Week 11 -- Prompt

3399:  The Blossoms Drifting From the Trees Smelled Pink.............................

The crisp smell of the new spring air.

Brings about love and laughter everywhere.

Flowers poking their heads up from the cold winter soil.

As the warmth of the suns rays, draws them higher and higher.

The gentle breezes of the cool wind,

Moves the newly budded branches of the trees.

Daffodils, tulips and dandelions 

Show their crisp, vibrant colors.

The apple trees with their blossoms of pink and white,

The sweet, pink smell which is a delight.

Day lilies and Irises their blades of green,

Soon to be flowered with purple, yellow and orange.

Oh what a heavenly site.

Trees, flowers, weeds and the spring rains,

Send smells out to people in a different manner.

The smells are sweet, the colors are vibrant,

Oh the allergies that come along with it.

Sneezing, coughing, sniffling and blowing your nose.

Tissues, nasal sprays, and allergy meds here we go.

Week 13 -- Theme

Small to Large, Large to Small

Sitting down at this big round table, where there are seven other people all ready sitting. Each of us has a stack of poker chips in front of us. Everyone starts with the same amount of chips, so all stacks are equal. The stacks begin to get smaller as the first two people to the left of the dealer has to place bets in front of them, they are referred to as the big and little blinds. 

Now the cards start flowing around the table. Everyone gets their first two cards. Some of us decide to bet on our cards and others just throw their cards in and decide not to bet. Some of the chip stacks get smaller as the players bet their cards. The next three cards are flopped on the table. Serious, poker faces begin to take form. Okay some chip stacks get yet smaller as the pot in the middle of the table grows. Again some people bet, and others just throw their cards in. Now the turn card is turned up. Some facial expressions change, yet others stay unchanged. Chip stacks get smaller, the pot in the middle gets bigger. Now for the last card, the river card, some one will be happy as they will win the pot in the middle of the table. Now the final betting begins, down to three people, bet, raise, bet. The hands are shown, three of a kind, straight, eight to Queen, feeling confident, Shit, he has the larger straight, nine to the King. All those chips in the middle of the table certainly made his stack larger. 

The game continues, round and round, some stacks get smaller and some stacks get larger. Oh My, no chips left, you are out of the game. Guess you should have played your cards differently. The game continues, the players drop out one by one, sometimes even two at a time lose all of their chips. No Chips, No Play. I am excited as I am still in the game. My chips have gone from small stack to large stack, back to small stack, then on to large stack. Things are getting more intense as we are getting down to only three players. The guy on my right has a small stack, I have more than him, but not as large a stack as the guy to my left.

Okay lets continue and get this game over with. Cards are flowing, bets are made, chips are up and chips are down. Okay, finally a good hand. I decide to take on the guy to the right with the small stack. Yeah!!! I get all of his chips, my stack looks better, but the guy to my left still has a little larger stack than mine. We play a few more hands, stacks get larger and stacks get smaller. Finally, we decide just to call it a draw and just split the winnings.

Week 12 -- Prompt

Leaving Your Lover

Leaving your lover, brings about heartache and pain, for one or the other.

Not only does it cause pain for you or your partner. It goes much further than that.

There are family and friends on both sides. It effects them as well as either one of you.

Growing apart, you doing your thing and he doing his.

Where is it that your relationship starts drifting?

Drinking and drugs

Fights, abuse and apologizes

Over and over again.

Eventually there comes and end.

Just walk out and walk away.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?

If your not in that particular relationship,

Easy for you to make judgements.

Wait until he has gone to work,

Have friends or family ready to come in, throw shit together.

Get out before he comes home.

Back and forth,

Try again for the kids sake.

Roller coaster ride

Daddy here, daddy gone.

Incompatibility,

Not willing to make any compromises,

My way or the highway.

What to hell?

Grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.

Wait until you are there.

Certainly different shades of green.

Grass always turns brown from time to time.

Mutual agreements to end a relationship

Sounds good and simple

Still causes heartache and pain.

Someone always gets hurt.

 

Week 12 -- Prompt

I Held You In My Arms

Seventeen, junior in high school, Some drinking and partying with friends.

Oh, what fun we were having until  the end.

School out for the summer, I had been chosen for the Upward Bound Program.

Bowdoin College, hosted the program. Off I went to Brunswick for most of the summer.

Meeting new people and making new friends. Classes, field trips and fun.

County fairs, local events and a BTO concert in Boston. Summer was going great.

Thinking it was time that I should get onto some sort of birth control, as I had been living in the danger zone for awhile now.  I go to the local free clinic. Oh, my God. Holy Shit. What to do now, no birth control. Oh yeah, pregnant. All I could think is my mother is going to kill me and then I won't have to worry about it anyway. My mother being a very religious person this wasn't going to go over very well. It just wasn't going to be pretty at all. 

