When I went with the assorted cousins on the road trip last Friday, the town that is closest to where the in-laws live, nearly in Alabama, is Cave Spring (be sure you do not at an 's' to either of these words - always singular). A wee small village, with less commerce, from the little I saw, than that struggling burg in south GA where my family resided for many years. But pretty in a small town way.
After we had lunch and a visit with the llamas who were enjoying the afternoon shade, we went into town to the park and enjoy the beauty. It seems that 'Rolater Park' owns itself, like that tree you might have heard of in Athens GA that was somehow legally deeded to itself. I've never heard about this type thing occurring anywhere else, but would like to think: it is not an occurrance that only happens in the south. The rest of the world thinks we are a bunch of loony red-necks any way, and hearing about property that holds it's own deed, just makes us sound even more hopelessly hopeless. The twenty-nine acres was donated to the city by a Dr. Rolater with the understanding that the property would always be public property and never developed for commercial use. At one time, there were buildings (several still standing, and renovated, occasionally in use) on the acreage that were part of a state facility/school for the deaf. Now a renovated meeting hall remains, along with a pretty little brick church and a large home (formerly dorm space) refurbished and open as a Bed and Breakfast Inn.
Any way, it was a really pretty park, just a block from the downtown area. Lots of activity going on in the swimming pool (shaped like the GA state outline0 filled with lots of kids from the Cedartown Boys and Girls Club, plus various locals. The pool water is supplied by the spring, so I imagine the water is seriously cold. Kinda like that pool in south GA that I remember going to over many summers that would now feel like glacier-fed ice water. The one we saw on Friday was obviously thoroughly enjoyed by the mob of kids that were splashing and shouting in the distance. I was told that the water is not treated in any way, but that the pool is drained once a week and refilled by the running water from the spring to keep it relatively clean. You can imagine that there might be various forms of wildlife inhabiting the pool, so always the opportunity for surprised when you jump in. The bottom is solid, has had concrete poured and graveled over, rather than what one might find in a farm pond, or creek that wends it way out of the mountains. I did not get close enough to the pool to observe the water clarity, but suspect when there are not bodies in keeping the water stirred it, it would be relatively clear, being spring fed.
The rest of the group I was with went in the cave (Cave Spring, right?) but I was more than willing to wait for their reappearance while I sat on a bench. Caves not being my thing, I was not the least bit curious about the origin of the spring. But you can imagine how cool it must have been going inside the crevice into the hill from which the spring springs forth. I would surmise that the spring being used as a water source for locals goes back hundreds of years, before recorded history. We saw families filling gallon plastic jugs at the source to take home for drinking water, and it is the local water supply.
It was just so pretty and spacious, with vast open areas of neatly trimmed lawn, and tidy picnic shelters over wooden tables. A few groups using the facility, with kids running around, and adults sitting in the shade of the covered pavillions. Just so park-like, open and welcoming. A pretty place to visit, with ducks paddling in the pond, burbling stream of crystal clear water constantly flowing through, inviting feet to step into the pebbled bottom and cool off. So welcoming and park-like.
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