Avery Ranch Connects June 2021 issue

MEET 

J U N E 2 0 2 1

June! Can we believe that we are 

Happy 

through the year? As school has 

halfway 

out for summer, we'd love to hear 

let 

you are doing over the break. Send 

what 

your photos and stories. We'd love to 

in 

them! 

share 

Ranch Connects exists to connect neighbors 

Avery 

neighbors. We are 100% solely funded by myself. 

to 

you enjoy reading our stories and feel compelled 

If 

help defray the operating costs, consider 

to 

an ARC Patron today! Donate now at 

becoming 

. 

bit.ly/donatetoARC 

Publisher's 

Hello Neighbors! 

Note 

Happy Father's Day! 

all my gratitude, 

With 

April Aguren 

Publisher 

facebook.com/averyranchconnects 

instagram.com/averyranchconnects 

averyranchconnects@gmail.com 

A V E R Y R A N C H C O N N E C T S 

J U N E 2 0 2 1 

C O N T E N T S 

03 

04 

05 

06 

09 

12 

14 

15 

16 

17 

20 

23 

24 

25 

About Avery Ranch Connects 

Day Trip from Austin 

Book Review 

Meet the Neighbors 

Avery Ranch Gardeners 

Athletes of Avery Ranch 

Dancer Spotlight 

Happy Father's Day 

Home Renovations 

DIY Fence Repair 

Ask the Expert 

Food Truck Schedule 

Let's Get Social 

Homeowners' Guide 

If you would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of Avery Ranch Connects, 

submit your story at averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 

Avery Ranch Connects • June 2021 p. 2

Publisher 

Resident 

Morningside 

Resident 

Casitas 

beatrizrey147@gmail.com 

Resident 

Morningside 

raghavi.vuppala2020@gmail.com 

Photographer 

Cover 

JenniferRudolph.com 

Editor Copy 

Edge Resident 

Waters 

Landing Resident 

The 

cfcole@sbcglobal.net 

Oaks Resident 

Heritage 

shalusonu@yahoo.com 

Writer 

Contributing 

Resident 

Morningside 

Resident 

Ingelside 

zolotovabasa@gmail.com 

Resident 

Morningside 

thuy91@yahoo.com 

Writer 

Junior 

Resident 

Morningside 

Meet the Team 

April Aguren 

Jennifer Rudolph 

Meg Oliveira 

Sugandha Jain 

Sahana Sankar 


MegOliveira.com 

sugandha007@yahoo.com 


Content Committee Members 

Beatriz Rey 

Cecil Cole 

Marina Zolotova-Basa 

Raghavi Vuppala 

Shalini Sahu 

Thuy Le 

About Avery Ranch Connects 

our mission 

Avery Ranch Connects is online social news produced exclusively for the residents of 

Avery Ranch by Ki Connect, LLC. Our mission is to help our very large and diverse 

neighborhood feel informed and connected as a community. 

Follow us at: 

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groups, charities, events, and businesses that make up our wonderful community. 

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Submit 


donate: Visit averyranchconnects.com 

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This publication is published free of charge each and every month to all residents of 

Avery Ranch. We are not subsidized by the Avery Ranch Owners Association 

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Avery Ranch Connects • June 2021 p. 3 

bottom of the page.

a family, we love to travel and we have started to explore Greater Austin for Family Fun Day trips. In 

As 

process, we have found and are so happy to share this wonderful hidden gem: Vanishing Texas River 

the 

Just about an hour north of Avery Ranch, this delightful cruise is an excellent getaway for the 

Cruise. 

family. 

chose a late April Sunday for taking the scenic wilderness tour through the historic Colorado River and 

We 

enjoyed the entire experience right from the drive up to Lake Buchannan, to the boat ride that 

thoroughly 

beautiful views of an unexpected and spectacular waterfall, watching the birds on the route, and 

gave 

stone structures on the lake. The entire 14 miles up the Colorado River was scenic, with lots of photo 

large 

and the cool refreshing breeze. We sat outside on the upper deck and got to see different 

ops 

of the history and natural aspects of the lake. 

perspectives 

by Shalini Sahu 

Story 

Oaks resident 

Heritage 

willow trees that are now half-submerged show up on the boundary of the channel with birds 

The 

on their tops. I went with my family; there were not many people on the boat as they were 

perching 

COVID protocols and running at half the capacity. They do allow you to bring your own snacks 

following 

drinks, which makes it even more fun as you can sip your faves with spectacular views passing by. 

and 

was a gorgeous and memorable day we spent together and we highly recommend this cruise trip as one 

It 

the top things to do in Austin with family and friends. 

