First though, I wanna include these photos from Saturday. We don't often get to go out overmuch and the hubs gave me the option of lunch & a movie or a day on the river. As much as I wanted to see the Star Trek movie, I wanted a day out on the river more.
We had a drought in our region last year and didn't get out in the boat hardly at all and I really missed it. I'm not the best fisherman but I can sit in my chair, drink a beer or three, and chat away like it's my job when the occasion calls for it.
Here's the view that greeted us as we loaded up into the sand pits to take off into the river on Saturday morning:
When we moved here back in 2000, little did I know how very much I'd come to enjoy my days out on the water. I grew up in a small river town but nothing like this. Being on the river, in a boat, is such a social thing in addition to fishing, running bank poles, and so much more. And as long as I've been married, we've had a boat and a motor. It hasn't always been the brightest, fastest, or best but it's always been fun.
I can still remember playing a game of horseshoes on a sandbar one sunny afternoon and we had gotten a babysitter and the hubs ran back into town to pick Arik up. And when they rounded the last corner towards the sandbar, Arik was in the front seat (gorgeous little three-year-old) and completely sound asleep.
There's something comforting about being on the water. Or relaxing. One or the other. Either way, you can crank your radio or not, fish or not, or just roll along with the current and just watch the world.
With all of the flooding this year, it's been a little dicey getting on the river and sometimes access hasn't been available or advised but it's been slowly dissipating and here we are in the back water off of the Iowa River.
We saw eagles, swallows nests, touched a couple bridges that you normally can't reach, and chit-chatted with some friends.
That's the other thing. River folks are the best folks, seriously. You need an extra life vest? Sure, someone's got one lying around. Your kid is hankering for some Sprite? Yup, got an extra in the cooler over here. Who forgot the sunscreen? We've got some in our bag. And god forbid you have motor troubles, but if you do, help is a phone call away.
I love the days when you turn the bend and see five or six boats anchored down on the sandbar somewhere and you pull in and bury the nose of the boat into the sand and kill the motor.
Time passes differently on the water. It can be slower or faster depending on the level of joy you've got going on at any one given time. It can be quiet and relaxing or it can be loud and crazy like any other get together around town.
But it's always going to be one of my fave places to go and get away.
(We'll revisit my 40th bday partay in the next blog post ;) )
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