#meadowcrest

Meadowcrest Community in Crystal River, FL

It’s a warmer-than-usual December along the East Coast, and especially in Crystal River, Florida, where I am currently staying.  I’ve been here several times through the last two and a half decades, and am amazed at how good it still looks here, in this poor county of Florida.  Meadowcrest is one of a few hidden gems surrounded by fast food restaurants, dollar stores, big box stores, and some low income areas.  

On my walk to the pool, it is extremely quiet except for a few excited birds chirping in the shrubs along my route. Tiny geckos scurry along the edge of the sidewalk onto the lawns, up the trees, onto houses. Wooden signs with carved letters flank certain streets as the entryway to particular communities in the complex--Hillcrest, Fairmont Village, Arbor Court.  Each has houses with their own distinct look--some more uniformin design and color than others.  All very clean and inviting--there are definitely some rules to follow in this neck of the woods.

I take a sidewalk down the stretch of road known as McVicar, where the clubhouse entrance is located.  Streets are lined with well-manicured greenery and tall pin oaks that keep me cool in the sun, and give the neighborhood a sense of established elegance and permanence. Some locals walk nearby--neither slowly nor briskly--some holding dogs on leashes.  Though it is warm, dark clouds shift across the blue sky, cooling the air, but not, apparently, threatening rain.

As I reach the end of McVicar, I approach the clubhouse, passing the tennis courts on the right.  Two young men are preparing to play on one of two courts, which are normally empty unless it is early in the morning when residents hold matches--but I’m not usually there to be certain that actually happens.  Too early for me.