Sturbridge, a popular neighborhood in east Montgomery, has two big ponds at its Vaughn Road entrance.  I was shocked to see that one of them is nearly completely frozen over in about half inch thick ice.

Buyers relocating from up north might say, “what’s the big deal?” But let me tell you, for central Alabama, a frozen pond is a rare occurrence.  This recent cold snap is breaking records.

I was running errands with my kids yesterday in the Vaughn Road area and was surprised to see some bigger kids playing at the edge of the pond.  They were breaking off big hunks of ice and throwing them back on the iced surface.  We paused to take some pictures and the below video.  For Alabamians, this is surreal.

Hey readers – does anyone else have some good cold weather photos and videos, in Sturbridge or the rest of Montgomery? Leave a comment or reply below and let the rest of us see!

I have a great home for sale in Sturbridge.  I took my real estate assistant over there to put out some more flyers today and encountered my first lemonade stand of the summer:

I wasn’t surprised to see one here. Sturbridge is a great neighborhood in east Montgomery, one with an apple pie, American feel.  Kids ride their bikes around there.  Moms power walk. Teens play ultimate frisbee in the “green space.”

What I was surprised about was how good the lemonade was.  It was actually like a limonada – sort of a blended, Icee consistency, with just the right amount of sweet and sour.  Worth every bit of the 75 cents and 25 cent tip.  What’s up? Do the kids in Sturbridge have some sort of secret recipe? I will return to that one.

Even though I am one of the cheapest humans alive, I will always stop at a kids’ lemonade stand.  It is free enterprise in action. It fires me up that capitalism is alive and well, no bailouts in the lemonade stand industry, no sir.

While I’m on the subject, let me point out one more great reason to stop a lemonade stands: Make A Stand – Montgomery’s own Pat & Elizabeth Adams are involved with this effort to bring awareness and raise money to fight pediatric brain cancer.

The Town of Pike Road had an “Education Summit” tonight at St. James United Methodist Church.

It mostly covered the nature of the school system, which will be a P.D.S. school – or a Professional Development School - more on that later.

For now, check out this video of Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone answering the big question:

When will Pike Road have its own school system?

His answer:

Also, I was pleased to be interviewed by WSFA Channel 12 and WAKA Channel 8.  It also aired on the local Fox affiliate WCOV.

I revealed two great pearls of wisdom: 1. choice is good and 2. schools are important.

Gee, I am brilliant.

The Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) website has posted proposed zoning for the newest east Montgomery schools:  Wilson Elementary and Carr Jr.  This new zoning will take effect Fall 2009.

Below is the zoning map for Carr.  For closer detail, click here for the PDF from the MPS website

Here is the proposed map for Jim Wilson Elementary School.  Again, for more details click here for a link to the map on the MPS website.

This is a really important and exciting time for the Montgomery Public Schools and the city of Montgomery.  Two public forums have been scheduled to discuss the  new school zoning:  Monday, March 23rd  (today) at 6:00 pm at Blount Elementary School, and Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 pm at Brewbaker Junior High.  Parents are encouraged to attend these forums.  Voting on the new zoning will take place in April.

As always, if you’re looking for a home in one of these new Montgomery school zones, we’d love to help.  It costs you nothing to let an experienced Realtor help you with your home search.  Give us a call or email from the info at the top of the page, or contact us via the contact tab.

For pictures and video of these schools under construction check out these posts:

Neighborhood Spotlight:  New Park (video shows Wilson school)

Right Before Your Eyes:  Carr Middle School

My kids are getting spoiled by all this winter weather – two mornings of snow in two years is cause for celebration in Montgomery!  Last year it snowed one morning in February, and this Sunday (March 1, 2009) it snowed all morning long.  This might be the third time we’ve seen snow in ten years.

Since it is such a rarity around here, I thought I’d share a few of our pics.

Walking out the front door.

This is a LOT of snow for Montgomery!

Looking across the back yard.

The entrance to Lochshire was pretty.

Homes covered with snow in the Lochshire neighborhood.

We love the Montgomery Zoo.  It really is a gem.  It’s not just a petting zoo – it is the real deal with monkeys, elephants, giraffes, lions, and a rhino. There’s a new bald eagle exhibit, plus a river otter and (separate) alligator area under construction.  Very cool.

You can make a morning, afternoon, or all day event of it, and everyone needs a nap when you get home!

Check out my video of our trip last week.

The Y’s are great in Montgomery.  Spread all around town, they have excellent facilities and high participation from all ages.  That’s where people go.  From someone who did not grow up with an active YMCA program, this is a marvel – great fitness and entertainment for the whole family (year round) for a really cheap cost!

For moms with young children, they have child care.  For working parents, there’s after-school care.  My personal favorite is the heated indoor swimming area - a great change of pace from the regular February activity! The exercise classes are top notch, as are the personal trainers - should you be so inclined.  The fellowship with other families is an added bonus.

In east Montgomery alone, there are Y’s located on Bell Road, Atlanta Highway, and at The Waters. It’s hard to get too far from one. Click here for a larger version of this map.

There are sports programs - soccer, t-ball, baseball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, wrestling, track, cheerleading, swimming, etc., and their website says over 10,000 kids in Montgomery participated in sports through the Y.   Non-members can play sports, but Y members get a 50% cut in registration fees.  Even for small families, that discount will almost pay for the monthly membership cost.

It’s a great deal.  I had no idea.