First Float of the Season

Today we went on our first Salt River float of the 2008 season. Participants were myself, daughter Jenny, and grandson Zachary. Also, half the population of Phoenix, as far as I can tell.

Worried that our older floats might no longer be river-worthy, I bought two new ones and Jenny inflated the old ones to test them. That meant we went with two tubes and three lounges—enough for five people, though only three of us went.

The trip was nice as always, but at times it did seem more like bumper cars than a river float. More than once I found myself with my legs astraddle those of a good-looking man in an inner tube. A lady drifted by, spotted Zachary, and said, "My God! But you have beautiful eyes."

There was a lot of drinking going on. One girl got so drunk she fell out of her inner tube (not an easy feat even when you want to) and nearly drowned. No one in the group she was with seemed to notice or care. A guy with another group rescued her, returned her to her original group, and then hit her date in the head for abandoning her.

We hit few pockets of truly fresh air. Most of it was streaked with tobacco and/or marijuana smoke.

So we did decide that, in the future, we will put in where everyone else takes out, and restrict ourselves to the nearly deserted portion of the river between Blue Point Road and Phon D. Sutton Recreational Area.

At least until the crowds thin, as everyone who wants to float down the river has gotten it out of their systems.