Lela’s Favorite Childhood Fishing Hole

We finally made it to Georgia the week before last and visited mom’s grave and inspected the, finally installed, marker.  It is simple, but mother would not be happy if she had a large one.  She was a simple person in many ways and was against excessive spending.

A little story about her will better illustrate how spending conscious she was.  Many years ago we stopped at a fast-food restaurant to get some burgers as we travelled from Georgia back to Florida and Art asked her to order him a cheeseburger with extra cheese.  She resisted because of the extra dime they charged.  She was just that way about spending.  Part of this was her childhood on a farm just after the Great Depression, and part was due to her life as a single parent during the 1960’s.

We visited the creek where mom spent many days fishing and swimming as a kid.  The creek runs through the back of the farmland that is still owned and farmed  by my cousins.  Southwest Georgia had little rain over the Summer, so the creek is relatively dry, but still a beautiful setting.  We were lucky enough to catch a quick view of a young white-tailed deer, but I was not fast enough with the camera to get off a shot.

It was so nice visiting the creek since I have not been there in around 20 years.  I forgot how beautiful it is and it takes on an extra special meaning to me knowing how much mom loved it back there.

My Aunt and I discussed the incident with the snake discussed in my last blog and she remembers that event because she was there too.  She told me they also had a rope swing when they went down for a swim.    The photo below shows just how low the water is right now.  I plan to visit again once they receive some rain and the creek has flowing water.

The creek was never that spectacular to me as a kid, but I appreciate the beauty of nature much more as an adult.  This site takes on an extra special meaning to me now because it was a place mom loved to go when she was a child.

I miss her and all her stories! Make good memories with your loved ones.  Write them down, photograph them, use video, just do something.  Make the most of the time that you have, because with Alzheimer’s, the sun is setting on the ability to hold those precious memories in your mind.