Oh, heck, Ake, we roamed from (and on, and in) the Mississippi River to the waste dumps of the factories two miles inland and from the dam south of town way, way north. We swam in the creeks, fished in the waters, and dodged deputy sheriffs any number of times. We smoked cigarettes, ate warm raw hot dogs, climbed cliffs, shot off firecrackers and .22s, and generally raised hell over an area of about 15 square miles (not counting the forays into Missouri for various things). We walked, rode bicycles and later, rode and drove cars. We camped out on the banks of the River and exchanged banter with bargees.

On the playground were giant strides, metal sliding boards, teeter-totters, swings, merry-go-rounds. Sliding down the boards head first was a rush, as was dangling from the monkey bars upside down above the asphalt pavement. Ever jump through a swing -- when it was swinging side to side? -- don't; the asphalt tore my brother's forehead open when he did and (trust me on this) your mother becomes REALLY upset to see that when she comes out of church.

I just wish we'd had cargo nets and tube-type slides and tubes to crawl through -- they look pretty cool. But then again, we'd probably had found a way to play "King of the Mountain" in the tubes, and I know that we'd have "played Army" with the cargo nets.