of 

VANISHING 

CRUISE 

RIVER 

Day Trips from Austin 


probably scared, and nervous, and just 

“You're 

ready to pee your pants. But don't run from 

about 

Girl shows readers that being scared helps 

Roller 

your fears and makes you even braver 

embrace 

you think you are. If you think of it, everyone 

than 

made many mistakes, so there is nothing to be 

has 

about. Astrid kept falling down, but 

embarrassed 

got back up again, showing that anyone--big 

she 

small--can do anything if they put their mind to 

or 

it. 

is making mistakes okay? Will that help us in 

Why 

Roller Girl is a story that can help readers 

life? 

that making mistakes is all right. If you 

understand 

your mind to a topic of something, then you 

put 

by Aiviaanne Le 

review 

resident 

Morningside 

Book Review 

ROLLER 

GIRL 

fear. Embrace it! Because believe me, the 

your 

things in life are worth fighting for.” ― 

best 

Victoria Jamieson 

can achieve it. 

If you would like to share a review about a book, film, game, or location, 

email it to us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 

Help share the news. 

Follow us at: 

@averyranchconnects 

Tag us at: 

#averyranchconnects 


MEET THE NEIGHBORS 

MEET THE 

PATEL 

FAMILY 

Morningside residents 

day-to-day life. During one of the exhibitions, I once 

I am Nirali Patel - the founder of Nili's Art Studio, LLC and 

resident of Avery Ranch Morningside since December 

naively suggested to my father that I would have my own 

art studio when I grew up. My mom gave me personal 

2005. We are a family of four: myself, my husband--Atit, 

space to experiment (read as ‘make a mess’), to be 

who works at Amazon as a Product Manager, my 9-yearold 

daughter--Aanshi, and my 6-year-old son--Ayansh. 

creative, with positivity and love. My parents have 

preserved all of my artwork to date and have made a 

We are proud to be part of the Avery Ranch community. 

Avery Ranch and Austin have blessed us with fantastic 

collection of memories since we live far from each other. I 

was lucky to have attended school at C. N. Vidhyalaya 

friends, safety, fun festive spirit, and beautiful walking and 

biking trails with blue jays, red robins, deer, bunnies, and 

(India), where I was encouraged by my teachers to focus 

on Fine Arts. In addition to a strong curriculum, my school 

butterflies. I love my community and probably for the rest 

provided access to extracurricular activities such as art, 

of our lives, we are settled here. 

sports, music, stitching, and carpentry. These essential 

I am an art teacher as well as an artist. I do professional 

skills shaped my thought process for my future art 

journey. In high school, during summer, I taught art, 

canvases for personal and professional spaces. I illustrate 

graphics for books and web advertisements. Besides 

practiced creating large glass paintings, pencil shading, 

etc. I used to sit for hours at a stretch practicing 

being an artist, I have an M.S. in Computer Science. 

Today I am here to share my story about following my 

perfection in whatever art project I had undertaken at the 

passion and finding a way to fit it in my career. 

time. 

After high school, I went to an engineering college for a 

My art journey started when I was in first grade. My 

teacher told my parents that I am good at art. My father, 

B.E. in Mechanical Engineering. Once, a day before my 

final exam, I went to borrow a book from one of my 

who is also an amazing artist, was my first art teacher. He 

drove me to exhibitions and pointed out artistic things in 


professors and I mentioned to him that I would take great

M E E T T H E N E I G H B O R S 

care of the book. In return, he said, “ARTISTS NEVER 

SPOIL THE THING. THEY ALWAYS PRESERVE 

THINGS”. Those words brought tears to my eyes when I 

realized that I am more than an engineer. When I was 

seeking letters of recommendation to study in the U.S., I 

remember one of my professors telling me that I should 

take my brushes and paint there instead of an 

engineering degree. If I would have listened to him, I 

could have saved 7 years!!! One important thing I 

learned when I look back is that NOTHING GOES TO 

WASTE! Now, my knowledge of mechanical engineering 

helps me create and teach structures to my students 

from various perspectives. 

Meanwhile, I met my husband Atit. He is studious, goaloriented, 

and ambitious, while I have a whole opposite 

personality--childish, whimsical, creative, innocent, not 

at all goal-oriented, and of course not at all studious!!! I 

moved to the United States after our marriage. Inspired 

by Atit’s motivation, I got my degree in computer 

science. Studying MS has made me fearless in exploring 

and understanding the software which helps me design 

digital products and illustrations. I worked as a software 

developer for 3 years in the semiconductor and 

telecommunication industry and gained lifelong friends; 

however, I realized that the computer profession was 

not inspiring enough for me and I was seeking my 

freedom and a creative outlet. 

