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.

You just never know what kind of fun a day at Heron Bay will bring. Spalding and Haley have been having a great time at the pool this summer. The mushroom fountains make them feel like they’re in a luxury bird bath, and they’ve made more friends than they can count. Having so many friends makes a difference on rainy days, too. With everyone living right here in Heron Bay, it’s always easy to find someone to play.

I have to admit that Spalding and Haley were unusually quiet when they came back from the pool the other day. You know how we birds of a feather stick together? Well, herons are nothing like chickens, but we’re still part of the bird family together. Imagine their shock when Chick-fil-A’s “Eat Mor Chicken” mascot arrived at the pool with chicken strips, samples of new Chick-fil-A sauces and more goodies for kids and parents alike.

In the end, Spalding and Haley became excited about the surprise guest. After all, it’s not everyday you see a giant cow at the pool, and I hear his appearance was quite moo-ving. Plus, their neighborhood friends were ecstatic about all the goodies. They even posed for a picture for Stacy Johnson, Heron Bay’s community information representative, who is always in the know.

That Eat Mor Chicken cow was pretty convincing. I hope he’ll stop by again – and next time bring along some milkshakes. Now that’s something a bird can enjoy!