Katie Friel
 The Marsh 

By: Kathryn Friel and Steve Heckenkamp 

The marsh, a land filled with wildlife where grand kids connect with grandpa on the 6-wheeler. Grandpa’s 6-wheeler is an amphibious vehicle, which has recently become a 12-wheeler after he added more tires. The young grandchildren are passengers, bound to get red marks on their arms from driving past the cattails too fast. Those who are old enough may drive it, and if they are lucky enough, they won’t get stuck in the water. Driving through the river under the train track bridge to walk the tracks gives everyone a break from the wind blowing on their faces. Kids look for loose railroad spikes to take home to remember the night. If there is a train horn blowing in the distance, we know to drive near the tracks to watch it pass, sometimes even climbing nearby trees to see the contents of the train cars, then resume our ride through the muddy land. At times, deer can be seen in the cattails, sometimes sleeping there as well. There are nests from ducks, sandhill cranes, or Canada geese throughout the area. Our trek continues until we're stuck or unable to see ahead of ourselves in the dark. After that, we collect eggs from the chickens, close the coop, and climb the steep hill to the house. Inside is warm and calm, the kids’ noses fade from red, but they're excitement from the ride still reigns, waiting for another day to spend in the marsh with grandpa.