A Swim and a Thought
- srcarlson717
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
If you follow the Instagram page, you know Jeff, my paddling partner. He’s (nearly) always up for a float and as we meander down the river, he loves to hang out on the bow and check things out. He especially likes the occasional deer sighting and there are times when he has spotted them before I have.
Jeff is an adventure dog. He tends to chew on his PDF if he’s bored and especially enjoys a bit of action. Speed fits the bill - usually provided by steady paddling or the set of rapids near the end of our usual route.
Though he sometimes tries to ride the rapids from his perch up front, he usually retreats to my lap or I scoop him up and bring him back with me. He’s pretty secure in the cockpit or between my legs if I kneel on a paddleboard.
A recent float provided an exception to this.
While watching Leigh negotiate the rapids, I smacked a stranded log and he flew off the paddleboard. I sprung off the board, lunged for his tail and reeled him in. The river was too fast to stand so I held him aloft while I rode the rapids in a “seated” position.
This non-standard trip over the rapids left me a bit bruised and Jeff a bit shaky, but our unplanned experience is one of many reasons why I find time on the river so captivating.
We never know what we are going to find and we certainly don’t know what is going to happen. We may see an eagle soaring up the corridor; maybe an osprey will shrill at us before going alight with its most recent catch; maybe the mayflies will be on parade; maybe a deer (or a cat) will spy us from the banks; maybe the swallows will be catching food and feeding it to their young as they watch the enterprise from a powerline. Maybe we will go for a “swim.”
There’s always something awesome happening out there. Sometimes that awesome isn’t what one would choose (portage over ice, a cold driving rain, a swim), but the river provides a bit of an edge whose precipice is not too high to deal with. Jeff and I aren’t “send it” sort of folks but we try to take it all in and understand we are provided with a special opportunity to see beauty, watch the changes on the river throughout the year and participate in something primary and unfiltered.
As I finish this piece up I am taking mini-breaks to prepare for a quick float. Jeff knows we are about to go out and is patiently waiting so he can get out there and see what is out there today.