Finally, to create a work-life balance, I made a tough 

decision without any other plans that I would resign 

from my well-paying job and start art classes for kids. I 

remember when my husband typed my resignation 

letter, my siblings helped me with the thought process, 

website, and colorful flyers for my fledgling business and 

Nili’s Art was born. Since then, I have taught art lessons 

privately and at multiple Montessori Schools in North 

Meanwhile, Atit and I were blessed with my first child, 

Aanshi. She is a very talented, strong-willed child, a good 

Austin. I have done several exhibitions with more than 

300 artworks done by Nili’s Art students. During the 

artist, loves writing her own songs, singing, and is a 

voracious reader. She does keep her balance between 

shows, I saw the glitter in the parents' eyes when they 

could see their child’s first and last artwork and see their 

her extracurricular activities and her studies. She is 

child’s progression. At every exhibition, the number of 

extremely kind, caring, but whimsical (just like me), and a 

artwork on display grew, as well as my own satisfaction 

true giver so that sometimes I call her Mother Teresa. 

when I see in my little artists' eyes a great shine of 

She loves to read fiction and create with her own worlds 

pride…and I became Ms. Nili. 

based on her idealism and imagination. 


M E E T T H E N E I G H B O R S 

After being busy creating memories with Aanshi, we 

were also blessed with another child, Ayansh, who is 

sensitive. He is growing fast and developing an amazing 

interest in art, engineering, science, chess, cooking, and 

soccer. He is a great helper and loves to get busy with 

whatever he finds. He is a caring, loving, and positive 

soul, who knows how to appreciate, compliment, and 

give back, but is also goal-oriented. He has his own 

world of imagination and creativity based on fun, 

silliness, inventions, proofs, and practicality…a 

combination of Atit and myself. My time flies when I am 

with them and exploring different subjects. 

My lifelong dream of owning my own Art Studio is now 

coming to fruition. I recently purchased an office at 

3000 Polar Lane (Unit #403) in Cedar Park. I plan to 

continue teaching kids at this dedicated facility and 

enable them to express themselves creatively in their 

field of choice. I love my title (Ms. Nili), and I love my 

students. I am at my best creatively when I am with my 

innocent, fearless, creative souls and I inspire them and 

they inspire me! So, here I am with my first secured step 

in the art world with a brand new studio, opening my 

heart with so many different art mediums, at a very 

convenient location for Avery Ranch, Ranch at Brushy 

Creek, and Forest Oak residents. Starting in June, I will 

provide personalized in-person weekly summer camps 

where I take only 7 students for the week at a time and 

provide them their own stations and their own art kit to 

try our best to stay safe. We will be open for regular 

classes from September (hiring art teachers now!!) 

onwards and would love to help many of you to create 

your own unique artistic journey. 

For more information, contact Nirali at 

nilisartstudio@gmail.com or visit nilisart.com. 

If you would like to share a story about someone we should 

know, email it to us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 


A V E R Y R A N C H G A R D E N E R S 

Backyard 

Hydroponic 

Hydroponics is a growing gardening trend that allows you to 

grow plants without soil. Hydroponic systems use a nutrient 

solution to provide all the nutrients necessary for plant 

growth in an oxygenated environment. This month, we 

talked with Granite Shoals resident, Ben Henning, on how he 

Gardening 

set up his system. 

How long have you been hydroponic gardening? 

Interview with Granite Shoals resident, 

Ben Henning 

This is my third year and every year I try to do something 

new. My initial garden had a huge system. I just kind of tried 

to go too big at once. I had a vertical garden that was twice 

as big as my current one. It was great; I got a ton of stuff on 

it. The next year, I started doing something called recirculating 

deep-water culture--where you grow with a 

reservoir that can sit in a deep pot of water and the rest of 

the water is circulating through all of the plants in other pots 

all the time. Then there was another one I did with an ebb 

and flow system. It’s when your plants are positioned in a 

spacious grow bed that’s packed with a grow medium like 

rockwool or perlite or clay beads. You flood the grow bed 

with a nutrient-rich solution for a certain amount of time, 

then the excess water will be drained off and sent back to 

the pump. 

Why did you choose this style of gardening? 

I have tried growing a garden in the ground but I have a 

black thumb in comparison. For me, the reason I went to this 

is because I'm lazy and especially in Texas summer, if you're 

not watering every day your plants will die. So, if we go on a 

vacation you know the plants will die. This started out as 

just a way for me to be lazy because you don't really have to 

manage the garden. I'll just check the levels maybe once a 

week, but yeah it will never run out of water because it's in 

water all the time. 



What do you need to start a hydroponic garden? 

