Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Canaling


This is the canal that runs through town. To the adult eye it may look dirty, mud-sludged, contaminated. Want to swim in it? Ew gross--there are floaties and probably rats and bugs and diseases to be contracted. The local teens, however, say there is a lot of fun to be had in there. So yesterday I joined them. We jumped in with some inner tubes and floated down the canal for a church youth activity.






It was quite a fun float until we got to the part where the canal passed under the freeway. If ever a freeway seemed long and wide... We floated under a dark tunnel with only about a 2 ft. clearance overhead. In the dim light we could see the walls crusted with swallows nests. Above us were faint whispy spiderwebs. My imagination ran wild with thoughts of creepy crawlies dropping down on me. The slighest tickle sent me screaming and if the girls ahead started screaming then I would scream and so it was until we finally came out into full daylight again. Ickkkkkk. . . but spider free.




We ended our voyage at the park. Climbing up the steep embankments, however, was no easy task. We were grabbing onto weeds only to have the current pull us down and rip the weeds out of our hands. How were we going to get out? This is the part of the story where my little girls eyes widened. A man with long black hair, earrings, and tattoos pulled us out of the canal. It was true. Our leader's son had driven us to our drop-off point and then drove to the park where he waited to pick us up. He was the unlikely hero that rescued us. Moral: Guys with tattoos can be very good.




I came home smelling just a little swampy and reeking of inner tubes. I had fun though. I seem to be free of parasites and I have a new appreciation for men with tats.

5 comments:

cold cocoa said...

That's not illegal? Way to brave the elements! Sounds kind of fun, but ew on the water.

Glad the activity was a success! And the tattoo lesson is a great one to learn. I never really understand the enticement of very visible tats though. I think if I were to get one it would be in an obscure spot, like under one of my toes.

Megz said...

I think the only way I would have done that is if I had the peer pressure of a youth activity. The tunnel part sounds absolutely horrible.
Good lesson to learn about scary-looking men. Doesn't it always seem like the biker men are always the ones who smile at your kids the most in public?

TisforTonya said...

yeah, they smile... but it creeps the kids out :)

Actually, they're also usually the ones that take the time to help change a tire on the freeway and help out a stranded motorist at a truck stop too... so long live the tattooed motorcycle guys :)

I have issues with swampy water smells - the favorite place to splash in our little unincorporated town growing up was nasty and swampy... and I usually opted to just stay dry instead of catching crawdads... and yes, that was Colorado and not the deep south :)

Sherie Christensen said...

Wow. An adventure! I don't think I'd enjoy that tunnel either. I don't run in to many tatooed men -- though I have a nice neighbor with a few tattoos. I always figure they'll regret them later -- maybe I'm wrong?

Sheree said...

That does look like fun! I always wanted to float down the canal in my backyard. And so nice to have help getting out--that is a fast moving canal!