Ann, Bill, Sammy, Julie, Bridget, Spike and I are off to the Williamson River!
The canines jump out to look over the riverbank where we’ll put in.
Spike and Samantha
Spike tests the water temperature.
Bridget waits patiently.
Bill and Ann take down their sleek Hurricane pvc kayaks from the roof rack.
I unpack the Blue Blob and commence to blow it up with my Coleman air pump.
The seats aren’t in yet.
Bill, being the gentleman that he is, takes over the job.
We place an uncertain Bridget and a more-uncertain Spike in the Blue Blob.
Once I’m in, Ann shoves us off the bank. About ten feet from shore, Spike changes his mind, deciding he’d rather stay on land.
“Spike, no!” I yell, as he tries to back out of his harness. I let up the pressure on the leash so he can’t back out of it. Only that enables him to jump over the side! The water is so clear I can see him under water with his eyes closed. An unforgettable sight!
He bobs up to the surface and paddles like crazy toward shore. The river water is extremely cold so he’s very motivated! Ann calls, “C’mon Spike! C’mon! You can do it!” until he scrambles up the bank.
I bring the Blue Blob back to land and this time Spike stays put.
He shivers until the sun dries him out. Ann says that Samantha the beagle had to learn this hard, cold lesson the first time they took her kayaking. She doesn’t jump out any more. Neither, I suspect, will Spike!
This little boy is staying in his seat!
Everyone’s in and off we go!
Julie the dachshund rides with Bill, and Sammy rides with Ann.
Ann and Bill are experienced kayakers.
Subtle autumn colors of yellow, gold, and brown against the evergreens.
Bridget sits on my lap. With both of us in the back and only Spike in the front, the Blue Blob is tipped up in the front, making it slower than the sleek kayaks. It couldn’t possibly be my paddling!
A rocky cliff watches us float by. Well, not really…
We paddle all the way to where the river emerges out of rocks.
Water springs from the rocks.
All of us get out — ooh that water is cold!
We take a break on some rocks. Spike rolls in the grass. After a moment of scampering around, happy to be on firm ground again, all the canines board their vessels. The float has them so relaxed they begin to doze.
Sammy’s eyes won’t stay open!
Julie’s ready for the return float.
Don’t leave without me!
Bill, Ann and I take in the peaceful scene.
It’s almost six o’clock when we begin the return float downstream.
The quiet of late afternoon on the Williamson River
The cliffs throw long, dark shadows causing the river to look like black velvet.
We see the work of beavers along the riverbank. The river is too wide here for dams, so they fashion their dens by burrowing into the bank and creating a facade of branches stripped of bark. Fish begin to jump at this time of day.
My mellow crew
Drifting downstream on a late September afternoon …
“Okay, guys, the float is over. Time to get out of the boat.”
Looks like Bridget and Spike had a good day!
Spike yawns. These two will sleep well tonight!
Thank you, Bill and Ann, for showing us this beautiful river.
It was a day I’ll never forget.
rvsue
P.S. I posted a lot of photos today. I have more that are better than these because they were taken by Bill. I’ll make up a slideshow of those photos, once I decide which ones don’t make my butt look fat.
Ha! Another nickname outlaw Spike will be proud of …. Mutineer. What a nut!
What a ride!
I don’t think he’ll be playing mutineer again after that cold shock.
What fat butt????? What a GREAT day!!! Super pictures!!!! Awesome SUE!!!!!! I am speechless, I’m so jealous….and you know how hard it is to shut me up! Chuckles
I remember the days when I envied people who were able to get out and do fun things in beautiful places… Now it’s me! Thanks for the compliments, Chuck.
What a great boat ride. I felt very relaxed just because I read it. Tranquility Base here! Thanks.
You’re welcome, Rick. So you have that same mellow look that the crew got . . .
From the Hound Herd! Spikey, that waters COLD…..watcha’ doing, bud? Thought you’d check the water first…..And you and Bridget SLEEP the whole way back? That is too cool a day, you lucky dogs!
Ha… The crew was in a trance all the way back. I bet your herd would love it, too. I can see Radar in a kayak, taking in the scenery, floating along . . .
If there was any headwind, Radars ears would look like the ‘Flying Nun’ !!! And the Lucky Dogs was for all 3 of you! What a super day!!!!!
looked like Heaven to me…thanks for the pics.
You’re welcome, Kay. Nice to hear from you.
Great post!! It looks like you have the river to yourself. Sure pretty scenery.
Hi Ginger… A few fishermen were there when we arrived around 1:30. They soon left and we had that section of the river to ourselves. The scenery is beautiful. Ann says it’s like a national park without the people. Glad you liked the post.
