Are we having fun yet?

"Are you floating or walking?" That had become the question of the day on our recent float trip. We were bone tired, hungry, thirsty, and were just a little cynical of our leader's decision making abilities.

Oh, I forgot.....There's no leader in sight!

The first day of a floating/fishing trip is always filled with optimism. We were up at 5:00am, had our fishing equipment and boats loaded in the truck and on the road to Arkansas by 6:30am. It's about a 5-6 hour trip by the time you allow for pit stops, lunch, and a short shopping stint at Bass Pro in Springfield (another story for another time).

In past years we've met up with our group at the cabin, then proceeded to the river for a short float on the first day. Of course last year the river was at flood stage and all of our floats were "short, fast & furious".

This year would be different!

We had noticed how dry everything looked during the drive over, and it was evident that there had been very little rain for a few weeks. So when we arrived at the river we weren't surprised to see the water much lower than the year before. It may have been lower, but it was crystal clear and very inviting.

It was 3:00pm and time to launch. We'd be finished with this eight mile float before dark; plenty of time for some refreshments and a nice dinner.....

Within a couple hundred yards we hit our first snag, literally. There wasn't enough water in the shallow spots to keep our pontoon boats afloat. Not a problem, we just stood up and dragged the little boats through the shallows and into the next pool.....and again, and again, and again....float and walk, float and walk, slip and fall, bang your knee on a rock, bruise your shin on the boat....all the way down the river!

"Hey, how much farther 'til we reach our destination?" No answer from our leader.

There was a stiff wind in our face, and all of us were struggling to make headway against it. We were getting no assistance from the current since there wasn't enough water to create a downstream flow. Someone wisecracked, "Maybe if we turn our boats around and row backwards it'll be easier....you know, the wind will be at our back instead of in our face!" I won't divulge the identity of the person who uttered that little gem.

Anyway, I think you get the "drift".  After lots of walking, lots of rowing, and lots of sarcasm, we found ourselves gazing at the stars, which were beautiful by the way, and about two-thirds of the eight mile float was behind us. The stars were bright, but the moon was nowhere to be seen. It was dark, but at least we weren't lost.....we were still on the river.....

"Are you walking or floating?  "I can't see you."

"I can't see anything".

"Are we there yet?"

"If we go under the bridge, we've gone too far."

No one had a flashlight. No one had drinking water. No one had thought to bring a sandwich. Did I mention that it was also dark!

It was approaching 11:00pm when we heard a car and glimpsed it's headlights piercing the darkness across the bridge. We knew we were nearing the end of the journey.....

"Hey Wayne, why don't you hit the alarm button on your key so we can see where your truck is parked?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea."

"What do you mean, the keys are in the truck???"

It was fun and we'll probably do it again......but as always, what do I know?