out & about by Martha Bassett
Songs of the River Shall we gather at the river? Outside of love, references to water are among the most common in music, poetry, and art in general, and even the Bible mentions water over 700 times. We humans are drawn to water, the mystery of it, the essence of it. Growing up, I spent most summer days swimming in Summersville Lake in West Virginia. The moms would pack sandwiches and sit on the shore while we kids jumped off the rocks and dove as deep as we dared. Our lake was man-made in 1960 by damming the Gauley River for flood control, creating 2700 acres of water. The lake was drained in the fall, which meant you could hike down to the bottom and see what was under all that water.
Water is wealth and well-being. The health of our water is quite literally our own health. Great work is being done in our communities by NC Riverkeepers and the Elkin Valley Trails Association, which maintains the Yadkin River Blue Water Trail. Organizations like these are raising awareness throughout western NC to keep us connected to, and to protect, our precious waterscape. Is it any wonder that we’re drawn to water for comfort and pleasure? Is there any greater source of metaphor for life and abundant living? As you celebrate the wealth of your rivers in Surry County, here’s a little play list of NC artists who share that love with you. Enjoy! “The River’s Lament”– Laurelyn Dossett “The River” – Lyn Koonce “River” – Abigail Dowd “Waterbound” – Riley Baugus “Clean Slate” – Chatham Rabbits "Summer Skin” – Violet Bell “Swimming Towards Sharks” – Violet Bell “Goodnight, My Deep Blue Sea” – Colin Allured “Huck Finn” – Colin Allured “Marsh Girl” – Casey Noel “Flow on River” – David Childers “Catch that Frog” – Rod Abernethy “The Deep” – Claire Holley “Waiting for the Whales” – Claire Holley “Take Me in Your Lifeboat” – South Carolina Broadcasters “River of Jordan” – South Carolina Broadcasters
Summersville Lake, West Virginia
The Meadow River was also close by, and in the summers, our church held baptisms there. The water was cold, and you had to wear shoes because the rocks were sharp. I was always a little afraid of the river. It wasn’t deep, but you couldn’t see what was just beneath the rapids. Knees and elbows were easily scraped, and there were snakes among the rocks on the banks. So when it was time for my own baptism, I requested the lake. 18 • SURRY LIVING August 2021 Issue
“Irene” – The Dan River Girls “Wild Ponies” – Jonathan Byrd “Rising Waters” – Zoe and Cloyd “Like the Ocean” – Jon Shain “So Lonesome I Could Fly” – Jeffrey Dean Foster “Sight to Behold” – Bruce Piephoff
