On Saturday we floated the Boise river with some friends. I hope they don’t mind my sharing this story. Not too far into our float, after we had all six children somewhat settled by shoving licorice in their faces we started approaching a woman, fully dressed in street clothes, standing in the middle of the river holding on to her tube. Our logistics were thus: Richard and I with our two boys in one raft, our friend with three of her children in another raft, and her husband and their little boy on a large tube. For much of the river we kept our rafts together by holding on to the ropes that run around the top of the rafts. Since the woman was right in the current we couldn’t avoid her and sort of bumped our way past.

Some time went by and I was distracted by various river diversions but then I noticed that the woman was back on her tube floating along with our little group. Upon closer investigation I noticed that she was holding on to the rope of Jason’s tube. Really awkward. Just floating along with us, without saying a word. I looked at Tricia and whispered “What’s up with her? Why is she holding on to his tube?”

I mean, I’m not trying to be a river snob here, it was just a little odd. A complete stranger joining our party with a tight grip on my friend’s husband’s tube.

“He’s hot.” Tricia said matter-of-factly.

After awhile Jason started small talk and eventually I think he asked her name. Turns out she had been separted from her own group, and I guess we looked like pleasant company. Further down the river she spotted her family on the shore and Jason gave her tube a good shove toward the river’s edge. Farewell river companion.

We had a great time, and the kids [mostly] loved it. I wish I had pictures but we were too worried about dropping the camera overboard.