There's a method called Kratky method (named after B.A. Kratky) which 

needs no pumps or electricity to start growing. You can just get a 

bucket or a jar. I've seen people doing it in their windows. You start with 

your seeds in a seedling raft and float it atop a solution of water and 

nutrients. It’s better to start with a plant from seed this early. All my 

plants were started from seeds because if you buy pre-grown from the 

store, they are in soil already and then you got to get the soil off them 

before transplanting. Sometimes that can be hard, so it is just easier to 

drop a seed in the water. There are these things called rockwool and it's 

literally made out of chalk and basalt rocks. It acts as a seed pod. You 

put the seeds in there and you can just put them in the water solution 

and they'll germinate. Those little peat pods that you get from the store 

work too because once it's in the pod it won't get wet. If the soil stays 

super wet, it'll get moldy and it can be bad. So that's why you use 

these rockwool starters because there's no stuff in it to rot. You need to 

also watch for algae, but if in a system like this it's OK because you can 

control the water level to where the soil would stay dry. 

How is your system set up? 

It starts off with the water in the bottom right pot and there's a 

pump in there. I have it connected to a smart timer so it 

usually will cycle it. I needed a stronger pump because it's 

actually pumping water way up in this vertical system, whereas 

a system that doesn't have to go vertical can have a weaker 

pump. I can find it on Amazon for around 20 bucks. You just 

look for the ones that say they can pump 10 feet high or 

something like that. For this system, I wanted a stronger pump 

because it's got to get it all the way up to the top so much 

faster. 



What things do you need to check in this 

system? 

There are two things you need to check in your 

system: EC and pH. You can get pretty 

sophisticated with it. EC (electrical conductivity) 

measures the salts in your system – basically the 

level of nutrients in the water. MaxiGo is a common 

hydroponic fertilizer. It's a mixture of nitrogen, 

phosphorus, and potash. It has different formulas. 

This one is more for grow and then there's another 

one that's more for the blooming. You can get really 

fancy depending on how big the plant is and what 

stage it is in that you know the mixture to use 

throughout its lifecycle. You don’t need to add 

nutrients often, but you want to have a certain 

concentration of the nutrients in them and so I'll just 

measure (try to keep it between 1.2 and 2.0). I'll 

check that once a week. The other thing I have to 

check is the pH level—is it too acidic or alkaline, 

which can be bad. They usually say and it depends 

on the plant. I’m growing many types of plants, so it 

Ben Henning showing off his zucchini plant. 

may not be optimal, but I keep it around 6.5 pH. 

What types of plants are you growing? 

Caesar salad types of lettuce and then collards do well. Tomato plants, cucumber, zucchini or summer squash, 

and there’s a watermelon just because my brother wanted me to try growing it. So yeah, I call it my $100 salad. 

Advice for future hydroponic gardeners? 

Know your crop because some can be on the same system for pH levels and others can’t. Like, I haven’t done 

well with strawberries because I think they needed a lower pH than I had. Also, the plant’s root size will 

determine what size pot you’ll need. Look into automation. Some automation, like this one is not quite where I 

want it to be, but you can connect it to your smartphone. If the water level gets too low, I get an alert on my 

phone via text. You can even remotely monitor the electrical conductivity or the pH level. Just keep the pH level 

right and nutrients, throw oxygen on them with an air pump and they will explode in growth. 


Hannah Deatherage 

Volleyball Player 

Morningside resident 

Story by Hannah Deatherage 

A V E R Y R A N C H A T H L E T E S 

Hi, my name is Hannah and I love volleyball! I played 

at Pearson Ranch Middle School in the fall and am 

playing this spring for Austin Velocity. Practices, 

games, and tournaments have looked a lot different 

due to COVID. We wear our masks at all of our 

practices and games. Although wearing our masks 

helps to protect everyone, it makes it harder to 

communicate with each other while we are playing. 

The number of spectators has also been limited at our 

games and tournaments due to COVID restrictions. 

While the season has definitely looked different, I’m 

very grateful that we were able to play. Two of my 

best friends, Chloe and Emmie, are on the Austin 

Velocity team with me. It’s been fun to spend time 

Pictured left to right: Hannah, Chloe, Coach Matt and Emmie 

with them and make new friends on the team. I’ve 

enjoyed getting to practice and work on my skills as a 

libero. It’s rewarding to see how our team has developed over the season to really work together. One of my 

favorite parts has been playing in our tournaments where we’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of different 

teams! I’ve enjoyed traveling to different cities, learning how to be a better player, and playing with my friends. 

"With COVID, everyone is wearing masks in practices and games. Not only does this make it 

harder to communicate in loud gyms, but you can't really see how players are reacting." 

