Day 9

5/20/22

Sometimes, I take my grandson with me on walks with the Golden Oldies...not Gus! Lilly and Ranger mosey along and it gives me time to converse, answer questions and simply enjoy my little guy!

Today, there were quite a number of ducklings navigating the flood waters with Mama and Daddy trying to play the part of a border collie. They were adorable and my grandson was charmed by the scene.

Walking along the river, I found myself traveling back to my own childhood when the old neighborhood gang would head down the bank and turn north on a well-worn trail (I was beyond blessed to grow up with about a dozen amazing, creative kids in the neighborhood. What adventures we had!). We always called it the Indian Trail and would sometimes find artifacts such as arrowheads to our delight and awe. I'm not sure if it was a trail used by the Ojibwa Nation, but I do know they lived in the area in the late 1800's. So...being a child of the 1950's, it is possible!

Having said that, it sounds like I am older than the river! I will share that my paternal grandfather was the Ice Man in town. He would cut ice blocks out of the very river I visited today and store them for the summer. My dad would help him deliver the chunks of ice to homes for their Ice boxes. The delivery was made in a wagon pulled by percheron horses!

My maternal grandparents had the Green Theater downtown. My grandmother even played the piano for the silent movies before the "Talkies" appeared on screen!