River Wading

When the days get hot, I like to take a cooling wade along the shady banks of the river behind our house. Some would call this a creek or stream, and with the lack of rain this summer, it’s lower than normal and less deep. Regardless, the water is clear, cool and refreshing for wading.

Every year, the river changes depending on how the water carves the bed as it passes through. Floods create dramatic changes. Hurricane Irene eroded whole banks and reconstructed the landscape. Smaller floods create deep pools, which later will be filled up again. This year, the bed downstream has small stones, gravel and sandy flats that make walking so much easier than slipping over 5-6″ cobbles. A good year for wading!

The dipping pool

There is a spot where the water has carved a hollow that is chest-deep. With a quick bend of the knees, I can completely submerge…