This past Sunday was a beautiful summer day, and so I decided to make the most of it. My family and I have spent quite a few hot summer days at the pool, so this time I had the shade of trees keep me cool, and got a little nature lesson in the process. Heron Bay has an extensive trail system that encompasses the entire community and offers beautiful views of the whole community, including the Cannongate golf course and the Cole Reservoir. There are so many trails to choose from – White Oak, Buckeye, Fern, Azalea and Hemlock, just to name a few – it was hard to make a decision. Luckily, each trail is marked with a difficulty level and the distance, helping me to narrow down the options!

I made the decision to try out the Oak Trail, which is an easy walk. I wasn’t really looking for exercise as much as I was trying to enjoy the natural surroundings. So, I was incredibly pleased to see that the trail markers tell me specifically what animal and plant species to look out for on the trail. I began my hike down the wooded path, eager to see a White Oak tree standing tall. Just often enough, I ran into trail markers, making the path quite easy to navigate.

I was about half way through when out of nowhere one of my kin popped out of the woods to say hi! It was a wild turkey, and I had no idea that any were even in the area. It was great to catch up and tell him all about the family and how we are now living at Heron Bay and loving it. He told me that he and his friends have run into Heron Bay residents while out and about, but had no idea that we were now in this splendid community.

All in all, it was a fantastic summer afternoon, and I recommend that all of my neighbors try out the nature trails for themselves – you just my run into one of my kin folks!

I think I’ve found my new favorite place in Heron Bay: Lakefront Park. It’s got all the human aspects my family has come to love, like a pavilion with fans to cool you off, picnic tables, swings and peaceful pergolas. And of course, we Herons love the lake. It reminds us of the old home place and allows us to see some of our woodland friends.

Even better, I’m thinking Lakefront Park is going to be a place to hang out with our new friends and neighbors. If Saturday’s grand opening was any indication, they enjoyed the park as much as we did. Apollo Entertainment provided a variety of foods – hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and even jerk chicken (personally, I’m not a big fan of chickens, but I have stopped short of calling them jerks). Haley and Spalding especially enjoyed the Repicci’s Italian Ice. Between them, they tried every flavor and kept cool for the afternoon. The pavilion has a speaker system, and someone brought along an IPOD so we could listen to favorite songs. I even saw some of the little ones dancing along.

Haley wants to have her next birthday party at Lakefront Park, and Helen has already e-mailed her family about a reunion there. It may turn out that I have to be out of town that particular day, whenever it is. But other than that, I foresee spending a lot of time with old and new friends there, year round. It’s just one more great thing about living in Heron Bay.

Happy belated Father’s Day to all you Heron Bay dads out there. The Heron family had a wonderful day. It started when the kids brought me fresh lake critters to eat, straight from the 1,100-acre Cole Reservoir at Heron Bay. It really took me back to my days growing up in the woods. From there, we took it easy.

Spalding and I played a round of golf at Canongate at Heron Bay. He’s quite the golfer, but he still didn’t beat his old man. Then we stopped by John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods’ model home as we headed back to the nest. It was a beauty. I talked Spalding into stopping by because I’ve had friends who are interested in moving to Heron Bay, but they’re nervous about the market. They’re scared they’ll spend money on a home and then won’t be able to recoup the same amount out of it in 5 or 10 years, much less make a profit. When I checked out John Wieland’s page on the Heron Bay website, it mentioned “protecting the nest egg.” As a bird with an ever-expanding nest, I wanted to check it out.

Here’s what I found out. John Wieland has started a Value Protection Program. If you buy a John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods home today and it appraises for less than you paid for it after five years, John Wieland will pay you the difference. It’s very simple, but of course there are terms and conditions, so you’ll want to get a sales agent to spell it out for you.

And here’s the best part of my Father’s Day: The model home has a huge expanse of windows in the family room. They were so crystal clear that you felt like you could touch the blue sky. Well, while I was talking with the sales agent in the kitchen and Spalding thought no one was looking, he took off to fly, and crashed into the window. I could tell he wasn’t hurt, so I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. Yes, Spalding’s a good golfer, but I’m beginning to think that Haley’s the one that got all, and I mean ALL, the brains.

Please don’t say anything about this to Spalding the next time you see him at the pool.