With My Feet In a Creek ...

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With My Feet In a Creek ...

When I think of my childhood, my memories often pull me back to a creek. Those were days when you could let the kids go out to play, not see them again until dinner time and not worry about it. If you couldn’t find me, I was in the creek.

Some of my happiest childhood memories had my feet in a creek. It was quiet, peaceful. I could be alone with whatever deep thoughts I might have had. (Boys, had to be boys.)

There’s still nothing quite as peaceful as a creek.

Yesterday we had a family reunion at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. They live along Scary Creek (misnamed, it’s beautiful), one of the creeks of my childhood. My daughters inherited my fascination with creeks, and after our Hellos to everyone we disappeared. Yep, if you can’t find us, we’re in the creek.

We listened to the birds. We peeked under rocks to find the quick little crawdads. Tiny minnows kissed my toes to see if I tasted good. The feel of smooth, wet rocks in cool water is a blessed relief on a hot day.

I loved seeing my girls’ attention captured by the creek. Tall One is especially drawn to water and anything that lives in it. My extra-girly Little One can’t even stay away. With our feet in the creek, I felt reconnected to them again.

I felt reconnected to me again, too.

Posted by Sarah Cooper on 08/08/2007 08:05 AM

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65 Comments on With My Feet In a Creek ...

AUG

2007

Sarah:

That brings back memories of my childhood. I spent much time in the creek in back of my home.

Ah yes, it takes me back to the days when I visited my grandparents and we would go to the creek. It is a great place to reconnect and unwind. Ah I miss those days when live was simpler!

Sarah - this post brought me back to my childhood. I also had my favorite creek I can almost see the rock I use to sit on while I fished. I love nature and it was the place I liked to go to, to be alone with my thoughts.

When I go back to places I went when I was young I start to have nice flashbacks.:)

Sarah

Nice.....growing up had river in our back yard. I loved it. Looks much like your creek. Funny your's is "Scary" My is "Muddy". LOL. Who picks out these names?

Sandra

Bill - I loved the creek near my house. I played in this one a lot as a child, too. There's nothing like it.

Linda - I only wish we weren't in such a drought, the water was way too low. It was still nice to be there, but I felt bad for the too-small minnows trapped in disappearing puddles.

Jennifer - I hope you get to go back and see your rock. Take pictures!!

Neal - Me, too!!

Sandra - I have rivers in my childhood memories as well. I think I'll post about one sometime soon ... !

all good stuff and thanks for sharing. We may go to the creek in our back yard today, but what is scary for us is that we saw 2 bears in our neighborhood the day before yesterday. We all have our fears!

Sarah, we use to play in the creek behind my aunt and uncle's house. When it froze we still tried to skate on it. Great show.

The blog you posted for Real Estate Shows about Allyssa tour I did was picked up by Google Alert twice today, one for Ann Arbor Realtor and once for ann arbor realtor. Weird huh ? I didn't know Google did caps and no caps.

We had a creek in my backyard as a kid. We played GI JOE back there for years. I love that video you did. thanks!

When I was a kid, there was a home on the corner of our block all over grown and wild (and in the city--people wouldn't get away with that now). An old lady lived there and her "field" was full of wild flowers and a cement pond behond her home (on the other side of this corner with wild flowers). We used to sneak in their and catch poliwogs and watch them grow legs and have all kinds of fun. My parents still live in that neighborhood and when I go back to visit, I go by that corner lot all mowed and civilized and remember those fun days - when we went outside and played all day and our parents never worried about where we were and were we safe. Thanks for sharing - looks like a fun and special day.

Sarah, it's been too many years since I've been to a creek :( They have all disappeared around here but we used to have the BEST time at my Aunts home---SHE had creeks! Thanks for a great post!

Very nice Sarah. I love criks. We used to spend all day walking them collecting rocks. Great memories that I haven't had for a while. Thanks!

I grew up in NYC, but found myself along a creek every chance I could. Now that I live in the 'burbs, it's been a dream of mine to live along a creek or stream at some point in my life. My next house, definitely, will have some sort of water feature flowing across it (and hopefully not in my basement!).

