TAKE THE WATERS

I remember when a trip to the springs meant putting your work aside for a spell. High Grade Jay seems to remember it too. The man is known around Appalachia for his sporting grounds, but here he chose a quiet stretch of water and built himself a small spa. I call it Take the Waters, after the old expression folks used before the war.

Jay kept the cabin modest, with log walls, broad windows, and a bright welcome over the door. Most of his effort went into the ground around it. Timber bridges cross the water, wide steps join the terraces, and a roof shelters a pair of tubs near the shore. The flowers and lamps are carefully placed, right down to the little table on the lowest platform.

Looking at those different levels, I could believe his claim that he worked as an architect before the bombs. He has left good work in the Commonwealth as well as these West Virginia hills, and this place shows the same patience. I sat by the water awhile before heading on. After a long day on my feet, I was thankful for a quiet seat and the sound of the lake.