At about 3:30 this afternoon, the heat had climbed to a new high.  Even with the air conditioning on downstairs, and a veritable wind tunnel of fans strategically placed to guide a feeble stream of coolness to the upstairs bedroom.... there was no escaping the sweltering effect of the 104 degree day.

Yanking swimsuits and towels out as quick as we could, we were soon sailing down the road en route to The Swimming Hole.  With the top off the Jeep, the hot wind rushed around us in constant reminder of just how wonderful it was going to feel to dip into the icy mountain riverwater.

When we arrived, we picked our way through the trees to the pebbly shore.  In no time, I was knee deep in the water, sucking in my breath like I was front row at a horror flick.  Boy that first dip into the river is a shocker!!!!  Teeth clenched through a grin, every inch further into the river is a goosebump tsunami.   It's like taking off a bandaid.  Best do it all in one go, or you're just going to sit there whimpering.

So, at last - after a good amount of whimpering, I 'whooshed' into the water with a banshee screech that lasted just as long as it took me to convince myself I wasn't going to die from the icicle plunge....  and then, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - sweet acclimation. 

Fish were literally jumping right out of the water by us.  Flopping and splashing, big enough to make me think twice about swimming over in their direction.  Not exactly sure I wanted to feel some freshwater salmon slap up against me!

Further up stream there was  a huge nest upstream with osprey in it.  The young ones creeled for quite awhile, until the sun started to dip behind the tall mountain peeks.  Then they were oh so quiet, huddled together in the softened light.

The sun and clouds were providing fantastic rays of light and shadow across the blue sky.  The literal 'silver lining' was trimming every puff of white.
I pushed out from the sand and rocks on the shore, and braved the depths to see how far across the river I could go.  The current hit me about halfway, not exactly pushing me down stream... but certainly keeping me in one place as I swam into it.  I didn't go any further, but floated back to shore and was content to drift in that cool eddy of water that curled around the boulders.

We swam until our teeth were chattering.... and then returned home for a bar-b-que of immense proportions.  With sister and family visiting, along with other good friends in town, it was the perfect evening to celebrate with good food and better company.  We could smell the savory smoke as we came down the driveway.   There was steak, chicken, pork chops... au-gratin potatoes, homemade cole slaw, mom's unbeatable potato salad, homemade pear AND zuchini bread, Aunt Rosalie's amazing baked beans (the kind with bacon....) and to top it all off, a tall icy glass of lemonade.  I ate because I was hungry, and then I ate for the sheer glory of eating.  After all, if you don't go back for seconds at a family bbq, something is simply off kilter!

My freckles got darker,  and the rest of me got pinker.  Tops of my feet are tingly from walking in flipflops all day.  The hot, dry air of the valley felt fantastic driving back down the canyon from the chilly swimming hole.    And tonight, I'll sleep with only the lightest of sheets on the bed, and that lovely 'still cooled' feeling from having the river chill me to the core. 

I will think of the sleeping osprey, and the fish who seek the deep still pools of the river to rest beneath the shimmering light of the waxing gibbous moon.