Coach Matt, Brookside resident 

“This year, I loved playing volleyball for Velocity with my Avery Ranch friends! Playing on a league 

has helped me become a better athlete and learn more about the sport. My favorite thing about 

volleyball is the team effort that goes into it...you can’t win the game without your team.” 

Chloe, Morningside resident 

“I have loved playing on a volleyball team with two of my best friends this spring. It has given me 

the opportunity to learn new skills and to become a better athlete. My favorite thing about 

volleyball is teamwork: you can always depend on and trust your team.” 

Emmie, Waters Edge resident 


you. I think that’s easily the hardest part about being a 

from 

and soccer in general. My favorite thing about soccer is running around and kicking things. I also 

Winger 

Juliette Aguren 

Soccer Player 

Morningside resident 

Story by Sahana Sakar, Morningside resident 

A V E R Y R A N C H A T H L E T E S 

Hi! My name is Juliette. I’m 8 years old and one of my favorite 

pastimes is playing soccer! I’m currently on the Town and 

Country recreational team and I’ve been playing for about 3 

seasons. I don’t have a specific position: Coach gives me 

random ones, but my favorite position to play is Winger. The 

Winger is the player who is trying to get the ball up the field. I 

love this position because I love helping my team and passing 

to others. I also like how there’s not too much attention on the 

Winger compared to other positions. But, it’s still really hard to 

make good passes and make sure others don’t steal the ball 

love my team because the girls are really nice and we all made friends really fast. It’s also nice because a 

lot of them go to the same school as me, so I get to see them at practice and at school. 

This year, we don’t get to go to too many games since there are very few players who are comfortable with 

playing, and when we do go to practices and play, we have to wear masks; however, we will be competing 

soon and I’m super excited to get back to regular soccer and winning! 

If you would like to share a story about an athlete we should know, 

email it to us at averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 


Story by Mazlin Massey, Avery Ranch Dance & Music 

resident Lily Chow, age 5, is a bright and sparkling 

Dancer Spotlight 

Brookside 

dancer at Avery Ranch Dance & Music. She loves coming to 

Avery Ranch Dance & Music and dancing with her teacher, Ms. 

Cherami, every Tuesday and Thursday at Fine Arts Academy. 

At her Fine Arts Academy classes, Lily gets to practice ballet, 

tap, and musical theater. This week her class is rehearsing their 

play of the Three Little Pigs. In her class, they practiced their 

lines for the play and painted backdrops for their show. 

Lily has been dancing at Avery Ranch Dance & Music since she 

was 3 years old. Next season she will be joining the Diamond 

Dancers Team at Avery Ranch. On the Diamond Dancers Team, 

Lily will get to show off her new skills, like pointing her toes and 

leaping in a grande jeté. 

Dancing on a team at Avery Ranch Dance is a great way to help 

dancers build teamwork and have a sense of belonging. Lily said 

she has made lots of friends through dance and loves dancing 

with them every week! 

“Tap is my favorite,” Lily said, showing off her favorite tap moves. She 

knows how to shuffle and tap with her toes and her heel. 

Lily loves to dance to the song D.R.E.A.M. by JoJo Siwa and will 

jump up and dance whenever she hears it! She is even more excited 

to dance to this song on the stage in June for the Avery Ranch 

Dance & Music recital. This will be Lily’s first time performing on the 

stage! 

“I love it because it looks like a JoJo costume!” Lily said after she got 

to try on her costume for the recital. This year she gets to wear a pink 

sparkly tutu with rainbow polka dots on the skirt. 

When she’s not dancing, Lily loves to help others. She loves helping 

others so much that she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. 

Dancing will help Lily get to where she wants to go because in 

classes, Lily learns how to work as a team, how to support and build 

friendships, and how to live passionately. Lily already dances with 

More information about Avery Ranch Dance and Music 

passion and her family and teachers can’t wait to see her on the 

stage! 


can be found at www.austin-dance.org.

FATHER'S DAY 

HAPPY 

to all our Avery Ranch Dads!

Bathroom Remodel 

Story by Hiral Mathur, The Landing resident 

We live in The Landing. We decided to redo our 

bathrooms because we have decided that this is the 

house we will be in for the long haul, so why not make it 

what we want? Why wait until we are moving out and 

can’t enjoy it? Plus, we were running into each other in 

the bathroom. We NEVER use our bathtub so it was a 

complete waste of space. The renovations went much 

better than we expected. We have heard some crazy 

horror stories and we were lucky to find an honest, helpful 

contractor at 512 Remodel. The master bathroom took 

about 2 months and that is with a winter storm in the 

middle of it! We would not have done anything differently. 

We love everything we picked and how it all came 

together. As far as tips: find a contractor that you get 

good vibes from, even if they aren’t the cheapest because 

he/she is who you will be working with. The cheapest isn’t 

always the best. We highly recommend Tile Shop for 

exceptional help picking out tile. 