Thanks for brining back some great memories, and for reminding me that I should go out and do something fun and restful today!

Sarah, what a terrific post. I can recall being very, very quiet in order to sneak up on frogs that would be caught for a race, and then released...they never quite jumped straight enough, but we sure had fun.

Sarah,

How cool is that! We didn't have any creeks, but would spend hours playing in the woods. Now we explore the beach. Sounds like you had a great Reunion! Thanks for sharing. :)

There are those great toes again- nothing like nature to ground us. Thanks for sharing.

Simplicity is a beautiful things....enjoy your time with the girls making memories!

my graphic is myrtle whic happens to be the name of our turtle...who now is back in a creek because she got too big (red eared slider) .These graphic words are scary at times !

Sarah, You took me back with this post. I used to disappear for hours with a small group of friends and follow the creek and have adventures of our own.

Sarah, your post took me back to the carefree days of my childhood when we didn't have to come home until the streetlights came on. What a sweet, pure and naive time....thank you!

very interesting.... I too loved to "explore" as a kid. Yesterday, was my family reunion for my mothers side of the family.... way up in Coal Miner town in Pennsylvania - an area called Forest City... Basically in this town every other house was a relative of mine, very small, very depressed where they still play Polka music and make homemade Kielbasa

Well .. at my reunion I too found myself in the same situation... I had my 3 year old niece with me and we left the 100+ people and wondered on our own into the woods.... picked blueberries... played by the lake.... poked at the toads... It was good to "go back" and share with the next generation.

Maybe we are related....... hmmmm gonna have to check that family tree of mine

This is a great example of selling lifestyle, Sarah. You certainly have a different and attractive lifestyle to sell .

Ah....the wonders of childhood and what you are experiencing with your children now....one day it'll be grandchildren...hmm...I'm still waiting. I love your tours in your area...you have a lot of beautiful place to explore to entertain you and your children. The simple life. i love it.

Sarah, I have those creek memories too - back in the day one could go out and play all day long and our parents didn't think twice about it, those were the days playing in the creek, swinging off a rope and landing in the creek, breaking in my new bathing suit (I was such a tom boy) by jumping in the mud (that really made my mother mad). As busy as life is, nature is still there in simple ways such as a peaceful, shady creek to play in! Thanks for bringing us some peaceful thoughts!

Sarah - the simple pleasures in life are always the best - glad you had such a great day!

Sarah, thank for sharing this wonderful day with us. Just imagine how you and your family will feel when you go down memory lane in the future.

Charles - My girls know the first rule of bears -- don't feed 'em! (Careful there!)

Missy - I have no idea on the Google Alert, I don't think it's done that to me. I had a lot of fun on the frozen creek, too!

Marcus - GI Joe days! :o) That a Real Estate Show, embedded. They are the best real estate tool EVER, and I'm not saying it just because I'm on the payroll. ;o)

Cathy - We played all through everybody's yards and never thought much about the boundaries at all. I wonder now if we drove the neighbors all crazy.

Carole - The only thing wrong with my house is that I can't walk to a creek. Since I grew up with one, I wanted my kids to have the same.

Bryant - Ah, they're called criks around here, too! I wish I could spend more time with my feet in a creek.

Jeannie - I hope you treated yourself to something fun!

Laurie - I never played much with the frogs, don't know why. Loved the crawdads and salamanders, though!

Suzanne - I had to go through the woods to get to my creek. I loved the path, and how it was always cooler in the trees.

Beth - I had a picture of the tiny minnow tasting my toes, but they're the same color as the rocks and don't show up in the Real Estate Show. What a shame!

Michele - LOL about the graphic!! I love when life is simple. I'm no drama queen, that's for sure.

Mana - Wasn't that the best?!

Peggy - We had that rule, too! If the streetlights were on and you weren't home, watch out!!

Desiree - Ah, you had a good day!! We had to go back and visit, but my time in the creek with my girls was pretty amazing. I'm glad you got a taste of it, too!

Sharon - Around here, it's a pretty average lifestyle!

