Wet Mittens

Northwest side of Milwaukee, now subdivided with giant malls and lookalike condominium complexes, back then it was mostly farmland, woods always within walking distance, and long rushing creeks, gradeschool had big field for recess, in winter snow scarfed and galoshed children set free for eternal 20 minutes. I remember right before midwest spring, still so cold but snow beginning to melt, we spent ages taking sticks to dig channels, snowmelt turned to tiny temporary creeks of rushing water, endlessly interesting to direct the sparkling flow, no one ever planned this, there was no discussion or board meeting, no leaders, or followers, just melting snow and in waning days of winter the children's festival of the waters.