There is much repetition on the kayak weekends that I don't feel need to be repeated here. The usual naps in the RV, hanging around the fire at night, grabbing ice cream, filling empty space with quick trips to the playground, and of course running the river. This weekend we took Abi to the waterpark first me on Friday while David paddled and then David on Saturday while I rafted. At the waterpark, she got to try her first bouncy house. The first jump
she face planted onto the rubber. I looked in expecting tears but she
came up smiling and tried again, only to face plant again. This went on
for a while as she slipped and slid all over the bouncy house (they
could go in after being in the pool so it was wet).I also took her to a local animal park where she could feed monkeys, bears, zebras and birds. She also enjoyed the gift shop where there were many stuffed animals. We did lots of play dough (pluto is how she says it) and coloring. Lots of reminders for her to whisper as we were always the first ones up besides the rooster. There was much shenanigans at night with hula hooping, telling stories, being silly, getting snapped by the iphone in Lori's hand, lowered just so you don't realize it's there. When Abi woke at 1:15 am, from a dream perhaps, Renee's cackle and the low up and down of conversation could be heard as I snuck out to pee. There was fire hooping, booty popping, beers, and the stars that came after the clouds cleared out. And laughter. There is always laughter. "I love us," Renee gleefully said as we all performed in some way or another for each other. There was a massive dinner made on saturday night - the traditional fajitas- along with pasta and ropa vieja and the motley crew of beer that is brought.
There are things, though, that happen each visit that are special or specific to those times. These are what are best to read about, as they change and won't be the same. Like they say, you never step in the same river twice.
On Thursday, the fourth of July, we hit the road early to reach the ranch in time
for Abi's nap. We were zooming there so that I could join in on the
Independence Day girl paddle with the gauntlet thrown to do naked
cucumber. The week leading up to the holiday the weather was warm and humid. There had been rain for days and days so the ground was saturated and the river was high. This always allows certain features to show up or disappear so it's fun to take a trip downstream to feel the ride. We girls were led by Renee and we practiced our listening and direction-following skills as we paddled around. We pulled into the first eddy and in front of a middle-aged couple we stripped to just our life vests and bottoms. We ran Cucumber Rapid and smiled for the camera with our bare arms and shoulders. Nothing is seen by the camera but we know what's there. We had a great run on the river and all stayed in the raft and paddled like the strong women we are, even the eight year old.
Not to sound trite or cliche but there are great things in life and terrible things in life. And sometimes they are shown at the same time. On Saturday, as we were getting ready to put on the river the long single note of the firehouse alarm went off and soon the ambulance went by. We went on our way down the river, laughing and hitting the waves. At the lunch spot we noticed guys in helmets, vests, and spray skirts climbing around the shore and swimming under rocks as much as they could. We watched them and heard bits and pieces of things that there was one death and one missing person from a commercial rafting trip. We heard things like foot entrapment and dimple rapid with the undercut rock. These search and rescue guys continued to search the shore the remaining time we were on the river, always nearby.
We also noticed the woman in the white "bride" T-shirt and tiny veil. How cute, I thought, a river run like David and I did before our wedding. We shortly headed back into our raft and floated downstream. There is a high rock that many of the rafters climb up and jump into the water after lunch. As we floated we noticed the bride was up there with a man in a tuxedo T-shirt. We slowed the raft down to see them jump. But, before they did, they joined hands, faced each other, and were married by an officiant in a life vest and shorts. We listened while the officiant described life and marriage like a river. And the finale was, of course, taking the figurative and literal plunge. They counted one, two, three and the husband jumped. The wife, though, was scared and it took her bridesmaid to run and push her in. We all sat in silence as this all went on getting misty at this small act but it was beautiful. It was very true that while one life ends (the potential death we heard about) another kind begins (the marriage of two rafters).
Further down the river, the clouds began to build and there were large pockets of blue sky and then dark clouds. As we floated between rapids rain drops would fall in the sunlight, making it surreal that it was sunny but raining globs of water. Occasionally the warm summer air would blow and it felt so peaceful. This seemed like a message that life is amazing in many different forms. It can be raw and awful but mostly beautiful if you look for it. There was a solemn vibe though for the loss as we paddled, knowing how easily things change.
