Childhood Winter Memories
With the recent heavy rains, flooding and cooling temperatures, I am reminded of another fond childhood memory of winter.
As I mentioned before, our street East Riverside, curved around following the Little Calumet River to join with Markham Drive, completing a large U of our neighborhood. On Markham Drive, between the road and the river were trees and pathways that us neighborhood kids used as our private parkland.
One winter, I think I was in my early teens, we had weather similar to this year's. A stretch of heavy rain over frozen ground that forced the Little Cal over its banks, through the wooded area and into the street. I believe some of the houses opposite the woods had flooded basements as the water nearly closed Markham Drive to traffic.
When the river crested, we had a deep freeze. I mean, a real deep freeze!
As soon as the neighborhood kids were allowed outside again, we explored a natural wonder in our private parkland. The river had frozen a couple of inches, then receded back to its banks leaving a ceiling of ice in its wake. Being small, agile explorers, we found an opening and spent a wonderful day of crawling around the cold ground under a sheet of ice. It was glorious!
Of course we pretended to be fish looking up through the ice, or polar bears swimming under the arctic.
A few years later, developers purchased the entire area between the river and Markham Drive with the intent of putting up houses. The neighborhood kids protested for weeks while the contractors tore down our beautiful trees and leveled our bike paths. We finally tried pointing out the flooding problems of the Little Calumet, but all in vain (after all, what adult businessmen would listen to a bunch of kids!)
They built the houses. Every other Spring or so the Little Calumet flooded and the new owners suffered with flooded basements and lower floors. Us kids found other areas to play and ride our bikes.
The wonderful ice-ceilinged winter became just a fond memory.
As I mentioned before, our street East Riverside, curved around following the Little Calumet River to join with Markham Drive, completing a large U of our neighborhood. On Markham Drive, between the road and the river were trees and pathways that us neighborhood kids used as our private parkland.
One winter, I think I was in my early teens, we had weather similar to this year's. A stretch of heavy rain over frozen ground that forced the Little Cal over its banks, through the wooded area and into the street. I believe some of the houses opposite the woods had flooded basements as the water nearly closed Markham Drive to traffic.
When the river crested, we had a deep freeze. I mean, a real deep freeze!
As soon as the neighborhood kids were allowed outside again, we explored a natural wonder in our private parkland. The river had frozen a couple of inches, then receded back to its banks leaving a ceiling of ice in its wake. Being small, agile explorers, we found an opening and spent a wonderful day of crawling around the cold ground under a sheet of ice. It was glorious!
Of course we pretended to be fish looking up through the ice, or polar bears swimming under the arctic.
A few years later, developers purchased the entire area between the river and Markham Drive with the intent of putting up houses. The neighborhood kids protested for weeks while the contractors tore down our beautiful trees and leveled our bike paths. We finally tried pointing out the flooding problems of the Little Calumet, but all in vain (after all, what adult businessmen would listen to a bunch of kids!)
They built the houses. Every other Spring or so the Little Calumet flooded and the new owners suffered with flooded basements and lower floors. Us kids found other areas to play and ride our bikes.
The wonderful ice-ceilinged winter became just a fond memory.
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