Ice makes you fast; stove keeps you warm

Glacier 18

XIII

‘Tis dark. He seats him in a sleigh,
“Drive on!” the cheerful cry goes forth,
His furs are powdered on the way
By the fine silver of the north.
He bends his course to Talon’s, where(8)
He knows Kaverine will repair.(9)
He enters. High the cork arose
And Comet champagne foaming flows.
Before him red roast beef is seen
And truffles, dear to youthful eyes,
Flanked by immortal Strasbourg pies,
The choicest flowers of French cuisine,
And Limburg cheese alive and old
Is seen next pine-apples of gold.

Reading the previous post, you might have gotten the idea this was a very difficult childhood. In fact, this was not the case at all. Our big old apartment house and all the land all around was like an adventure playground for me, as for all kids.

We lived right beside the river – just on the other side from the main part of town.  A few minutes from our house, the main road went by, so you could cross the river by the road bridge when going to town. Or, you could cross by a foot bridge, which was nearer to our house and more interesting in many ways.

In winter, the river always froze very hard. The river then became a main transportation route. All the people on our end of town would use the river to get to work or school. Although we were close to Leningrad, the river, and the town were surrounded by forest, so that was always part of our life, also.

The river had high banks, in places steep. One of the best things in winter was, when the time was right, the people in our area would start flooding the river bank with water. It would be a bucket brigade for several days. As the ice began to build up, some would begin sliding down the bank on rough boards. Gradually the bumps would get worn off and more water would be added. Finally the super slide would be perfected! It would be as shiny and slippery as a mirror! Then the fun would begin… sleighs, skis, skates, every type of slider imaginable would be brought into action!

You can be sure that the old stove in our apartment felt plenty warm after a happy day sliding on the river!

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