Looking forward to seeing you Sue in some photos………………….beautiful river!!!
Bill took several photos of me and the crew in the Blue Blob. I enjoyed seeing what we look like on the water.
Your look great and those doggies of yours are so lucky to join in everthing you do……they are precious and I love catching up on their antics each day. I start most days with my dose of RV Sue and her lovable Spike and Bridget!!!
Beautiful photos Sue. Emmi does from time to time act as if she might like to jump out and get one of those ducks floating by but hasn’t, YET.
I hope, if she does, her instinct for dry land kicks in and she paddles toward shore.
Fat Butt??? WHAT Fat Butt ??? Last photo I saw of you you looked great and actually lost weight on that diet you and Emily O were following! Funny blog! One of my favorites! I laughed and laughed! I loved your description of Spike in the water with eyes closed tight, the next photo showing a very wet Spike just did me in! I was roaring with laughter! So funny! I love the way you put words together! Keep on being full of joy and having fun! That makes us all smile!
Well, I didn’t stay on the diet and it’s beginning to show, so it’s back to oat bran, lean meat, and Greek yogurt.
Seeing Spike about 3 feet under (the water is absolutely clear) put me into shock. I think that’s when I dropped the leash. Good thing I did, so no time was wasted for him to paddle to shore. When I say that water is cold, I mean COLD. Glad you got a kick out of his misadventure . . . and thanks again for complimenting my writing.
Glad Spike decided to stay IN the boat after his swim!! Ha…dogs are SO funny!!
One thing I can count on with Spike … He will not take a warning. He has to learn the hard way. What a knuckle-headed guy.
Hi, Sue. What beautiful pictures! Spike just can’t ride on the water, has to be in it. I would imagine that the cold water was a bit of a surprise to him. Thanks for taking us on the ride.
You’re welcome, Karen. I hope the cold water shock doesn’t make Spike skittish about soaking. I love that dreamy look he gets on his face. He wasn’t dreamy when he sunk into the Williamson!
I read your description of Spikey fussing and ending up underwater with his eyes closed. I started laughing…..Jules was in the livingroom doing a puzzle….she looks up and says,”What’s Spikey up to NOW?” So I read her the blog…she chuckles and says…Sue is so descriptive when she writes!
Looks like you guys had a blast. Sammy looks so cute standing on the kayak! Thanks for taking us on your river adventure!
Sammy is a cutie, for sure. Ann and Bill put dri-dock (or whatever you call that non-slip stuff) on their kayaks so Julie and Sammy can stand either on the front or the back.
I enjoyed your anecdote about reading my blog. You put me right in the situation at your house. It still surprises me that people are in their homes talking about me and the crew.
Thank you Sue for sharing your wonderful adventures with all of us. I truly did not want this post to have an end ! What a blessed life you have.
I appreciate your comment, Marcia. Yes, I am blessed. I don’t know why, but I’m not about to argue!
A beautiful day, beautiful float, good dogie and people friends. Nearing the take out is always so sad. Samantha and Julie love having dogie friends to share their adventures with. Samantha always bounces around, smiles and wags her tale after sharing with a friend. Julie is above all that, she just keeps on with keeping on. The princess!
You are two great friends. And I love your canine crew! Having two dogs is fun. You can see so many contrasts in personality and behavior. Bridget would NEVER consider jumping out of the boat. Good girls don’t do things like that!
Thanks again for a fantastic float. I’m going to post Bill’s photos today. I want to make sure my air card and laptop are well-charged before I start working on the slideshow.
this was the best posting. I cant wait to do the Williamson float with Ed. Not sure about Luca the miniature schnauzer. the last (and onlyt) time we put him in the canoe he climbed on my head.
Ha, Luca sounds like a nut of the Spike variety. Thank you for the nice compliment, Lorraine. I’m glad you liked this post.
sue would like a map as you go to these great places
Hi, John,
It’s all I can do right now to keep up with my blog writing. I’ll try to be more specific about where these great places are in the future. My goal is to have pages in a drop-down menu with info on our camps in detail, listed by state. Maybe I could put maps on those pages. That’s a good idea, now that I think about it.
The section of the Williamson River we floated on is found via a dirt road that forks off of the road to the Williamson River Campground. It’s not far. There are boondock campsites along the river, but I wouldn’t advise anything but truck campers or tenters in a pickup driving over that road. . . big rocks, rough going. Beautiful campsites though.
OMG! What beautiful, peaceful pictures!
This looked like a wonderful way to spend a day – thanks for taking us along! I laughed at Spike jumping out of the boat, just can’t tell that boy anything, can you?