It all happened so quickly that I can’t even believe it. About a month ago, Stacey and Mel introduced me to the Daybreak community down in South Jordan. It looked so much like Sugarhouse, without the added benefits of roaming panhandlers that I became obsessed with it. Mike had been hinting that he’d like a bigger house, so within a month, we find ourselves packing and heading south.

Just for my records, I’m posting some of the blogs and websites I’ve found that have information about my new home:

• Daybreak Utah — Newsroom
• Daybreak Community Association: The official community site
• CDA Properties SLC Utah: The Realtor who helped us find a rental in Daybreak so quickly. Ask for Adam Willis. He’s awesome!
• Facebook | Daybreak: Most of the great information that I’ve been able to get is from the Daybreak Facebook fan page.
• The Daybreak Daily: An unofficial community website
• DAYBREAK TODAY: A Daybreak resident’s web log about the community
• Daybreak (@DaybreakUt) on Twitter
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – Daybreak Community: A little out of date, but some good links to maps and such.

My biggest regret is that I won’t be living next to NakedJen anymore. Everything else about Daybreak is looking to be wonderful. I’m sure to bore you all with lots of photos of the area and the lake.

There is a woman at Daybreak protesting. She has a sign that says:

Daybreak Dream a Nightmare

Apparently, her complaints are with Kennecott Land and the Daybreak Homeowners Association:

• Resident with signs on Topview and Daybreak Pkwy. – The Daybreak Daily

The resident is a long-time Daybreak resident who lives in Founders. She has been an avid proponent of Daybreak but has many examples of KL and HOA failures to live up to their advertising, promises and obligations. A quick conversation with her was enlightening. She does not seem to be one who just has an axe to grind but someone who sees what needs to be fixed to keep our community great and some suggestions about how to fix them.

After living in Sugarhouse for the last six years, all of these complaints seem superfluous.

• Are you paying $1080 a month for 823 square feet?

• Is your house so old that the drains don’t drain, the power breakers pop if you run the microwave and the toaster at the same time or the colony of mice living in your basement are impossible to exterminate?

• Have you had panhandlers knock on your door asking for money?

• Have you dealt with boarded up windows and waist-high weeds at the two vacant houses on your street?

• Was your supposedly securely locked bicycle been stolen off your front porch in the middle of the night?

• Has a stranger been apprehended and arrested by the police in your backyard?

Daybreak is HEAVEN compared to some of the issues in other neighborhoods, even prestigious ones like Sugarhouse. If the Daybreak Dream is a NIGHTMARE, I think you need to learn the correct definition of nightmare and move downtown for a while. You’ll come back to South Jordan with a whole new perspective.

An entry on the Daybreak newsletter disturbed me. It read:

You may have noticed swallows that have nested under the bridges on 11400 S. The Association has looked into these particular birds and they are federally protected species of bird and we are not able to tamper with the nests until after they migrate this fall. Once the birds have migrated we will go through the area and clean up their nests.

It surprised me that they didn’t mention the BEST reason to have cliff swallows inhabiting Daybreak. Each swallow eats close to THREE pounds of mosquitoes every day. Rather than trying to get rid of the birds, we should be encouraging them to stay here because there is a lot of water for mosquitoes to breed on Oquirrh Lake. Cliff swallows might make unsightly nests under the bridge, but I’d much rather deal with that and bird droppings than to have to constantly fight swarms of mosquitoes with every walk around the lake.

Almost a week ago, Mike and I took photos and some video of The Swallows of Daybreak. Here’s what we saw.

Here is some video:

After seeing the swallows face to face and knowing what they can do to make Daybreak a better place, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to remove their nests, no matter how they look. If you would like to learn more about cliff swallows, here are a couple of links:

• Cliff Swallow – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Don’t be a Hoser: The Swallows of California « The blog of Keith Hansen

There was some excitement in the neighborhood yesterday. Hundreds of cars were parked around the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and people were rushing to see the the replacement of the Angel Moroni on the top of the LDS temple.

In case you hadn’t heard, the Mormon temple in Daybreak was hit by lightning back in June:

• MormonTimes – Lightning hits Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Nothing had been done to correct the damage done to the Angel Moroni statue. I kind of expected to see scaffolding and crews around the temple day and night as soon as the open house was over, but instead, they brought in a replacement Moroni and just switched them out.

I didn’t see them take the old statue down, but I was there when they were lifting the new one up. You can see the photos here:

After two months, the charring from the lightning had faded, but there is no denying that the new statue looks much better. It was impressive to watch the process and see the crowds of people, eager to see the local church be repaired.

Update 08-13-09: According to 2News, the new statue has TWO lightning rods in it now, one on the trumpet and one on Moroni’s head. Glad to know that they are planning for the future this time since South Jordan gets a lot of lightning and the Oquirrh Mountain Temple is the tallest thing for miles.

Jenny Bauman had a house built in Daybreak. It is the same design as the house Mike and I live in, so it feels like a video of OUR house being built.

Our House Being Built from Jenny Bauman on Vimeo.

Our house is the brown color the house was before the painting, so for a bit, it REALLY feels like our house.

