Haley’s Sleepover
I ask you – what more could a bird ask for than a night under the starry sky; a crackling campfire; the moon glistening on the lake; and marshmallows for roasting? Yes, you can have it all at Lakefront Park in Heron Bay.
Of course, when you add seven giggling girls to the mix, it’s a whole different experience.
Haley had a backyard campout with six of her closest neighborhood friends the other night, so we started with a campfire cookout at Lakefront Park. We built a fire in one of the fire pits, and the girls roasted hot dogs. Helen had packed all the fixings, which we spread out on a picnic table under the pavilion. The fans kept us cool and kept the bugs away, too.
As darkness fell, the girls caught fireflies and played flashlight tag. It was a picture-perfect evening. Then it was time to make s’mores over the fire. Do you know how much sugar is in marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers? The girls played the whole walk home, where tents for all of us were already set up in the backyard.
By “all of us” I don’t mean Helen. She regretted that she needed to sleep inside with the egg.
So there we were – seven six-year-old girls, Spalding (who came outside mainly to scare the girls) and one Great Blue Heron who is old enough to know better. Spalding tried to spook the girls with ghost stories, but they just kept giggling. Spalding got frustrated at first, but in the end, even he couldn’t stop laughing.
Eventually, everyone got tired. The girls all crammed into one tent, and Spalding and I shared another.
Then a wonderful, unexpected thing happened – everyone fell asleep! I crept outside the tent and looked around. No one’s ever accused me of being sentimental, but I have to admit that a tear fell from my eye. What more could a bird ask for than a night under the clear sky, the full moon shining and marshmallows for roasting, you ask? Just this: a happy family, dear neighborhood friends, and a wonderful place to call home – a place just like we’ve discovered at Heron Bay.
Tags: campout, ghost stories, heron bay amenities, lakefront park
