It’s always amazing to me to see the many treasures all around us – if we just look. Some we take for granted. Others we simply overlook.
As I reviewed the story list for this month’s issue one last time before going into production, I couldn’t help but notice that treasures come in all kinds of forms. We just have to take the time to see them.
Such is the case with our cover. For days, I watched my neighbor, Joe, install, paint and perfect a giant slide on his pier for 8-year-old son, J.J. The ‘christening’ came with an inaugural slide and a great big smile as he whisked downward, followed by a great big splash. Dad got in on the action, too. And a new era of fun in the sun had begun.
It was then that I saw the treasure in the moment, one that needed to be shared. So J.J., Joe and wife, Rebekah, rounded up a couple of J.J.’s friends for us here at LakeLife 24/7, and they recaptured for us those special moments when you put children, water and a great big slide together.
The Neely Henry Lake Association has long been a treasure, but their latest venture is pure gold. They secured a grant to install a public access for paddlers. Kayakers, paddle boarders and canoers can now enjoy Neely Henry via Rainbow City Paddle Launch, which can lower to and raise these crafts from the water – giving paddlers greater access to the lake.
Lake living itself is a treasured way of life. But when special people like Rod and Robin McSweeney invite you to their palatial home on Logan Martin, it’s enriching to see and hear all about their attention to detail and how they make everyone feel ‘at home.’
The Coosa River, the center of it all, has been treasured for centuries. A single incident of its rich and storied history is what we share in this issue, and we think you’ll find it intriguing to discover what once took place in areas today that go by the names of Big Wills Creek, Frog Town and Turkey Town.
Yet another treasure is our farming community. Our farmers provide so much that sustain us, and we are thankful that the St. Clair County Extension Service partners to bring a growers’ market to Lakeside Park each season. Note the new location and make plans to shop local produce every Wednesday afternoon through Sept. 25.
We find more treasures in stories like the one on Maria Hull, who repurposes the old to make it new and meaningful again through jewelry, home and garden accents. Or step inside The Yak Shak to see what the many treasures awaiting paddlers.
And it’s hard not to find a treasure in Etowah County. Just ask new tourism director Tina Morrison. She tells us all about the places and events that need to be at the top of our ‘to do’ list.
It’s all here and more in this issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine. Turn the page and ‘treasure’ it all with us.
Carol Pappas
Editor and Publisher