Fence Repair 

Story by Cecil Cole, The Landing resident 

Since our houses are around 20 years old, maintenance and repair problems are happening more frequently. One of 

those issues you can fix yourself is fence boards pulling away from the posts. The fences were built with treated 4X4 

posts, so most of those are still in fairly good shape. The most common reason the fences are leaning or are about to 

fall over is because the 2X4 horizontal “runners” or “stringers” are getting rotten at the ends where they are attached 

to the posts. Then a whole section of fence is in jeopardy of falling during a big wind. 

This quick fix uses 16-inch, 2X4 

braces at the post to carry the 

weight of the fence where the 

old 2X4 ends are rotten. One 

8-foot treated 2X4 yields six, 

16-inch braces. You normally 

use two braces for each post, 

so each new 2X4 will repair 

three posts. You will need a box 

of 3-inch deck screws to secure 

the braces to the posts and a 

box of 1 5/8-inch deck screws 

to attach the fence pickets to 

the new braces. The tools 

required are a saw to cut the 2X4s, a large hammer, a nail bar (to pull nails from the pickets and old 

stringers), and a good power drill. And of course, you will need access to both sides of the fence, so the 

ideal situation would be to work with your adjacent neighbor, or at least get access to their backyard if you 

are working alone. 


D I Y F E N C E R E P A I R 

The first step is to remove the one or two fence pickets that are directly in front of the post. Do this 

slowly and gently so the boards don’t crack. Pull the old nails from the pickets you removed, then 

remove the nails that were used to attach the old 2X4 to the post or hammer them into the post, so 

they are out of the way. Sometimes the old pickets are too old to pull off without cracking them. In that 

case, you will have to replace them with new pickets. 

Next, pre-drill one or two 3-inch screws part-way through, 

in the middle of two braces. Work the brace between the 

pickets and the post, centering it on the post, right up 

parallel and snug against the old runner. Then screw the 

brace tight into the post. Do this step for two braces on 

each post. The top brace should be below the old runners 

and the bottom brace should be above the old runners. 


D I Y F E N C E R E P A I R 

Now you are ready to reattach the pickets you 

removed earlier. You may need to clear dirt 

and debris from the ground to fit them back in 

place. Line up the top of the pickets with the 

top of the rest of the fence and screw them 

into the new braces, top and bottom, using 

the 1 5/8-inch deck screws. Add screws to 

the other pickets that are in front of the new 

braces. Check the rest of the pickets on the 

fence for loose or missing nails. Either hammer 

them back in or add more deck screws since 

those will hold the boards much more securely 

than loose nails. 

You will end up with the weight of each section of fence secured to the posts with the braces and 

screws in four or five pickets. Sometimes one of the old 8-foot 2X4 runners is so rotten that it needs to 

be replaced. You can add a new, treated 2X4 in the same manner as the braces without tearing apart 

the whole fence to remove the old one. Leave the old one in place. Just work the new 2X4 between 

the pickets and the posts at both ends of the section. If you have taken off pickets for braces, the 3- 

inch screws are sufficient. If you are screwing through everything--picket, runner, and post--then use 

3 ½-inch screws. Finally, screw every picket into the new 2X4 runner. 

These repairs are not beautiful, but they are way cheaper than a new fence. They will extend the life of 

your fences for several years until the posts and pickets all need to be replaced. Thanks to my 

neighbor, Sebastien Gravallon, shown in some of the pictures as we repaired the fence with his other 

neighbor. If you have questions or feel you need a more detailed tutorial, I am happy to help. Please 

call me at 512-775-2123 or email to cfcole@sbcglobal.net. Good luck. 


Ask the Expert 

Checking in with 

Bariatric Surgeon 

Dr. Nicole Basa 

Champions resident 

Story by Marina Zolotova-Basa, Ingleside resident 

Why did you decide to practice bariatric surgery? 

who was taunting her for being overweight, saying 

that I was the biggest girl in class as she pointed 

straight at me. I never saw myself as overweight 

Bariatric surgery is a very rewarding field in surgery 

where you can transform patients’ lives. As general 

until that moment. At that point, I was determined to 

lose weight and I did. I think those feelings of 

surgeons, we tend to either fix things like hernias or 

cut things out like breast cancer, gallbladders, masses, 

insecurity and shame are an impetus for me to help 

others relieve those same feelings of shame and 

and parts of the digestive tract that have disease. 

Bariatric surgery helps the patient by removing part of 

embarrassment by giving them the ability to lose 

weight. 

their stomach or rerouting intestines to help the 

patient lose weight, which they may have spent years 

struggling to lose. 

