Have you noticed Haley’s been quiet about saving our environment recently? Well, it’s not that she’s been quiet; it’s just that I haven’t shared it with you. Every now and then, though, she comes up with something I truly can’t afford to ignore – she hits me in the wallet. And with this long, hot summer, our energy bills are making my wallet significantly thinner.

That’s where Haley stepped in with all sorts of facts she discovered on the Energy Star website. Did you know that energy use in the average home is responsible for twice as much pollution as the average car? And the average home has 30 light fixtures, so lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of energy costs.

Haley learned we can use Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to help out. They use two-thirds less energy than standard bulbs, and they last six times longer. Each bulb can save us about $25 in energy costs over its lifetime.

Of course, Haley came up with some facts that don’t directly impact our family budget, too. I have to admit they’re pretty impressive. If each U.S. household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with one that earned the Energy Star label, our country could save $600 million in energy bills. That’s enough energy to light 7 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1 million cars.

Turning a CFL on and off frequently can shorten its life, so we chose to replace lights in the fixtures that we use the most. That means I need to sign off and get to work. I seem to be the only one in our home who can change a light bulb. At least herons don’t need to get a ladder, even for the two-story foyer!

All summer long, the children have been begging my wife to make her famous blueberry pie. So last weekend, we decided that we would get the whole family involved in the preparation by going to the “Greenleaf Blueberry Farm” in Hampton.

This family farm is ran by Mrs. Olmstead who takes care of it for her in-laws, who also live on the property. Mrs. Olmstead is a special needs teacher who is passionate about blueberries and opens the farm each summer to allow families to come and pick their own fresh berries.

We had so much fun! When we got there, Mrs. Olmstead gave us each a bucket and pointed us in the right direction. We were followed by some friendly dogs who seemed excited to see some new faces. We spent a while picking the berries and just enjoying the early morning weather. Once we had picked close to three gallons of berries, Mrs. Olmstead was friendly enough to package them for us for the quick trip home. She also shared a few secret family recipes with us, just in case we had some berries left over after we baked our pie.

Once we were home, we all worked together to wash the berries and bake the pie. My kids were so excited to be involved and it was great watching them work together.

We enjoyed the homemade pie after dinner with some vanilla ice cream. It was so delicious, and I could really taste the fresh, juicy blueberries. There’s nothing like fresh berries in a homemade pie! And the kids enjoyed it so much that we decided to take Mrs. Olmstead’s recipe and use the leftover berries the next morning.

Spending the day with my family at the blueberry farm was great fun. My kids really enjoyed it, and are already asking to go back! I would highly recommend that all of my friends and neighbors here at Heron Bay make a trip to the farm a summer tradition. Not  only do you get to spend a wonderful fun day with your family, but you get a yummy pie at the end of that day!

One thing I love about Heron Bay is the fact that there are so many places to fit in here (even for a family of herons!). Take Brayson Homes. I checked out their model home in the Pinehurst community while I was walking with Haley last week. They offer all sorts of choices for homebuyers, depending on the homesite you choose, of course. They have basements for those who like extra space and lots of steps. Then they have ranch homes for those who don’t like steps at all. You can choose as many as five bedrooms or as few as three. (After the walk, I took Haley to an ice cream store. As she took 31 minutes to choose one flavor, I realized that I would never want her to have as many choices as Brayson Homes offers. I pity the sales agent who helps her with her first home purchase!)

Back to Brayson homes – this is the best part: These homes start at $189,900, and some are ready to move into right away. That means you could come live in Heron Bay with all the wonderful amenities at a very affordable price, and you could get here while it’s still warm enough to enjoy the outdoor pool and mushroom fountains. The model home, which is loaded with tons of extras, is for sale, too. It’s $229,990. Even with the excellent pricing, Brayson Homes never skimps on quality or service. After all, they’ve built more than 10,000 homes over the last 30 years, so they must be doing something right.

That is it for now - Haley has finally chosen an outfit to wear on this afternoon’s walk. Give me a wave if you see us about. You’ll recognize me as the dad with the most carefully dressed little girl – oh, and we’re the only walking, talking Herons around these parts, too.

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.

It’s hard to believe that July 4th is already here. Spalding is walking around whistling “Yankee Doodle,” and Helen has Haley all dressed up in red, white and blue with matching ribbons and sparkles in her hair. It’s hard not to get caught up in the spirit.

To celebrate and to feel a part of our larger community this weekend, we’re planning to visit the Georgia Independence Day Festival at Nash Park in Hamilton. It starts at 3 p.m. on both Thursday, July 3rd and Friday, July 4th, and it lasts until dark. We’re going on the 3rd, and if the kids really enjoy it, we’re going back again on the 4th. It’s only $5 for Helen and me, then $2 for the children. We may take one of our cousins, who is younger than 5 and will get in free.

The whole event, which is sponsored by the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department, focuses on Colonial days. They’ll have scenes of the Revolution, strolling actors in costume, live Colonial music, dancing, food and more. There will be a Kids Zone with pony rides and face painting to keep Spalding and Haley happy. (Have you ever seen a Great Blue Heron on a pony? It’s a sight to see.) Plus, Helen will want to explore the booths and shopping opportunities. As for me, I’ll be happy just watching people and meeting more neighbors.

Each night, the evening will conclude with a Fireworks Extravaganza. Our family can’t wait to see you there. You’ll know us from the crowd – we’ll be the ones wearing red, white and blue.