Lindsay Pendleton Marketing Agent Property Management in Baton Rouge

I am always trying to come up with cool things for us to do on the weekend. Today, we decided to go to the "Spray Ground in Gonzales, LA". When we pulled up, the park was packed with kids of all ages. Everyone had the same idea but it was definitely a cool idea. There were actually two parks with the spray ground on one side and your typical park on the other with a beautiful fountain in between.

We got settled in. My son had no idea what to do with himself and basically just stood there in amazement. I was pretty sure that I was going to end up getting wet in order to show him what the spray ground was about. Darnit! I picked him up, running him through the water falls and he couldn't stop giggling. He loved it. The spray ground in Gonzales was filled with kiddies of all ages. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. I even noticed a few birthday parties going on. I loved this park.

A few days ago, I threw a picture up of the crazy clouds in Baton rouge the other night. I was so intrigued by them because they were so low, almost as if they were touching the ground. I got out my camera and took a few pictures but then decided to 'record' it because it was pretty and I'm a nerd. I basically followed the clouds until I ended up in a popular neighborhood and sat at the stop sign to record. I probably sat at that intersection for a good five or so minutes while watching the lightening through the clouds. I was such in a daze while admiring the clouds that I didn't notice the homeowners who were giving me a funny look. I'm pretty sure they assumed that I was a private investigator. I mean, who else stops at a stop sign, holding a camera out of the window? I blushed a little and then drove off.

Skating is more than just an art form; it’s a culture consisting of nearly 18.5 million skaters. The skateboarding community has evolved over the past decade which has allowed skating to become more mainstream and acceptable. This is a huge leap from the 80’s when the recreational sport was more than frowned upon.  Skaters used to have a tainted reputation due to society labeling them as rebellious and associating them with the ‘punk image’. As the nation becomes more appreciating, skate parks are going up all over the world which shows how society’s stereotype of skaters has evolved. While most skaters still cling to their rebellious creative nature, their voices are being heard, allowing them to bring awareness to the skateboarding community.

Nearly eight years ago, a small group of skateboard companies got together to establish a special day for those who were passionate about skating. What started with a day of barbeque and simple skating sessions in Southern California eventually went worldwide, bringing skaters together in participating and acknowledging “National Skateboarding Day”.  National Skateboarding Day occurs every year on June 21^st. The day is set aside for skaters to get out on their boards, doing what they enjoy the most while representing the skateboarding community. The culture has come a long way, continuing to grow and while a small percentage of society still holds on to the old stereotype, most are welcoming it and seeing it for what it is…art, a form of expression, a means of transportation, an extreme sport and a unique, talented culture.

In 2005, the “Go Skateboarding Foundation” was created for skaters to come together in order to give back to charities and by volunteering to help the younger generation. Those who donate to the mission will be helping to promote the positive traits of the skateboarding community, impacting society and younger kids who are thinking about skating. You can donate to here. The foundation focuses on educational experiences, scholarships, career programing while striving to encourage the building of new skate parks.

Skateboarders in Baton Rouge used to roam the streets in their attempts to practice their passion. Many would flock to downtown Baton Rouge due to the variety of good places to skate but often got ran off by authority. In 2010, BREC had their grand opening of the first extreme sports park in Baton Rouge. The park offers a unique community playground for children, ramps and skating area, BMX riding track, rock climbing, a velodrome, fishing, volleyball, tennis, soccer, baseball, picnic areas and a walking loop. During the summer. BREC offers a summer camp at the Baton Rouge extreme sports park. The camp consists of skateboarding lessons and BMX track racing. The voices of the skating community have been heard, influencing the city to take action and allowing them to participate in breathing life into the skateboarding culture.

Skateboarding in Baton Rouge

Urban 9 Skate Shop
6251 Perkins Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA
(225)767-5482

Rukus Board
5601 Jones Creek
Baton Rouge, LA

(225)755-3970

Board Lords
6401 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Suite 2044
Baton Rouge, LA
(225)769-1222

I always enjoy Wednesday's, not just because it's hump day...but because it's (what I like to call) "Picture Day". I like seeing every one's "Wordless Wednesday" post which usually ends up being an "Almost Wordless Wednesday"...kind of like this one. Tonight, I was making my way to a friends house when a beautiful sunset caught my eye. It's seldom that I ever leave the house without my camera. I usually have my Canon Powershot in my purse and my Canon Rebel on the floor board of my car. Hey, you never know...when you're going to need a backup. I caught a red light at the intersection near my house while looking at the sun and thought 'geez, that would make a great picture'. With my foot still on the break, I busted out the camera and started zooming. I'm pretty sure the people beside me thought I was kooky especially since I sat through two green lights. Good thing no one was behind me or it would have been a lost Kodak moment. .

It’s coming…and it’s not Santa Claus. The 2011 Hurricane season starts June 1^st, which is just around the corner. I’ve got to admit that I’m a little bit nervous due to the current flooding issues in Louisiana. How will hurricane season impact Louisiana levees? I guess only time will tell…but in the meantime, we need to focus on being prepared for what’s around the corner. Last week, I found myself in Academy Sports trying on life jackets. I can’t remember the last time I wore a life jacket but if I had to guess, I would say it’s been at least ten years.

I managed to get myself into a pink cozy jacket and almost laughed myself into a corner while trying to get out of it. It was bulky and so snug (aka too small) that I couldn’t reach my arm around to get it off. I started looking for hangers, hooks…anything that I could use to hook the top part of the jacket on to give me a little more pulling room. I kept trying to reach around to pull the back off of my shoulders and eventually found myself going in circles. People would walk and glance down the aisle and I played it off, pretending to be trying the thing on. Acting like I was fooling with the strap, I would ask my son…”You think pink is my color?”

I tried to be cool in front of my four-year-old but I knew the gig was up when he told me that I was too big for the pink choker. It was an awkward, funny situation and I finally had to throw in the towel and ask the little one for help. He started trying to pull the jacket off with only one hand but it wasn’t happening so I encouraged him to use both. Both of his hands were at the top of the jacket, his feet almost dangling and I had to do the tango to get out of the darn thing. So, I wiggled from left to right while he was pulling down and eventually I made it out…alive.

Later on that day, I told my friends about my life jacket purchase and they laughed at me because they thought I was overreacting about the flooding in Louisiana. Of course, I left the part out about almost losing my life to a life jacket. I think I’d rather be known for being tackled by a life jacket then being tackled by a natural disaster. Hey, one can never be too prepared, right?