Two Strikes

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Cahokia lived under blue skies that morning. Unfortunately, Monks Mound looked like someone had taken a blow-torch to it.

OLeif, Collette, and Puck were out for a drive just over the river to Illinois. It would have been a good day for a hike to the top of an ancient Indian mound. Who knew what bones and beads were hidden in the layers of dirt. Past the run-down Mexican grocery store, carpet outlet, and flea market – then there it was, a hulk of a hand-grown hill.

“It looks strangely vacant. What’s wrong with it?” Collette said as they approached.

Instead of the usual sloping brown grass from the end of a heat wave, the mound looked a little ill – burnt patches, bright green sod patches, dirt road scraped up the side of the hill… It had fried.

As they got out of the car, two small yellow signs were posted by the path:

“The top of Monks Mound closed for repairs.”

Then Collette saw the other sign:

“Lightening danger during thunderstorms.”

OLeif and Collette came to their own professional opinion that lightening must have struck the mound and started a flash fire.

Strike two was hit on Arsenal Street at Gus’ Pretzel Parlor for lunch. Collette waited in the car with the napping Puck, who was enjoying all new adventures, his chubby cheeks bundled in a blue cap with ear flaps. OLeif returned empty-handed.

“They don’t take credit card.”

They missed strike three, however, when they returned home to take the patient Puck on a walk in the woods at the park. OLeif immediately left the asphalt trail and diverted to a dirt path, sending Puck tumbling along in his stroller. When the trail sloped downward to the creek, Puck was rescued from the bumpy ride and Collette carried him while OLeif folded up the stroller.

The afternoon was warmly cool and green, still.