By By Adam Prestridge
Even though Mother Nature can't make up her mind, spring is here and summer is quickly approaching.
Don't be fooled by the cool nights and warm afternoons. Sprinkle in some heavy thunderstorms that tend to lower the temperature significantly, one is sure to be deceived. The dreaded heat of summer will be upon us before you know it.
Summer in north Alabama is hot enough, so here in Atmore it is sure to be a furnace. So stock up on sunscreen and tank tops.
Luckily, Atmore's proximity to the beaches of Mobile, Gulf Shores and Pensacola, Fla. help residents escape the heat. In less than an hour, we can transform from small-town locals to beach bums.
Although it hasn't personally been experienced, it's got to be comforting to know that white, sandy beaches and clear, blue water wait just over the horizon. Even better for homebodies, like myself, is that you have the choice to either come home or stay in a hotel.
When considering moving to Atmore, the coast was certainly one of the deciding factors. You can't ask for a better place to raise children. You have a beautiful, small-town setting to raise them in, with all the conveniences of a large city just over a half an hour in each direction, but don't forget about the beach.
Imagine one summer when you're very busy, which shouldn't be hard since today's society is known for its heavy workloads and long hours. Everybody loves having memories of each year to look back on, but you haven't taken the children to the beach and school starts in two weeks. All you have to do is clear your schedule one weekend, pack up the children and beach towels and in less than two hours, you're unpacked and building sandcastles on the beach soaking up the sun's rays.
It's comforting to know that if you have time or financial constraints, you can head to the beach for little money and find all the treasurers you need to look back and reflect on that particular summer. No need to save up each and every year for that five hour trip to the beach. It's practically in our backyard.
Living in Atmore you have all the great pleasures and benefits of living in a small town. Each day you wake up and walk outside, it's like walking into the Cheers, everybody knows your name. Your mail carrier calls you by name and if you need help in any way, there's always a line of people waiting to help.
Every now and then you may want to escape the small-town atmosphere for a while, but for me, I'll just drive to the beach early and head back home later that evening. Home is where the heart is, not to mention your own bed.
Isn't Atmore a great place to live?
(Adam Prestridge is publisher of the Atmore Advance. His column appears on Sundays.)