Down at the Caney River Dam
Remember when we went to the Caney River Dam to catch the metal ring, attached to a high limb of a tall tree by a cable? Even now, I can feel the exhilaration of swinging off the muddy bank, with slippery toe and foot holds, into the water below! I seem to remember a few Tarzan chants as we flew off the bank! I remember my Mother saying, "You can't go swimming there, only if someone else is there!" I must admit, there were a few times I went at it alone! When interest in the ring seemed to wane, we wandered towards the dam. The water was flowing over at different rates, according to the time of year! When it was "really flowing over," we would walk underneath the waterfall, clear across the dam! Damn, what a great feeling that was! You could reach out and feel the moss on the dam on the right, and touch the water spilling over on the left! The main objective was not to fall, maintaining your balance, not wanting to slip into the "dangerous after-flow!" I remember Sunday afternoons when many people would come "visit" the dam, to swim, splash and have some fun! I remember one of my favorite teachers, Althea Walker, coming to the dam one Sunday. I must tell you, all eyes were on her and the water must have increased in temperature by several degrees!! Downstream, I remember the bridge! People used to shoot turtles as they surfaced in the waters below. Always felt sorry for the turtles. A little further down from the bridge was a little low place where Dad and I would sometimes park our car and wash it as the currents swirled by! Well, what an adventure! Haven't been to the dam in quite a while. But, like all memorable things, I know it's still there!