When I was a kid, we found many places to keep us entertained. I
remember especially the swimming holes. One such place was the Ballast
Pits on the other side of the Pee Dee River in Lilesville. Every chance we
would get, all the guys, Benji Alexander, Woody Jenkins, Jerry Jenkins,
Marcus Comer, Murphy Comer, Mike McKenzie, my brothers Gary,
Randy and Keith, Mark and Jeffrey Hewitt, and others, would go to the
"ballast pits" to swim.
Now these swimming holes were basically just holes that were formed
when the cranes and machinery would dig for ballast. But when they filled
with water, it made the most beautiful green pool you had ever seen. There
were different ones to swim in, but we had one particular one that we
used. I rode up there a couple of years ago and could hardly find it.
Of course, there were no diving boards there to use so we just found a
high enough bank and would climb and jump. One time remains in my
mind of when my friend Benji decided he would dive from the bank. We
tried to tell him the water was too shallow at that spot but he wouldn't
listen. So he dove in, hit the bottom with his head and we had to pull him
out. Luckily no serious damage was done and we continued on.
I don't know if kids go up there now to swim but I do know that My
Memories of the Ballast Pits will help keep me young in heart.
remember especially the swimming holes. One such place was the Ballast
Pits on the other side of the Pee Dee River in Lilesville. Every chance we
would get, all the guys, Benji Alexander, Woody Jenkins, Jerry Jenkins,
Marcus Comer, Murphy Comer, Mike McKenzie, my brothers Gary,
Randy and Keith, Mark and Jeffrey Hewitt, and others, would go to the
"ballast pits" to swim.
Now these swimming holes were basically just holes that were formed
when the cranes and machinery would dig for ballast. But when they filled
with water, it made the most beautiful green pool you had ever seen. There
were different ones to swim in, but we had one particular one that we
used. I rode up there a couple of years ago and could hardly find it.
Of course, there were no diving boards there to use so we just found a
high enough bank and would climb and jump. One time remains in my
mind of when my friend Benji decided he would dive from the bank. We
tried to tell him the water was too shallow at that spot but he wouldn't
listen. So he dove in, hit the bottom with his head and we had to pull him
out. Luckily no serious damage was done and we continued on.
I don't know if kids go up there now to swim but I do know that My
Memories of the Ballast Pits will help keep me young in heart.
| So, as the Train of Life keeps chugging along, another page written of my Childhood Memories of.... Rockingham Remembered. |
| Swimming at the Ballast Pits |
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