Sunday, 10 June 2012 –

The rivers are low due to the historic drought,

and that makes this an especially good time to take

kids on an arrowhead hunt.  As they say,

“Even if there’s no rain cloud, you might find a silver lining!”

*

Long before the fur trappers arrived, Saint Louis

was home to a great succession of peoples, and

arrowheads can still be found if you know where

to look.   We went to a known site in a surprisingly

urban location which we promised to keep secret.

(Psst: it’s somewhere along Lindberg)

*

Of course hunting in a secret location and

the promise of finding hidden treasure are the only two

things kids need to have a good time, besides water,

so you can go “arrowhead hunting” anytime you like.

*

If you really want to find an arrowhead, you have to wake up

before the professional arrowhead hunters do,

before dawn, right after a big “gully washer” rainstorm.

Good luck with that, weary parents!

*

It was pretty polluted and noisy up top, but down below

in the creek,  there were crayfish, cardinals

and water striders to be found.

It was surprisingly peaceful and quiet.

Good thing sound rises.

*

Sadly, but not surprisingly, we found no arrowheads.

It turns out our rivers and our children

are the real treasure anyway.

Well, duh!

No surprise there!

Time we should start acting like it!

*

What you can do: 

Take your kids on an arrowhead hunt.

Even if you don’t find any arrowheads the

sense of adventure will stick with them forever.

Just be sure to wash hands when you come

back up top.

Tell your friends: that we have the biggest

and most beautiful spring fed rivers in the world,

here in Missouri, and be proud of that fact.

Join any number of groups and do what

you can to help educate others and heal

our rivers.

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