Boatman

I'm an official boatman now! No, not a boatwoman, but a female boatman. A boatman who was supposed to row on our trip injured herself just before launch so I was asked to row her boat down 46 miles of river, including class III-IV whitewater. Was I nervous? Sure. Was I thrilled to do it? You bet. Did I learn anything? Hell yes. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

I traded my bikinis for longer shorts, long-sleeved shirts, and boating gloves for sun protection. Rowing requires being seated with oars at all times, so the ability to move about to protect the skin is limited. I worked hard, played hard, and slept better than I have in months. There was no connectivity anywhere on the river and no one brought a radio. We were completely cut off from the world for five days. Heaven.

The days were warm, in the 90s, and the evenings were cool. The stars were brilliant, as was the comet Neowise. The skies wanted to rain, but we only saw virga teasing the parched canyon landscape.

No, I did not get laid. My friend and I talked about it. We decided we were comfortable without sex on this trip. It seemed a bit offbeat, for both of us, yet we were completely content. Go figure, relationships can be odd and funny and wonderful at the same time. Life lessons, you know? I'm home and content but awfully randy.

And it started raining cats and dogs this morning, almost two inches since 6 am. The monsoon rains of Arizona are exhilarating with thunder and lightning, winds, and torrential downpours. It makes being randy even harder to bear.

I must have been in the glow of the river trip yesterday as I was going to post a lingerie photo, with touching, drinking a beer, to express my mood. Facebook slammed me with a 30-day suspension again. Here's the photo. Yeah, I know better.

Star Inara is in jail too. But, readers may want to check in on Ellen Arroway in Facebook. Ellie Arroway was the main character in the movie Contact. Her father's nickname for her is "Sparks." She is my namesake, thanks to my dad.

When the rain stops I'll go for a hike in the desert. The arroyos will be flooded and the wildlife will be coming out from cover. It's a delicious 72° now. If it continues to drizzle I'll wear my river sandals and a swimsuit and play in the rain.

It's so good to come home to monsoon rains and a cool, rainy walk. I think I can take a few more weeks of staying at home now. I wonder if Trouble wants to walk too?