Picture Perfect Stupidity
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Pure Water Hollow. It was near 90 degrees once again with a blue sky and a bright sun. It was warm, but in the shade the gentle breeze made it comfortable. Later on this summer we will probably wish we had air conditioning, but I am usually thankful for nature’s air conditioning during this time of the year. Even though the days are near 90 (we have already had several above 90) the nights are down in the 60s. This tends to create a sort of natural air conditioned feeling in the shaded crevices of our property well into the afternoon hours as well as in our mostly shade covered home. We open the widows during the night and then "trap" the cool air inside in the morning. So far it has stayed comfortable.
The chores were all completed and I was back from running some errands in town. The children have been looking forward to getting in our river to enjoy the refreshing, cool, running water and to also explore all the wonders that one can find in the edges of the river among the rocks and boulders. They were overjoyed when I announced that today would be a good afternoon to get wet in the river!
Our property goes down along the river for a piece and we have played and explored the riverbank many times. We discovered that it is exciting and fun to wade in the river and a section of our part of the river is at the shoals where it is at the shallowest. On a hot summer day it is refreshing to wade out into the cool water. Last year we found out that we can wade across the entire width to the other shore, even though the current is quite strong along the middle.
I wanted to let the children go down the river in inner tubes on this particular Saturday, which we had never done before. To be on the safe side I decided to tie a rope from one shore to the other across the river. This was so they would be able to catch it instead of continuing on down the river away from our home. I had a 300 feet length of tough, yellow, braided nylon rope and as the children splashed around at the edge of the river I began to wade out toward the middle.
The water was not as cold as I thought it would be, and there was no "shock" as I stepped deeper and deeper in. Even though it has not rained much for weeks, the river was still a foot or two higher than it is when it’s at it’s lowest. As I went nearer the middle the current got stronger and stronger until it was difficult to stand up at times. The water level quickly passed my knees to my waist and was almost chest deep at the deepest part. I was thankful that I had a hold of a rope tied to the shore a couple of times and just when I thought it might be too deep and too strong of current to continue, it began to get easier and less deep and strong. Going the second half of the distance was not difficult at all and I quickly found myself on the other side of the river. The 300 feet of rope was more than enough and we probably had 75 feet left over after I tied it to the other side. The return trip across back to our side of the river would be easy now with a rope to back me up.
As I returned back out into the river the water was again waist deep about a third of the way across. It was about at this point, with rushing water swirling all around me, that a sickening feeling overwhelmed me…
It was such a beautiful day, and this was our first day of the summer to play in the river. I had Erica charge up the batteries for her digital camera so we could get plenty of good pictures of the children enjoying the first day of the 2007 river-play season. I also wanted to get pictures of their first time floating down our river riding on inner tubes. The pictures would be classic!
Erica had wisely decided that she did not want to get her camera wet, and she knew she was going to be wading in the river as soon as she got down there. Being the responsible young lady she is, she had given the camera to me for safe keeping.
That sickening, overwhelming feeling stopped me dead in the water (literally, and it was waist deep water) when I realized that I still had Erica’s digital camera…in my pocket! Not only was the camera submerged in water at that moment, but it had also been under water for over 10 minutes as I fought against the current crossing the river!
How could Lisa (my wonderful wife) have allowed that to happen! Why did she let me go out into the river with Erica’s camera in my pocket?
I reached down into the water and pulled the dripping camera out of my pocket. I moved it to my damp shirt pocket so it would not get wet as I waded back across the river. (Wouldn’t want to ruin the camera on the way back to my side of the river, you know.)
The children enjoyed their inner-tube rides down the river and Lisa and I enjoyed watching them. Unfortunately, no one can enjoy the pictures of the afternoon….
I can not begin to express how terrible I felt about the camera. It was an expensive mistake that Erica made, entrusting her camera to her darling dad. It cost her loving father over $100 to buy her a new digital camera, with the express instructions to be careful of whom she lends it to!
She got her new camera yesterday, and she seems to be happy with it. She has forgiven me and she still loves me. I am a blessed man.
2 comments
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~Melissa on May 30, 2007 at 5:22 pm
You are blessed. Aren't we parents full of "ooops!". Glad you were able to enjoy the day despite the loss of the camera.
Warmly, Melissa
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SimpleFolk on May 30, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Oh, I'm sorry this happened to you! You know, your children are so blessed to have a father who spends time with them like you do. Those are beautiful memories in the making! I bet your daughter won't even remember the soggy camera. )
(You probably will for economic reasons, lol.)
Sounds like a lovely day anyway! You must have a beautiful property!
Amy
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