Sally - Grandchildren ... can I wait a while for those, please?!

Sondra - My creek wasn't deep enough for the rope, but we had one of those on our camp on the river. That was fun -- and scary!!

Thesa - It was a really nice day. :o)

Dianne - I hope the kids will remember it, I know I will.

Sarah: There's a lot to be said for those kind of memories! I wish all children had the same opportunity but lives have gotten so busy and families so torn apart that I'm afraid many do not get to just put their feet in the creek. I can remember doing the same thing growing up and what precious memories to have now. Very nice post in what can be a sometimes cruel world.

Sarah, what a nice post, it really made me smile. I grew up on a lake that I really miss. I went by it a couple of years ago and it is SO much smaller than I remember. We used to have such a blast out there! Ahhh, memories.

"My" Little One...

Okay. I have a great little story about minnows that you will enjoy. A few summers ago I had my oldest Grand Children for a few weekends. We were down at the lake one day and there were minnows every where. My oldest Grand Daughter was fascinated by them. So I came up to the house...grabbed a fish tank net...Then brought it to her so she could catch the minnows and put them in her bucket. Well...She collected dozens of them and she was pleased. A few hours went by and I decided to have a peek at her minnow bucket. What did I find? A bunch of minnows that were all dead and had been squished. I asked my Grand Daughter what happened and she said 'they all just blew up Grammy'. LOL. Yah. She may be just a bit like her Grand Mother :)

Geesh...I should have written a blog post about this. OH. Wait. I just did. Maybe I should have put all that on my own Blog :)

TLW...ROAR!

I have Pennsylvania creeks in my life, and I too initiated my daughters to the wonders of creeks. Thanks for the memories.

LOL...I was back in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago for a family reunion....right along the very "crik" that I grew up in...Man, what memories that brought back. My son just didn't get it...I guess I haven't taken him to the crik enough...different time and different location. We use to fish for chubs. (fat minnows), carve our names in trees, make forts...life was so much easier back... then poor kids of today won't have the "real" experience like we had... gone in the morning back by dinner, I promise Mom. too many pychos out there ruining it for them today.

Hmm I never got to do that as a kid, the only time we went near a creek was in the fall in South Dakota.. Brrrrr. That looks like fun! Thanks :)

I know what you mean about the creeks. I bought my house because of the creek behind it. All during the day I can hear it trickle over the rocks. Since I spend a lot of time in the home office, I go out on the decks or the swing to watch the creek, read or play with my dog near it. The creek keeps me grounded and thankful I can have such a beautiful place to myself in the city. Each morning when I let Chanel out I spend a moment or two in my swing watching the creek. It's a fantastic way to start each day!

Sarah, you have such a gift of connecting to others. I grew up in the mountains with a tiny creek running through our property. My two sisters and I spent countless hours playing in the creek. My favorite game was taking our Barbie dolls rafting down the creek. My parents have moved into town, but have a very slow, nice creek in their backyard. My mom bought my girls wading boots and they go for a "creek walk" at least twice a week. This summer we even built a secret garden on the far side of the creek under some overgrown trees and shrubs. Thanks for sharing!

Sarah-

My creek was far away from home and I visited it only twice when I was a child. Years later I had to take my own childrenhundreds of miles to see it after I had immortalized it in a poem. Your post took me back also to a time of innocence, beauty and timelessness. If I can unearth my poem, I'll post it. Sadly, the only images I have of my stream are in my head.

AUG

2007

Donna - This is one of the things I am thankful for, my children also have childhood creek memories. I made sure.

Joe - Funny how things from childhood shrink as we age!! I've had that same phenomenon happen to me, too!

Mom - Eeek! Oh, I feel bad for the little minnow!!! (I had a hard time using them as bait on a trot line at camp, too. I always tried to get by with bologna.)

Rosario - I am surprised and pleased to see so many other good creek memories. I really didn't think anyone would connect to this post, and expected maybe a "nice post" comment or two from people trying to be polite.

