Went down to the river
I walked down to the river today -No small feat these days. First, the path is still more creek than walk-way. After threading your way down the rocky path and carefully stepping on stones in the muddy little creek there is a new hindrance. The winter rains and the creek itself have conspired to wash out the path a good ten feet before the path previously opened onto the floodplain. Presently, no foot traffic has conspired to make obvious the best route down. So I figured out my own way. I tried leaping one way, and slipped. Leapt another and sank. But my missteps had brought me down onto the floodplain.
I had made it this far down when winter still had much rain still in store -before the path had washed out. At that time, the river had risen to almost 20 feet only a few weeks previous, and the bare, bleached sand showed just how far the water had come. Today, however, that same barren sand is a veritable jungle of lush green grasses and wildflowers.
A woman who lived father up the block was out walking her dog who ran up to me with a stick and wanted to play tug-of-war. “She won’t bite,” the woman said. I wasn’t concerned. After a few minutes, the dog lost interest and ran to catch up with her owner, already past a particularly high stand of grasses. I got as close to the water as I could and stuck my hand in. Still cold. Damn cold.
Soon, though-in a matter of weeks- it won’t be so cold. Then Anna and I will be back down here - with a lot less leaping and falling, I’m sure - with towels, in river shoes. We will toss our shirts and towels onto the beach, and leap into the river, embracing summer.
But not yet. Today, there was still a visible current in the river, and it was too goddamned cold. Swimming time will have to wait. But not much longer.
I had made it this far down when winter still had much rain still in store -before the path had washed out. At that time, the river had risen to almost 20 feet only a few weeks previous, and the bare, bleached sand showed just how far the water had come. Today, however, that same barren sand is a veritable jungle of lush green grasses and wildflowers.
A woman who lived father up the block was out walking her dog who ran up to me with a stick and wanted to play tug-of-war. “She won’t bite,” the woman said. I wasn’t concerned. After a few minutes, the dog lost interest and ran to catch up with her owner, already past a particularly high stand of grasses. I got as close to the water as I could and stuck my hand in. Still cold. Damn cold.
Soon, though-in a matter of weeks- it won’t be so cold. Then Anna and I will be back down here - with a lot less leaping and falling, I’m sure - with towels, in river shoes. We will toss our shirts and towels onto the beach, and leap into the river, embracing summer.
But not yet. Today, there was still a visible current in the river, and it was too goddamned cold. Swimming time will have to wait. But not much longer.