It is rewarding to see my patients transform before 

my eyes, having bariatric surgery as a tool that 

allows the overweight individual to finally lose the 

I see being overweight and obese as a barrier to 

people living life. Being overweight can stand in the 

weight they have longed for so long to be rid of and 

to reset their set point, which is almost impossible to 

way of someone gathering socially with others, 

engaging in a child’s life, as well as causing depression 

do naturally. 

and embarrassment in crowds. It can also prevent 

people from getting ahead in their jobs and 

During the pandemic, people had to stay at 

inappropriately give a bad first impression of the 

home, to eat more, move less. What has changed 

in your practice since then? Have more people 

overweight individual. 

come to you with a desire to do bariatric surgery? 

I, too, had issues as a child being overweight. I 

Yes, after we shut down our practice from March – 

remember how traumatized I felt in elementary school 

when one of the bigger girls was talking to another girl 

May 2020 due to the elective surgery shut down 


foods” after all. 

A S K T H E E X P E R T 

and reopened in May 2020, we did see a dramatic 

What are the main triggers of food addiction? 

increase in patients finally deciding to have bariatric 

surgery performed once we reopened. Many people 

Some triggers are mental or physical abuse typically 

seen in childhood. Food may act as a comfort for the 

spend over 2 years researching bariatric surgery before 

they decide to see a surgeon. I think the COVID 

individual to cope with the situation they are in. It may 

allow them to escape from the situation they are in or 

shutdown and working from home caused many 

people to gain weight and finally gave many the push 

provide them with the control that the situation does 

not provide them. If we talk about people eating more 

to pursue bariatric surgery. It is a shame that typically 

only 1% of those who qualify to have bariatric surgery 

during COVID, it is due to the boredom of being at 

pursue it. The surgery itself has minimal risks of 

home and eating foods they may like or crave because 

that is the only thing that can bring comfort to them 

mortality, with a national average of less than 0.4%. It 

is actually safer to do bariatric surgery than to remove 

since the ability to go out and socialize with others is 

not possible. 

one’s gallbladder or appendix, two common 

operations. 

How to deal with food addiction? 

There is a study out of Canada which showed that 

It is important to engage in some form of therapy. 

those who had surgery vs. those who qualify who 

didn’t have surgery had a 6 times lower rate of dying 

Definitely, if we identify food addiction behavior or 

binge eating disorder as we evaluate if someone is a 

than those who didn’t have surgery and stayed 

overweight. Bariatric surgery helps to prolong life. It 

good candidate for bariatric surgery, we direct them to 

therapy. In our multidisciplinary bariatric program at 

also helps to reset the set point, which is the weight 

Cedar Park Surgeons (www.cedarparkbariatrics.com), 

your body likes to stay at. When we lose weight 

normally, the body fights you to bounce back and in 

we have a registered dietitian, medical weight loss 

coach, and a mood and food support group led by a 

order to maintain your weight loss you have to work 

harder and eat less. In order to reset your set point, 

previous bariatric surgical patient of ours who is a 

licensed clinical social worker. All patients have a 

you have to work this hard for over 6 years before 

your body gives up and resets. Oftentimes people end 

psychological evaluation prior to surgery. 

up yo-yoing back up to the set point before that time. 

With surgical weight loss, the hormones that regulate 

Who is most susceptible to food addiction (what 

kind of people)? 

appetite like ghrelin, PYY, and GLP-1 change to allow 

you to reset your set point at about 6 months to a 

I see food addiction oftentimes in those who have 

year to allow for long-lasting weight loss. 

been mentally or physically abused as children; 

however, I think emotional eating can affect a lot of us 

What are the first signs of food addiction? 

to a certain extent. That’s why we have “comfort 

Food can trigger the same pleasure centers in the 

brain as addictive drugs. The first sign of food 

addiction is eating for reasons other than hunger, 

Are there any techniques or exercises for dealing 

with food addiction? 

uncontrollably. If there are certain emotional triggers 

that cause you to eat out of control, I believe there 

can be an element of food addiction involved. 

It is important to dissociate food and emotion. What I 


A S K T H E E X P E R T 

would recommend is if you know whenever you are 

Have there been any cases of people gaining 

weight again after the surgery? If so, what were 

stressed you reach for “x” food, it is important to find 

something else to relieve that stress. Turning an 

the reasons? 

addiction from food to something else productive, like 

exercise, is a perfect transference of food addiction. 

