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.