My spring soccer season starts on Easter Sunday. Today we had our first preseason tune-up match. We played a Division 1 over-48 team which put their average age about ten years below ours (and a good 14 below mine). We held our own for 80 minutes with the score tied at 0-0. By the end of the game, however, their younger legs made the difference and they produced a pair of goals before the final whistle. Our side actually played very well leaving us satisfied with the outcome. Next week we play another over-48 squad and then it is on to the official season where we will compete with teams our own age.

After the match, the kids all came over for our regular Sunday get-together. Normally, it is a time to relax and catch up on the latest happenings. Today, our gathering took the form of a work party during which we gathered down limbs from all over the yard and burned them in a very large bonfire. In a matter of a few hours, we cleared the property of years worth of deadwood.