Down by the River

The best place to be on a super hot day is down by the river.

You can always tell it is going to be a hot summer by the size of the dandelions. This year the roots are as big as baby carrots.

Most times, the rain predicted passes us by, leaving hot sun to beat down on cracked earth, dry winds being the only relief .

Today I went to the Farmer’s Market with a friend. The market was overrun with people, lineups, crowded and hot. We shopped in record time, and decided the best place to cool off would be the river. Apparently we weren’t the only ones with that idea. The place was packed with inner tubes, floating mattresses, and dinghies. Navigating past people on the side of the road pumping air into their rafts, all hopes diminished when a parking spot was nowhere to be found.

Cruising over to the north side of the river, we sat on the rocks by riverbank, feet dangling in the water, sipping slurpees. Anything that could or would float was carried downstream by the rapid current. Dogs raced in and out of the water while the river patrol zoomed by in their power skiff, checking to see if people were wearing the mandatory life jackets.

What a wonderful way to spend a hot afternoon. I returned home with fresh peaches, plump juicy cherries, salt water taffy, double salted black licorice, fresh veges, oh and let’s not forget the blueberries. Ah, don’t you just love summer!