Checking Out Richland Creek's Receding Waters With Crockett On Friday

TRULY, ONE OF THE CUTEST 4-year-olds I've ever met named Crockett, as in Davy, walked down the Richland Creek greenway with me this morning to check the recent flooding. We were both relieved to see waters receding and calming down after yesterday's flash flood.

Crocket was wearing a bomber jacket with an American flag on one arm, and an Air Force pilot insignia on the other---my kinda kid. So, I said, "Crockett? Did you know you could put a canoe in right here and paddle all the way to the Mississippi River and then down to the ocean? He was probably a bit too young to be any more than slightly intrigued, but I still planted the notion in his little future fighter pilot's mind. Then we waited for the big trains to arrive, a few minutes later....
Right on time. And only 100-200 feet down the tracks is the site of the most notorious and deadly train wreck in American history at Dutchman's Curve in 1918, when two passenger trains collided. What's a kid to do with trains, creeks and trails all intersecting at the same place, a location of perpetual adventure and imaginings? It was a magical moment, but we never saw any dead cows coming down the river. .....
.....though we looked long and hard. Just lots and lots of water.