One of Franklin’s newest communities is located in the city limits but feels a world away. 

Tucked behind the Williamson County Agricultural Expo Center off of Peytonsville Road and surrounded by farm land and hillside, The Highlands at Ladd Park has the makings of a wonderful combination of spacious homes, beautiful views and opportunities to enjoy nature at its best.

There is a lot to look forward to with this new subdivision going in on the south side of Franklin.

This article about schools always being closed in Williamson County remains a popular one here at The Fun Times Guide to Franklin.

It's clear that parents are searching for ways to find out about school closings -- especially at times when schools become closed at the last minute due to bad weather or some other emergency.

Okay parents, here's what you need to know...

The first annual Sales Tax Holiday in Tennessee is right around the corner: August 4-6, 2006.

Timed with the start of the school year, it's a great opportunity to purchase items tax-free ...everything from back-to-school items and office supplies to computers and clothing for the entire family!

The Tennessee General Assembly passed Public Chapter 398 (Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-6-393) which established an annual sales tax holiday beginning in August 2006. The holiday starts each year at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the following Sunday.

--Source

If you've lived in Tennessee for awhile, then you are fully aware of this already.

If you are a parent with school-age children who might be considering a move to the area, then take note.

On virtually any day during the months of November through February (...and any rainy day in any other month), school is likely to be closed -- for no good reason.

As a rule, parents must find alternate child care up to 13 days each year! (This is for days in which you would think that your children would be in school.)

...the same is true for day care, preschool, and even colleges & universities in Tennessee.

Why? Because around here, they close schools on the premise of having snow, sleet, ice, or even rain! No kidding.

Glad I had my camera on me for THIS shot!...

I went home for lunch the other day, and captured this photo while driving through downtown historic Franklin, TN.

This small, private elementary school (Battle Ground Academy) was celebrating its last day of school.

The funniest thing was that this was the MAIN road in and out of Franklin... a very busy U.S. Highway 31... yet these parents were fully comfortable utilizing the center turn/merge lane for their pseudo Parade-of-Parents line-up.

Also: that the PARENTS were so into it... more than the kids, from what I could tell!

While attending the BlogNashville conference the weekend before last at Belmont University, we had some time in between sessions to take in the beauty of the campus.

We've lived in Nashville for several years, but we haven't really spent any time at Belmont... until now.

...It appears that we live in the HOTTEST zip code in middle Tennessee!

After hearing something on the local news about the rising cost (and subsequent value) of housing in Tennessee, we checked out News Channel 4's website and found this:

37064 is the only Zip Code that all of the real estate experts agreed was THE hottest zip in Middle Tennessee.

Well, well. It appears that we are perched smack dab in the middle of something lucrative -- for a change.

Lil 'ol us... in the southwestern corner of Franklin, Tennessee.