Chalk Ladder

Fred and I were having lunch one Sunday when we noticed some kids lying on the pavement just up the street.  It's the street that runs directly out from the front of our house to the hills, one mile away.  A car drove by.  The kids scattered but then returned, crouching down in the middle of the street.  What do you think they're doing?  I asked Fred.  They're drawing a ladder, he said, and it starts waaay up there.

So after lunch we headed out to see just how long this chalk ladder was.  We talked to the kids.  Turns out the girls had started it and the boys had followed suit with a competing, parallel ladder.  Manhole covers, cars, and cobblestones were the main obstacles.  Occasionally they were forced to draw on the sidewalk.  Sore knees was the only complaint.  They'd been at it since 12:30.  (They were out there till 7.  At 8 it rained)

But the most important thing?  Each square, regardless of its size, had to have a number.  When we got there, they were at 1202.  Did you start at 1? I asked. You'll hear me say this at the end of the video.  And then her answer:  Ja....Nein. Bei null.  With zero.

ps the movie takes a moment to load...practice patience and reap the benefits....