We are now unofficially into the summer season. Memorial Day weekend, they say, is the unofficial start of summer. In just a little over four months, you can start voting early for your next President. I doubt there are very many folks jumping up and down with uncontrolled excitement and anticipation about that, so let’s just relax and think about all there is to enjoy in these coming summer months. It’s hot, there will be mosquitos, gnats and power bills that are all on steroids, and there will be heavy duty humidity and hurricanes. But even with all of that, after all the pros and cons are tallied up, summer’s standout attraction is…water. I can see the puzzled look on your face, but stop and think, some of the very best times of your life, some of the best times you never had, and some of the best times you still plan on having, have water as a big part of the picture…oceans, lakes, rivers, beaches, cruises, pool parties, water parks, and on and on. Water is good for the soul. It lifts your spirits. It’s aesthetically pleasing. Whether it’s falling from the heavens or crashing on a rocky shore, water is dramatic. Water is naturally most appreciated in the summertime. Polar bears might love a 33-degree dip but not so much for the rest of us. However, there are many Emanuel County baby boomers who remember turning into icicles at places like Mockingbird Springs, Jaybird Springs, Brown Springs and of course, the pool at McKinney’s Pond and Coleman Lake back in the fifties and sixties. Georgia has mighty rivers above ground and even below. We are rich in that resource. Water touches so many aspects of life here and connects us with thoughts and feelings every day that make our world a richer place. Everybody has those Kodak memory moments that include family vacations at favorite beaches and mountain streams. Some of mine include the most incredibly clear, teal-colored tide rushing across the beach of a small Caribbean Island, the rocky shore and pounding waves of the Pacific Northwest, and a water-colored sunset slipping into the Fredrica River. Of all the water sights in my mental scrapbook, however, the most unforgettable occurred the first time I flew into New York City. The flight approached the city from the harbor, and in the late afternoon sun, the plane passed directly over the Statue of Liberty. It was inspiring and almost cinematic to see that symbol of our country right beneath.
