Today we went tubing on the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, ending where the Shenandoah joins the Potomac. It was called “whitewater tubing,” but that description was an exaggeration. We were on the water 2.5 hours, mostly flat water with some lovely ripples and rocks.
Thomas Jefferson commented on this area rather famously: “The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature. This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.”
My observations may not be quite that grand, but here they are:
Almost immediately after we got in the water, I noticed a very small beaver, maybe 8 inches in the body. I was the only one in our party who noticed the critter. What gave it away? The small ripples he made by the movement of his industrious jaws. In other words: he was as busy as a . . .
When on an inner tube, you’re supposed to cup your hands and paddle backwards. That’s efficient. Drawback: you can’t see where you’re going. Besides that, the easiest direction to go is circular. Basically, I spun my way down the river.
Hmm, perhaps tubing IS the perfect metaphor for life.
I did spill out of my tube at the very end. I managed to lose not one, but two shoes (which belonged to my daughter), as well as my hat and sunglasses. Amazingly, I recovered all of these items, all while laughing, and with a furiously beating heart. What fun. A great way to end the ride.
As soon as we returned to River Riders, there was a cloudburst, with furious big drops of rain. In our soaking wet clothes, we ran to the car . . . so we wouldn’t get wet(?) (Actually, the rain was a lot colder than the river.)
We ended the day by going to Charlestown Races n Slots. Another cross-cultural event, for another post.