Sure, there have been some who have failed. The 

majority of those people don’t look at surgery as a 

“tool”, but as an “easy way out”, which it isn’t. Surgery 

How do your clients deal with food addiction after 

the surgery? Maybe they share with you how they 

is not easy. You still have to make the right dietary 

choices and lifestyle changes, otherwise, you will not 

do it. 

lose any weight. We have a lot of resources for the 

I prefer that my patients deal with food addiction prior 

patient postoperatively, but it is up to them to make all 

their follow-up appointments and attend our support 

to surgery; however, if the addiction arises after 

surgery, I recommend to them to undergo therapy 

groups. The people I see who don’t succeed have the 

surgery and do not follow up. They feel like they can 

right away. 

do it on their own without our support. 

Your website says that you treat the person, not 

How to lose weight safely and fast? Are there any 

just the condition. What does this mean? 

tips? 

Everybody is unique and requires different approaches 

A low sugar diet full of vegetables and good lean 

to their disease process. Our practice was founded 14 

years ago by myself and my husband, Dr. Alan 

sources of protein is the best diet plan in my opinion. 

Sugar and simple carbohydrates aid in putting on 

Abando. Since we are a private practice, we don’t take 

any orders from any hospital system or administration, 

weight. Trying to eat more natural and less processed 

foods is the best way to approach weight loss and 

so we can provide more personalized care. We can 

spend longer times with patients to really listen to 

overall health. 

their symptoms and provide them with well-thoughtout 

solutions. Our practice continues to evolve to help 

What is your favorite diet? 

our patients succeed after surgery. We try to be 

A low sugar, low carbohydrate diet plan with good, 

proactive rather than reactive when it comes to the 

care of our patients. 

lean meats and a medium amount of fat. This is 

probably the most effective way to lose weight. 

We pride ourselves in creating a multidisciplinary 

wellness center in Cedar Park called B+A Medical 

Wellness Center. Here we try to take care of all the 

concerns our bariatric patient may have, including the 

outcome of weight loss which is loose skin and volume 

loss in the face. This has led us to create B+A Medical 

If you would like to share a story about 

Aesthetics to help with tightening skin, body 

someone we should know, email it to us at 

contouring, and replacing facial volume loss. 

averyranchconnects@gmail.com. 


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which local food truck will be coming to the 

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Order and pick-up instructions listed under each 

event. 


England: Elsa 

Facebook.com/RRISD.England 

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Elsa 

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Elsa 

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Watch: Night 

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Buy 


Networking: 

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Ranch Food Trucks 



Website: 

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Facebook.com/averyranchconnects 

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School Groups 

Neighborhood Groups 

Neighborhood Facebook Pages 

Foundry 


Emergency 

Police/Fire/Ambulance 

911 

260-2732 Cedar Park Emergency Center 

(512) 

528-7000 Cedar Park Medical Center 

(512) 

341-1000 St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center 

(512) 

733-9400 Urgent and Family Care at Avery Ranch 

(512) 

Schools 

704-1200 Elsa England Elementary 

(512) 

704-0600 Patsy Sommer Elementary 

(512) 

570-6500 Rutledge Elementary 

(512) 

704-1500 Pearson Ranch Middle School 

(512) 

570-0000 Stiles Middle School 

(512) 

464-6300 McNeil High School 

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570-1800 Vista Ridge High School 

(512) 

Utilities 

494-9400 City of Austin Waste and Water 

(512) 

219-2602 Pedernales Electric 

(512) 

700-2443 Texas Gas Service 

(800) 

464-7928 AT&T 

(800) 

220-4600 Grande Communications 

(512) 

Ranch Owners' Association 


by Grand Manors: (855) 947-2636 

Managed 

Condos HOA 

Ingleside 

by Associa: (512) 328-6100 

Managed 

Townhomes at Avery Ranch HOA 

Turnberry 

by RealManage: (866) 473-2573 

Managed 

Ranch Connects: 


Ranch Connects is an online social news source for the residents of Avery Ranch. The Avery Ranch Owners’ Association (AROA) 


Community HOA's 

HOA (West Condos) 

Greens 

by Pioneer: (512) 447-4499 

Managed 

(512) 943-1300 Sheriff (Non-Emergency) 

Oaks HOA: 

Heritage 

by Associa: (512) 347-2888 

Managed 

at Avery Ranch HOA: 

Northwoods 

by Spectrum Assoc. Mgt: (512) 834-3900 

Managed 

HOA (Plaza Townhomes) 

Overlook 

by Goodwin: (512) 502-7541 

Managed 

Place at Avery Ranch HOA: 

Pearson 

by CMA: (512) 339-6962 

Managed 

Commons at Avery Ranch HOA: 

The 

by Beck and Co: (512) 474-1551 

Managed 

(855) 707-7328 Spectrum 

Avery Ranch Connects 

www.averyranchconnects.com 


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Avery Ranch Connects June 2021 issue

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