By Staff
The sun is shining, the leaves are turning a bright green and the azaleas are even beginning to bloom.
Yes, it looks like spring is springing in Brewton and so many people are taking advantage of the wonderful weather.
Last weekend I saw the parking lot at a local gas stations fairly crowded. There were the typical vehicles getting gas and a snack as they set out for the day.
But the most wonderful sight was not less the five trucks with boats tagging along behind sitting in the parking lot. The owners of the vehicles and watercraft were busy filling tanks with gasoline — both the vehicle and little tanks in the boats. Those who were joining the driver for the day were busy dumping ice into ice chests that were being filled with all manner of liquid refreshment and I even saw some crackers and chips stowed under boat seats.
It’s a refreshing sight to see this even though in the South it’s a pretty common occurrence this time of year.
On this particular day, the sight of those husbands and wives and a handful of children loading up for a day on the lake, river, pond or whatever, put a lump of sorts in my throat as memories of my childhood crept into my mind.
I can vividly remember the Saturdays and the long weekends my family spent on the river fishing, swimming and camping during my childhood.
As my daddy made plans for a three-day trip on the banks of the Mobile River Delta, my mother was busily planning as well. She would secretly stuff a chicken or two into the bottom of the ice chest to ensure that we had something to eat “just in case the fish aren’t biting” she said.
In the back of the long pick-up truck, we’d have the tent, the Coleman stove, and the boxes of food to sustain a family of five for three days.
Those boxes were marvelous wonders. They held everything from grits and coffee to peanut butter and crackers. The most amazing thing to me as a child was seeing what I believed to be an endless supply of little cans filled with Vienna sausage, potted meat and of course, sardines.
As I pulled away from the gas station Saturday, I remembered those things and got just a little misty thinking about how wonderful it all seems to me now. As a child, I didn’t truly understand just how much those days spent with my loved ones would mean to me as an adult.
I don’t have any special plans for next weekend. No news events to cover and no eye doctors to visit. My son received a rod and reel for Christmas two years ago and it’s never been out of the package. I’m thinking I might tear open that box and see if I can find a bucket of worms.
Lisa Tindell is the news editor for The Brewton Standard. She can be reached by email at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com.