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Nyla Parker enjoys swinging at Duncan Park. (Nicole Hester The Natchez Democrat).

Nyla and Kennedy Parker play on a slide at Duncan Park. (Nicole Hester The Natchez Democrat).

Brittany Parker pushes her daughter, Nyla, in a swing at Duncan Park. (Nicole Hester The Natchez Democrat).

Nyla Parker pushes Melice Keys in a swing at Duncan Park. A local organization is exploring new activities for youth in the community at a Town Hall event this Saturday. (File photo | The Natchez Democrat).

Ann Keys pushes her daughter, Melice, in a swing at Duncan Park (File photo | The Natchez Democrat).

NATCHEZ — Ann Keys gently pushed the swing holding her 1-year-old daughter, Melice, who smiled brightly as she enjoyed the back-and-forth motion.

Last Wednesday, was quite possibly the most beautiful spring day ever — 69 degrees, a clear blue sky — and perhaps a lovelier day never existed to enjoy Duncan Park, where The Dart landed.

Keys and Brittany Parker, both of Ferriday, decided to put the children in the car Wednesday afternoon and drive them over to enjoy a day in the park.

The children enjoyed the swing sets amidst the backdrop of the pristinely kept fairways and greens of the Duncan Park Golf Course and an old locomotive.

Duncan Park’s primary playground area features pebble gravel-filled raised beds with swing sets, climbing logs, a rock-climbing wall, picnic tables, a covered pavilion, benches and a fort emblazoned with the word “Playventure” above the opening for a slide.

The children enjoyed climbing around the fort, looking out of the openings and sliding down the slide.

Keys said she discovered Duncan Park when she was training to be a bus driver and drove past the park. Since then, Keys said, she has been to the park three times.

“It looked nice and quiet,” Keys said. “Different than what we have. Wish we would have brought some crawfish.”

For this visit, Keys brought along Parker, who is Keys’ husband Andre’s cousin, and Parker’s three children, Nyla, 4, Kennedy, 2, and Carson, 1.

“This park is nice,” Parker said as she watched her children playing in the park in the shade of moss-draped oaks and cypress trees. “There is more here than where we live.”

Parker said she was happy to discover the park, as well.

“Overall, I love it,” Parker said. “I will come back.”

In the background of the playground looms the antebellum Auburn, which is open for tours, and both women said they would probably take a tour of the house later in the afternoon.

But, the children, most of whom were still playing and climbing on the playground equipment, seemed to have other plans.

Melice, still enjoying being pushed back and forth in her swing, had droopy eyes and yawned.

“This will wear us both out,” Keys said. “She’ll be asleep before we make it back across the bridge.”

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