The Forbidden "Creek"

When I was young, there was a creek that ran along the side of our addition.

I first remember going there went I was in 5th or 6th grade. I went with my sister and the older kids. We were so not allowed, which of course made me want go even more. "It's bad news", my Dad would say.

The older kids hung out there. They smoked, sometimes drank and had a rope swing across the little creek. Myself and some of the younger siblings would sneak there when our siblings were not there so we could swing. We also would go spy on them.

One afternoon we snuck down to the rope swing. We joined several neighborhood kids there. Julie, my sister, was swinging across and the rope snapped. She fell and cut her side on something in the creek bed. It bleed and looked nasty but she made me promise not to tell our folks so we would not get in trouble. Luckily, it healed without any problems. I also had a new fear (swinging across rope swings.. I saw one break, that was enough!).

One of my childhood friends Pammy's, older brother & his friends had built a fort. Quite elaborate. About two feet dug out, then built from sticks and small logs. A small A-framed log cabin. We thought it was really cool. Those boys slept out in it many nights. They also befriended a homeless man and allowed him to sleep there. He'd buy beer for them in exchange for food and shelter. Pammy and I were scared of him. We thought he was crazy. My Mom would have freaked out knowing we knew this homeless man that lived at our creek for nearly a year. (One day he just disappeared, much like when he arrived).

My favorite memories of the creek was when it would freeze and many of us would walk about a mile down the frozen creek to the golf course and spend hours sledding. It was so beautiful. I can still see it when I close my eyes.

This picture is not of our creek. Ours was much smaller. Ours holds many memories just the same.