These hot days make me think of the times we went to the creek after working in the cane fields all day. I guess even Daddy enjoyed it, otherwise we wouldn't have gone. One of our favorite places to swim was called the Slide Hole, a pool of water on Rock Creek. The car was parked on the side of the road and we meandered down the hillside path, trying to avoid touching weeds where chiggers would be waiting for our naked legs. The hole of water got its name from the fact that algae grew on the big rock formations above the deeper water, and long before we knew anything about water slide parks, we had our own slide. The algae made the rocks very slick and the water had carved out a passage just big enough for little hind ends to fit inside and slide into the deeper water to swim.
Another swimming hole we went to a lot was named King's Canyon, called the Cane Hole by locals. It was on a much larger creek with huge boulders jutting out over the water and a high bluff enclosing the stream on two sides. There always seemed to be a mystery to this place: what big event in time caused all those big rocks to be there?
The grown-ups took inner tubes for us play in and it wasn't long before my cousin and I were learning to dog paddle. My sister, Wanda, was a very good swimmer; she could dive off the big rock (on the left, above) and swim underwater. I was never that brave.For several years this hole of water was used mostly by people in our community. Then one day, someone saw the potential for making money from it and built a concession stand, toilets, a dressing room building, and a shed for dancing. City folks came, folks we didn't know and now we had to share this somewhat private place and we felt pushed out.
In more recent years, with the buildings all gone, the grounds have become deserted and used mostly for inappropriate activities. But we'll always remember it for the relief it gave us from the heat of the fields.
Do you remember a favorite swimming place? Creek or pool? Do you still swim?
Charlotte
I remember very well our favorite swimming hole- in the Little River near the Smoky Mountains National Park. We would swim in the "pool" at the top, the go tubing down the river in an old tire tube... even in the middle of July that water was ICE cold!!
ReplyDeleteWe played in the creek that coincidently is behind my house today, and then there was this big swimming hole called The Maple Hole. I remember those days as if it was yesterday..Of course I still stick my feet in the creek every chance I get...Susie
ReplyDeleteWhat is your first photo on this post? Paper dolls?
ReplyDeleteSince I'm not a swimmer, I never really had a favorite swimming hole. We had a little beach by the river that we went to on Sunday afternoons. I probably never waded over my ankles, though!
Dianna, this is a page from an old magazine which ran these cartoons each month. I have a collection of them.
ReplyDeleteThese are such sweet memories and pictures Charlotte. We didn't have a place of our own like that to swim, but my Mom used to take us to a local park every day in the summer so that we could swim in the lake. Lots of happy times!
ReplyDeleteWe have a creek not to far that I like to take the children too. Its so nice for cooling off after working in the garden and sweating in the heat.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a man made pond below our house-I learned to swim in there. Granny would never let us go without an adult-and we drove any available adult crazy begging them to come watch us swim : )
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