Bob - I know what you mean! I can't let my kids run off alone anywhere and I hate that they won't have memories of the quiet you can find off in the woods somewhere, nobody but you and whatever lives there.

Lysa - If you want to visit WV, we have some fine creeks I would be happy to introduce you to!

Lizette - That sounds PERFECT!! A creek is the one thing my neighborhood lacks.

Chrissy - Would have been funny if your Barbies had run into Marcus' GI Joes! ;o) I'm glad your kids can make nice creek memories of their own! (But I want to be in the creek in my bare feet. I don't care if it's dirty.)

Eloise - That creek must have made quite and impression! I'd love to see the poem if you find it. You're a gifted writer, and that's a topic I think I would understand.

As a kid I spent most of my summers by the creek. As I got older, I realized how much I enjoyed it, so when I found a property with a creek running through it I bought it! There is nothing as relaxing as going home after a stressful day and hearing the running water. So peaceful!

Sarah,

I think it's so ironic, because my kids spent all of their time in a creek, over in Knoxville, they caught crawdads and all kinds of things, it even looked like your picture that you used, cool post..:0)

Tom Weiss

Michael - Ahh, that sounds so nice! I'd love to have a creek, but we have a lot of flooding around here from all the hills. I'd want it DOWN a bit from the house, but accessible. :o)

Tom - Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all! Glad the kids got to play in a creek, too!

Totally enjoyed your realestateshows presentation. I grew up in a place in which slow moving water often carried debilitating disease and was to be avoided at all costs. The adults were always warning us to keep our feet dry and away from the water. It's wonderful that you and your kids can enjoy the natural fascination that we all have with water...at least at the beginning.

Ok, I have been hearing and seeing these real estate shows for months. This one did it- I have got to start using them! Your post is very peaceful to me- LOVED it and makes me want to seek out a creek! Thanks for the calming post.

Lola - The creek was indeed filthy. We're having a drought and the creek was mere puddles. I didn't care, I walked right in. I have retained enough tomboy that even though I left my beaded, high heeled sandals on the bank, I didn't mind wading right in. Could have been a health hazard for all I know, too! (Hopefully not so bad as where you grew up!)

Ginger - Yay!!! Real Estate Shows ROCK!!!! And not because they pay me to say it! ;o)

AUG

2007

Sarah, that is lovely. It looks like the river behind the house I grew up in. My brother and I would catch crayfish for our pet raccoon. That's normal, right?

Chris - That sounds absolutely normal to me. My Mom feeds three raccoons. They get cat food, though.

AUG

2007

Sarah - Really a nice slide show - the water actually shimmered and looked like it was flowing on my LCD (which was a nice effect that may have been from tired eyes or a screen about to die) - well put together. We'll be trying hard to remember summer's lush greens in a few months.

Technical Q - where'd you get the unbranded slide show?

Anecdotal question - I've been wondering if i pronounced C-r-e-e-k as "crick" or "creak" - I cannot remember 100%. I feel as though the crick was used (Wynantskill Creek, which being translated from the Dutch is Wynant's Creek Creek), but I do not know. Any other Upstate New Yorkers there (I'll settle for western New England) can remind me of my heritage and native dialect? I've lived too many places:-(

Thanks for sharing the serenity - and yes, there is nothing like a creek, no matter how it's pronounced. I was recently musing about the freedom and safety of my youth. During the summer we'd grab our sleeping bags, some food, a mess kit, and our bikes and disappear for 3 or 4 days about 6 or 10 miles from home, only telling our parents we'll be camping near the swimming hole on Postenkill Creek. No worries, no fears - we'd bike, fish, be dumb, and feed the mosquitoes. We were 12 and 13 years old. Simpler, peaceful times...

Sarah~

THIS is just what I needed on this hot summer day. ..a place to connect with other AR members, and remark on yet another aspect of what we, as a group are all about....taking time to become even more aware of what is around us...and then to share it. THANK YOU!

Art, that is a Real Estate Show. It's about the best toy I've ever had!! Your question inspired a post for the RES Blog, too, so thanks!

