The opening of Hartselle’s aquatic center and Point Mallard’s water park on Saturday ushered in a summer of swimming fun for Morgan County’s youth. Many of their patrons will be admitted on a season pass and spend the better part of the next three months splashing around in the crystal clear water. They will have access to fun time activities such as water slides, platform high diving boards, and enjoy taste-tempting food treats during rest breaks.

I suppose kids have always been drawn to the water for a swim, no matter the generation. I know country-raised kids from the 1940s and 1950s would walk two or three miles on a Sunday afternoon to cool off in a creek or farm pond.

Me and my brothers and our friends had a choice of two creeks as destinations for our weekend swims. Susie’s hole was located in the rapids of Fox Creek, which was located two miles from our farm. Mad Indian Creek offered us a 10-ft deep pond behind a dam and a long stretch of deep, swift water below its waterfall.

We preferred the latter but it was five miles away and harder to reach without motor-driven transportation.

We swam in Susie’s hole on a regular basis, often using our farm tractor to accommodate a driver and up to five passengers. The last 100 yards was on a mountain slope and could only be reached by foot. The stream ran fast and the water was four to six feet deep for about 50 yards. A rock overhang at the head served as a diving platform.

The pond on Mad Indian Creek offered a higher degree of difficulty. It had a steel cable attached to a large oak tree above the water. For those willing to take the risk, it was possible to ride the cable over a dirt road and drop into the water from a height of 25 feet.

Not unlike today’s youth, we’d conclude our water adventure invigorated but dead tired and hungry. Obviously, a cheeseburger and giant cola to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst was impossible. When we got home, we settled for a fried apple pie and a glass of yesterday’s sweet milk.

Clif Knight is a staff writer for the Hartselle Enquirer.