Yesterday we tried to go tubing on the Chattahoochee River. It was so packed, they ran out of tubes and canoes. So we tried again today and got to the tubing place soon after it opened. We got our tubes and our high-fashion life jackets (to match our high-fashion swim shoes!) and loaded up in the van to be driven to the drop zone. Our driver was really nice and we talked to him about the river and the tubing company and then he casually mentioned that the water temperature was 49 degrees. I thought he was kidding. (Jim thought he was talking Celsius, which tells you that he was not a science major!) Nope. The water temperature REALLY WAS 49 DEGREES. I stood in the water up to my ankles for a minute to get Carolyn situated and I swear I lost all feeling in my toes, it was THAT cold.
We went with our friends the Emmitts. Parker and Carolyn are both five and going to kindergarten together tomorrow! The two of them freeloaded and tagged along with Danielle and I enjoying the fruit of our labor. Don't let the oar in Parker's hand fool you-neither one of them did any paddling!
We took off and somebody decided to take the lead and went off and left the rest of us. Until he got stuck on a rock and couldn't get loose!
Coleman decided to jump out when we pulled up on a bank for a break and was so cold trying to get out of the water that he started crying.
After we'd been on the river about an hour, Carolyn started saying that she was hot and wanted to get in the water. I kept reminding her how cold it was, so she just dragged her feet in the water for a while. Until she fell in! The look on her face was priceless. I didn't even need to haul her up on my tube she scrambled up my legs so fast! Which was a good thing, since I was trying to keep myself on the tube, hold onto my paddle and keep her tube from floating away!
Most of our 2 1/2 hour float was lazy and only required minimal paddling to stay off the trees and away from the banks. However, there were a couple of Class II rapids that required some negotiating.
And one lost paddle that had to be rescued.
The life jackets give everyone a nice orange glow, don't you think?
The kids had a blast and so did the adults! We even got acclimated to the water temperature-as long as the water didn't get above your knees!
4 comments:
I love tubing! I can't believe the water was so cold - it's HOTLANTA for heaven's sakes!
How is your Meme doing?
49 degree water?? LOL Carolyn's face is totally priceless! I can almost see her teeth chattering in the pic! Too funny!
I went down yonder on the Chatahoochie.....great song! great trip!
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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