Childhood Memories

I was reading a great post by bethany in which she talked about a flavor that takes her back to her childhood and posed the question of what takes us back to our youth.

Ah. . .that's easy for me! Rivers! Little River in Tennessee specifically. It was "my river". I can remember time and again loading up in Dad's truck, sometimes with our dogs, sometimes just the three of us, and riding for a couple of hours to the river. Dad would fish and Mom and I would walk the river bank, or on the rocks, or wade. It was wonderful times.

I've never had a fear of rivers, just the opposite; I've had a life-long love of the clear, running water. The sound, the smell, the cold, cold feel of it. . . All of this is a sense of "home" to me. A reminder of Mom and Dad and good times. Even now, I can't pass Little River without sticking my nose to the window (or out of it) and following the river as long as I can.

The first photo is me, at Little River, sometime around age three. As you can see, I was enjoying "my river". The second was taken there during a cold Thanksgiving day picnic, 2000--more great memories with Dad and Mom! Thanks bethany, for encouraging the remembrance of great times!