Kind of a Cool Little Neighborhood

Now don’t get me wrong; my heart is still in Alabama, with little pieces of it scattered among the hills of Tennessee. And I really do miss downtown St. Pete with the vast array of things to do, and all within walking distance. And I REALLY miss the beach house. Oh how I LOVE the beach…and the sea turtles. I really did not want to live inland — but I have to admit this is kind of a cool little neighborhood. The temperatures aren’t moderated by the water, which is kind of a bummer…and the facilities (clubhouse and basketball courts, etc) are still just under construction, but this neighborhood is loaded with green spaces and wildlife. There is a fabulous nature trail and several small parks, one of which is a community-built playground that just opened around Thanksgiving time (my husband and boys are proud to have taken a part in its construction).

But I think that the one thing that has sold me the most on the neighborhood has been the community activities, most of which are tailored to families. Last weekend was a perfect example. On Saturday, they had a Dad-and-Me Nature Scavenger Hunt, in which the children and their Dads searched for the listed items and took digital photos of them. (Our team won!) The prize was a backpack (seen here, on Lefty) with a magnifying glass and pup tent, and other nature gear. (Guess who’s been camping out in a tent under the Christmas tree since Saturday…)

Then on Sunday afternoon, the community held a kickball game and pizza party for the kids. (At one point though, I looked out on the field and noticed that of 12 players, 6 of them were mine!)