There really is something truly exceptional about the location of Heron Bay Golf and Country Club, and if you haven’t taken full advantage of all the resources at your fingertips, I highly encourage you to start. For example, the Cubihatcha Outdoor Center is located here in Locust Grove. I took Spalding and Haley with me to the wetland enhancement and protection corridor, and it was a great activity for the family.

The center is home to a myriad of different species of animals, and has two winding walking trails. Since none of us are marathon runners, we decided to take a nature tour on the two mile loop. The other loop is eight miles and runs along the Towaliga River, which I am sure is home to many interesting and unique species that we didn’t get to see, but we definitely had an abundance of interesting plants and animals on the two mile loop. Our tour was lead by a friendly staff naturalist that is an expert at the many different species of reptiles, amphibians, insects and plants that can be seen on the trail. If you prefer to take a self-guided tour you can,  but having a professional point out the rare plants and tiny insects that we would have otherwise missed really helped enhance our experience. We all thoroughly enjoyed the nature hike and all of us left knowing more than knew before about the plant and animal life right here in Locust Grove.

It’s important to get out and do things as a family, like spending a day on a nature hike. There are plenty of things to do as a family here at Heron Bay, like the Goblin Gallop coming up next Saturday, October 25th. I hope you didn’t forget. If so, it’s not too late to pre-register, and you can always register on the day of the race. If you can’t run or walk in the race, come out to cheer on the runners and walkers – they would love the support – and it is a great way to connect with your neighbors.

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!

My budding environmentalist is at it again. This time, she’s worried about our region’s water supply. Of course, we’ve all been talking about it since last summer’s drought, but Haley’s decided it’s time to make a difference in our family.

When we turn on hot water in the faucet, we collect the cold water that comes out first and set it aside to water plants or even to flush the toilet. Helen fills a pan with clean water to wash our vegetables, and Spalding has shortened the time he spends in the shower by three minutes a day, saving up to 700 gallons a month. He very kindly offered to stop taking showers at all, but we insisted that cutting back to a few minutes everyday was doing his part. Haley wanted her mother to start washing dishes by hand, but Helen promised instead to run only full loads, saving up to 800 gallons a month. As for me, I’ve installed water-saving showerheads in the bathrooms. Each saves up to 800 gallons a month, and I bought the high pressure models, so you really can’t tell a difference.

Haley’s found The Water Family Game online. It was produced in the U.K., so some of the words they use sound kind of funny to us, but the nestlings enjoyed the different activities and learned a lot. I have to admit that I did, too. I didn’t even know you could buy eco-friendly dishwashing detergent, did you?