Gail and Tim Digman, Bruce and Kerri George, Ann and Bob Witty. These well-maintained yards bring value to Kestrel and are an inspiration to us all.

Ed and Rhonda’s Yard

Page 4

Calendar of Events

Date/Time Description Location

Sun. June 25, 5:00 PM Unit 1 BOD Meeting 621 Flightline Tues. Aug. 29 First day of school Comal ISD Sat. Oct. 7, 10:30 AM Unit 1 POA Meeting BSB Library Sat. Oct. 28, 5:30 PM Halloween Party TBASun. Nov. 5, 2:00 AM Daylight Saving Time ends – “fall back”. Nov. 18, 10:30 AM KAPRA Member Meeting BSB Library

Neighborhood News … Cont.

Page 5

Summer Party. Targeting the coolest weather possible, Unit 1 residents voted to have Kestrel’s Summer Party June 10 at 6:00 PM. Located in the Digman’s back yard at the intersection of Navigator and Navigator Crossing, the spreading oaks provided late afternoon shade for residents to visit and enjoy the spread of food. The contest this year was for pies. The winner was Diana

Ferguson with her amazing Sour Cream Blueberry Almondine Pie. Kudos to Gail Digman, Social Chair, for organizing the event and to the many residents who provided food and fun. The event was a great kick off for summer!

Diana Ferguson

Neighbors enjoying the party

Page 6

Association Business

New Unit 1 BOD Member. At the April Unit 1 POA meeting, Gil D e Wi n d w a s e l e c t e d b y acclimation to the Board. When introducing Gil, Board President, Steve Salberta, remarked that hundreds of people have trusted Gil with their lives. He was referring to Gil’s long experience as a pilot, 10 years with the Air Force and then 30 years with Delta Airlines. In accepting the Board position Gil remarked, “I care what people think and I think the Board should respec t the wishes of the

community and its Bylaws and Master Plan. The Board is tied to those rules. If there are things the community wants to change, we should try and change those things. I come from a black and white world in the cockpit; there’s a right way and a wrong way. But on a personal and social level, a lot of things are gray and we have to give and take sometimes.” K e s t r e l a p p r e c i a t e s G i l ’s willingness to serve and looks forward to his contributions to the Board.

KAPRA Meets. At its May membership meeting KAPRA elected two new members to its Board, Lisa Hooker and Wade Lively. As a Unit 1 resident and past Board Secretary, KAPRA member and Unit 2 lot owner, Lisa brings a total-Kestrel perspective to the Board. Wade has been a member and presided over the Unit 1 Board. He chaired the committee that revised our Master Plan in 2015 and so is well acquainted with Kestrel’s rules and regulations. Wade and Lisa will serve 3-year terms, ending in May of 2020. They join current Board members Peggy Aguirre, Ramon Ortiz, and Eric Rine. The May meeting reported that KAPRA finances are in order and expenses are within budget. Repairs to the runway have been completed and the erosion between the runway and taxiways is being addressed. The KAPRA Operating Procedures were adopted as guidelines and the re-write of the Bylaws is in

process. In all, the news was good and the meeting reflected this good order.

Lisa Hooker and Wade Lively

Gil De Wind

Page 7

Planes of KestrelProject Amelia Earhart

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel with Amelia Earhart as she made her historic flight some 80 years ago? This year, to celebrate the first attempted flight around the equator (by Earhart in 1937), Brian Lloyd is taking us with him on that flight. By using modern social media techniques he is sharing the sights, sounds and experiences of her trip as they happen. Sending back text, voice, and small pictures for every milestone, he allows us to follow along in real-time what could only be imagined so long ago. The Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/ameliaearhart80. The web site is at http://projectameliaearhart.org. The former will get on-the-fly updates. The latter gets more long-term detailed information, including data about each stop on the map. There is very little similarity between Brian’s 1979 Mooney M20K, 231 and Amelia Earhart's Lockheed 10-A 'Electra'. Her plane was like a small, twin-engine propeller-driven airliner of the time. It was 5 times the size and weight of Brian’s single engine aircraft based here at Kestrel. Earhart’s plane was the epitome of pre WW-II aerodynamics and aircraft design. It could carry a huge amount of fuel and therefore travel long distances. The only problem for Earhart was the size of the Pacific and the dearth of easy-to-find islands. She had to rely on a then-new direction-finding radio to find Howland Island. Apparently it

did not work when most needed and she disappeared as a result. Brian has made significant upgrades to his engine, propellers, and particularly the communication system. Those 80 years of improved upgrades make all the difference in successfully completing this round-the-world journey. Brian’s route closely follows Earhart’s flight plan (see map), but avoids political hot spots where flying might be dangerous. He’ll be stopping in places such as Puerto Rico and Trinidad, crossing the breadth of Africa and India, refueling in Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, and finally ending at the Oshkosh Air Show in Wisconsin. Before the final stop, Brian will land in Atchison, Kansas, Earhart’s birthplace. Now by website we can enjoy flying along on this historic adventure with one of our own Kestrel pilots!

Brian Lloyd and his Mooney