Photos courtesy of Missouri City Missouri City has many popular parks including the Sprayground at Hunters Glen Park, left, and Community Park, right. Come Play in Our Parks! Summer is here and it’s prime-time for parks! Missouri City’s pristine landscapes have many recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The sunny skies are an invitation for people to play, to putt and to party at all of the City’s playgrounds. July kicks off Parks and Recreation Month across the country and this year’s national theme is Celebrate, Advocate, Recreate! Here, at home, we will be doing just that. Here’s a look at some upcoming events on our exciting community calendar: *Juneteenth The Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation’s 8th Annual observance is just around the corner and events will focus on history, health and happiness. An exciting schedule of free, cultural and educational programs will mark the 2010 commemoration: *June 17—Annual Dramatization and Picnic at Freedom Tree Park, Misty Hollow Drive, starting at 8:30 a.m. and continuing every 30 minutes until 1 p.m. Performers will reenact historical events and area students will be treated to a picnic lunch of hot dogs, chips and drinks at nearby Community Park, Glenn Lakes Lane, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.. *June 19: *Community Health & Wellness Fair, Covenant Glen United Methodist Church, 401 Present St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. *Annual “Mile of Smiles” Parade along Texas Parkway, starts at 6 p.m. *Festival Under the Stars; Hunters Glen Park; 6 pm. to 11 p.m. For more information, call 281-582-8181 *Summer Camp M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C.: Young ladies ages 9 to 13 will learn important life lessons in this character development camp. The week-long camp will be held July 12 to July 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Center. Registration is $80 and the fee includes an official camp T-shirt, a tote bag, materials and snacks. Classes fill up fast so call 281-403-8500 to save your spot! [cid:image003.jpg@01CB0988.C73172E0] *Sunday July 4 Annual July 4th Celebration You’ll really “flip out” over the Show Me City’s 26th annual bash, starting at 7 p.m. at Buffalo Run Park. In addition to an amazing fireworks extravaganza reflected over the park’s lakes, the Flippenout Trampoline Show will feature a double dose of entertainment for the entire family. It’s a great chance to bring blankets and lawn chairs and have a picnic at the park. This year’s double trampoline show includes synchronized performances with snowboards and skis! And, it’s great entertainment for free! Parking is available at the nearby high school and at Lakeview Business Park. Vendors are still needed for the event; interested individuals can call 281-403-8637 for more information. *Wednesday, July 28 Sweet Treat for Seniors Ice cream—one of summer’s most popular sweet treats—will be the delicious center of attention at this yummy event. Residents 55 and older are invited to enjoy their favorite flavors from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Center. Bravo Health is sponsoring the social. *September Stay tuned for the start date of “Adult Slowpitch Softball” and “Adult Kickball” during this month. *Saturday, Sept. 18 KidFish Cast your lines and have some fishing fun at this annual event held at American Legion Park, 8 a.m. *October If you have a green thumb or if you like to volunteer, prepare for some tree plantings in our City this month. More information will be coming soon. Also on the agenda this season will be some sweet spontaneous surprises. While you’re out playing in our green spaces, parks’ staff will be delivering treats to help you beat the heat: free popsicles. Parks’ staff will randomly deliver the ice treats to City parks over the summer. Missouri City boasts some of the region’s most beautiful parks, including the award-winning Sprayground at Hunters Glen Park, Ridgeview Park, Community Park and Buffalo Run Park. A new state-of-the-art playground is coming to Bicentennial Park, located at the corner of 5th and Adams Streets. The new “hybrid” equipment is designed to offer different forms of exercise, providing more opportunities for children to be active and develop upper body strength. For golf aficionados, the Quail Valley Golf Course is now allowing carts to drive in the roughs on El Dorado. However, Monday through Thursday will still remain “cart path” only. And, this is the season of strong winds and torrential rains. In case a hurricane blows into town, the Parks and Recreation Department is also preparing to help other departments keep our City safe. In the meantime, get out your summer supplies, head to your nearest neighborhood park and prepare to have some fantastic family fun!

He likes to be called Omi. While in Goa, I went to the local gym at Reis Magos, some 5kms from the villa we rented. The equipment is all old and rusty, and there's no fans. Just standing inside, still, you'd sweat. I made friends with Omi and Pandurang, and we'd workout everyday at 7:30pm. I wasn't used to a lot of the exercises we did, and at the end of a week most of my upper body muscles felt spasmed.