I say creak, not crik, but lots of people here say crik. My Little One recently went camping with my best friend and her family. We have daughters the same age, and we're doing our best to make sure they grow up as good friends, too. They camped on her property, roasted marshmallows, hiked in the woods and had a blast. I'm glad my kids get to do stuff outside and appreciate more than just our electronics. (You'd never guess that if you saw us all plugged in each evening, though -- they're all gamers, I've turned to my laptop for solace.)

janeAnne, I had no idea anyone would relate to this post at all. I even put it in groups where I hoped they wouldn't think I was too "off"! It's really surprised me to see that I share a childhood memory with people from all over.

Sarah, thank goodness for the feature, or I might have missed this great post. I've been missing too much lately. Pre-NYC I was in Cuba for my very early years. A block away was a river, not a creek and I do have fond memories of it and trying to cross it on the slippery rocks. Thanks for the memories of a simpler time.

I have no idea why this got a feature (but thank you, moderator!!), but I'm glad it helped you find it! I have a river in my past, too. I assume I'll be writing about it soon. It has some very strong memories in my family, and many of us are feeling drawn back. Funny, we've all felt it, but didn't talk about it until just now.

Sarah, don't you wish we, as parents, could provide the proverbial creek for our kids ? Today we just don't have that kind of childhood anchoring mechanism.

is that pronounced CREEK or CRICK??

Hi Sarah,

Ain't in great to just disconnect some days! Thanks for sharing your memories with us!

Sarah, I love to take my kids to my memory places. One is a creek by my mother's house. I was a girly girl and did not spend too much time there, but my brother lived there day after summer day and brought home tadpoles. Today there is a park where the creek is and my mother enjoys taking his daughters to the creek their daddy played in as a child. Chris O'Shea

Personally, I like the country or creeks or whatever you West Virginians do. But I love the city. Car alarms, train whistles and gun shots. Ah, the sounds of the city....

I had a similar childhood creeks. You just brought back many memories...thanks

Oh my God!!!!

YOU could be that little neighbor girl I used to fish and play with on the creek in my childhood.......

I feel the same way about camping with my family when I was a kid. I get a peaceful, relaxing feeling every time I hear wind in the trees, cicadas chirping, and water lapping at the edge of a lake.

Bill - My kids are well acquainted with creeks. I'm thankful!

David - I say CREEK, plenty here say CRICK. It goes either way 'round there here parts.

Lisa - Anytime!

Christine - I was not a girly-girl, I wanted to get dirty and play with the boys. (Some things don't change!) ;o)

Chris - I like the city, too -- except for getting shot at. Hardly ever happens around here.

JR - You're very welcome.

Tom - It was probably me!! :o)

Lisa - Ahh, yes. Love that! (Also want a nice bathroom and a clean bed. I want to stay at a sweet hotel and then play in the creeks!)

I am going to check out that real estate show. Thanks Sarah!

AUG

2007

Brings back memories of spending my summers with grandparents on 300 Acres in the North Georgia Mountains. Exploring the land, working on the farm and sitting on the front porch rocking my thoughts away listening to the song of the whippoorwills, the call of the bobwhites, and the chirping of the crickets. What a great experience and many fond memories!

The simple pleasures almost nearly forgotten...how we as children could be happy without cellphones, iPods, DVD's... whenthe sound of the water and birds chirping was in itself beautiful.

Sarah, this too me so far back! Searching for crawdad and scooping up the clay mud and sculpting things was one of my favorite pasttimes.

Im a combination of both of your daughters- I was the tall one that had to do what the boys did and in my teenage years- i was the girly girl!

Thanks for the reminder!

Cute post. Pleasant memories. Thanks for sharing.

AUG

2007

Marcus - I expect you to love it!! Let me know.

*** - (Didn't leave your name!) Thanks for sharing your memories. I remember the whippoorwills very well myself!

Allison - It's still beautiful. Leave the phone at home and get to a creek, you'll see!

Marci - I was never the girly-girl, but I do like pretty shoes now. ;o)

Bob & Carolin - You're very welcome.

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Sarah Cooper

Hurricane, WV

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