Tubin’ the Creek

Romance must float in particles on the air during the spring. Couples hold hands, kiss in the park and wrap arms around each other for a stroll. The balmy 78° F degrees on a lazy Friday afternoon in May beckoned the adventurous romantics to the creek. Even with the icy water we followed other up the path to the landing to splash our tubes in the river. Thanks to spring runoff the water level rose several inches and swifter water created whitewater for a challenge

We shared the creek with kayakers enjoying the rapids while we made our lazy float downstream. Saying the water was ‘refreshing’ understated how much I needed to warm up in the sun afterward. Hot tea on a warm day didn’t go amiss either. My honey and I dried off in the sun and perched our collapsible loveseat on the bank. From this vantage point we could watch others revel in the urge to splash triggered by spring.

Tubing the creek in itself is eco-friendly, but is the tube? Most are made from either PVC (vinyl) or Neoprene both from petroleum products. I found mine at a used-goods store perhaps keeping it from a landfill. In my teens, I had first dibs on the inner tubes from tractor tires to patch up and use for water sports. We figured this was eco-friendly because we were reusing. Each person must make the decision.

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