Via: Facebook | Daybreak Status

This morning, there are snowflakes on my porch and lawn chair.

It’s the same lawn chair I sat on yesterday in the warm weather, wondering whether I should change my welcome sign from “Winter Greetings” to “Spring Greetings.” I am sick of this bipolar weather. Yesterday it was spring, today it’s winter again. I thought we were through with you, Mr. Snow Miser.

I’m sure I’ll be wishing for warm snow that melts within a day when it’s August and the heat is barreling down on me, but for now, I’m ready to say goodbye to winter.

Early every Saturday morning a big diesel truck pulls up to one of the vacant stores in Daybreak. A ton of produce is unloaded and then a few minutes later, a gaggle of people show up with laundry baskets, boxes and rubbermaid storage containers. They wait in line and come out with their baskets full of fruit and veggies.

This was going on even in the cold months of March and April, so there’s no way this is some local farm collective thing. This stuff is being shipped to Utah in big semi-trucks.

By the time I throw on my clothes and run out there to ask someone about it, they’re gone. I really need to wake up earlier on Saturday mornings because I’d love to know what’s up with the laundry basket freakshow.

I received an email the other day from Daybreak telling me how important outdoor safety is. Here is what they sent me:

The outdoor season is rapidly approaching. Here are a couple reminders for safety:

• Teach your children proper outdoor safety practices
• Use your common sense when participating in outdoor activities
• Always be prepared for the unexpected
• Do not take unnecessary chances
• Do not be careless
• Think before you act

Reading it made me roll my eyes in disgust. “Really?!” I thought to myself. They just reworded the phrase, “be safe,” six times. What we need are some REAL safety tips for living in Daybreak. Here are the few that Mike and I were able to ramble off the top of our head.

It Doesn’t Take A Village, Moron

It might take a village to raise a child, but expecting the village to keep your child safe is moronic. WATCH your children when they are playing. Our backyards are too small to hold kids, so they are playing in the front yards together. Honestly, this is a GOOD thing as long as there is a parent nearby reminding them to stay out of the street, watch for cars and stay in the yard. Too many kids are allowed free reign of the streets.

Stay Out Of The Lake

It might be a man-made lake, but you could drown in it just as easily as any bed of water. Don’t swim in the lake. After last year’s ringworm incident, we aren’t even allowed to wade in the water. It’s against the rules because it could kill you or make you sick.

Avoid The Traffic Circles

I know legally you can walk or ride your bike along the traffic circles in Daybreak, but it’s idiotic to do so. We have so many visitors to the neighborhood who are unfamiliar with traffic circles. I have seen too many near accidents because of confused visitors on traffic circles to ever feel safe riding my bike through them. I do everything I can to avoid them by crossing at other areas or taking the trail that leads under the 11400 South traffic circle.

Stay on the Trails

It’s really easy to be lulled into complacency in Daybreak. There is hardly any traffic, so I catch myself ambling my bike down the roads instead of following the sidewalks or trails that were made for my bike. We have cars and city buses that come through our neighborhood, yet I see children sprawling our streets with their bikes every day without a parent in sight. Keep your feet and your bikes on the trails where they belong.

Leave The Animals Alone

EVERY time I take a walk around the lake, I see a child throwing a rock at a duck or goose. Anyone who has ever been bitten by a goose knows that it’s not wise to agitate them, especially if they are nesting. Not to mention the fact that geese, cliff swallows and many of the other animals in this area are protected by FEDERAL law. Teaching children to leave the animals alone not only protects them from avenging animals bent on protecting their young, but keeps you safe from the hefty fines attached to injuring protected species.

Drive With Your Eyes Peeled

There are so many children living in Daybreak that it has a “Lord of the Flies” feel at times. Flocks of children run into the street without a moment’s warning, so whenever you get in your car, keep your eyes on the road and surrounding areas. Additionally, we live so close to the wilds of the Oquirrh Mountains that our neighborhood is rife with wildlife. A deer through your windshield can kill you, so stay alert when you’re driving, especially if you take the back road to Bacchus Highway.

Water Makes Things Slippery

We all know that water makes things slippery, but every time a child falls at the splash park, it’s like we have to learn all over again. Whether you’re wet from the rain, sprinklers on the lawn or an intentional splash through the water feature at SoDa Row, if you are wet, it’s easier to slip and fall. Walk carefully when you’re wet and be mindful of how slippery it can get.

Put Your Toys Away

After living in Sugarhouse for years, I’m shocked at how lax people are with their toys. Adults and children are guilty of leaving expensive toys out in the open and sometimes even in the STREET. We have FAR less crime here than I dealt with downtown, but there is ALWAYS a risk that someone might walk away with your bike, skateboard or barbecue grill. Put your toys away and you won’t have to be the indignant one when a thief hits our neighborhood.

Have A Safe Summer in Daybreak

I have been living in Daybreak for almost a year now and I can honestly say that it’s a utopia compared to Sugarhouse. Even in utopia, however, there are dangers. I’m sure that we would love to have a summer without a single injury at Daybreak, but it won’t happen unless we are vigilant of our own actions.