But my father on the other hand might be a little more accepting, as he has left my mother and has a girlfriend. He is drinking and having fun also. My dad and his girlfriend come to visit. We go to OOB for the day. Having a great time and this is where I spring it on him. He wasn't overly impressed but he didn't flip out or anything. I swore them to keep it quiet until I had the chance to talk with my mother

Needless to say Mother had a fit. At first her and her church people thought that I should give it up for adoption, and tried to talk me into that. I refused. Finally my mother decided to stand behind me. Some of the talk was that I wouldn't finish school. But, I proved them wrong. I went to school everyday. Some days I would even get in a fight with me mother in the morning and walk to school. It was two and a half miles. I didn't care I was so stubborn that I would not have ridden in the car with her for anything. 

Also when I came home from Bowdoin College, I called and saw whom I thought was my boyfriend. Well little did I know that he had been fooling around all summer. It sure didn't take him long to run the other way when I told him that I was pregnant. Said it couldn't be his and that he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. Really how could he feel that way I thought "Fuck you then. I don't need you, I will do it on my own." I cried.

January 23rd the first half of the school year was at an end and luckily I had all of my credits that I needed to graduate. School had been kind of rough, but I made it through. Gained lots of weight like 50 lbs. Yeah, I was huge. Sick with a cold and feeling like shit. Laying on the couch half asleep and half awake, when holy shit that was a pain like I have never felt before, few minutes pass and OUCH another ungodly pain. 

Mom calls my dad and my aunt to come and get us to take us to the hospital. The hospital being 30 to 40 minutes away on a good day. Winter, snowy, icy spots and night time a little longer. Slow down, bump (awwweeeeeeeeeee) pain, they are starting to get closer. As my aunt is saying,"It's okay dear we have plenty of time." Her foot pressing a little harder on the gas as we go a little faster. 

Finally at the hospital all seems to be going well. seventeen and naive. My mother never talked about sex, babies and what to expect. The next thing I know is I am going to surgery as the baby is breech. February 25, a day to remember. I had a horrible night. Tired, sick with a cold and feeling like crap, cut from just below my belly button  to the top of my pubic bone, staples and coughing really don't mix very well. I can't move my legs, call for the nurse to help me. Oh great, they gave me some spinal shot to numb things up before the surgery. I have to wait to move my legs my self. Horrible feeling not to be able to move your legs. 

My tears,and pain and the disappointment I gave to my mother, was all worth it when:

 ************I held you, my daughter, in my arms**************

When you cried of hunger or pain:

I held you in my arms.................

When you were taking your first steps and fell down,

I would pick you up and I held you in my arms.........

As you were growing up, and now that you have become an adult 

through trials and tribulations,heartache and joy, I held you in my arms........

Week 12 -- Theme

Taking Risks 

Haying and stacking hay bales can be rather interesting. Some heavy, some light, some long and some short, some tight, some loose, all need to be stacked to stand high and tall.

It is quite a journey from the hay field to the hay loft. 

It is hot, the summer sun beaming down on the open field. Tractor and baler rumbling along. Truck, trailer and people moving along bale to bale. Need a person on the truck and trailer, who will be able to stack the most hay and have it stay on. That is not have any fall off from the field to the barn, sometimes this can be several miles. 

The poor old truck, start and stop, clutch in and out, going ahead or stalling. Truck thinking, boy why do they try to teach these kids to drive me, in this hot hay field. Haven't figured out yet that this is hard on me. Well anyway, finally get the truck and trailer loaded. Now to get it home to the barn without any falling off. 

Stacker did a good job this trip around all of the hay is still on. Now it needs to be stacked in the loft. thought the open field was hot, wait until you get in the loft of the barn, with the heat and hay shaft sticking to you. Holy shit, nasty feeling. Now the hay needs to be stacked just right to fit a lot, plus when you need to get it down later so that it doesn't all topple down on you. 

Sweaty, sticky and itchy done for the day. Pop the top on that beer can. Icy and cold, Oh, does this taste good. We all start pounding down a few. Some one gets the bright idea of stacking beer cans. 

"Don't you think that we have done enough stacking for one day." someone comes out with.

"Well we can see if we can stack beer cans as well as we can stack hay. "someone else replies.

Week 12 -- Prompt

Slamming Doors

Doors open and doors close. Some doors reopen, while others never open again.

Our relationship was a little rocky, but trying to work through it. One can only try for so long a time before you figure out or decide that there is no use. No use time to move on to bigger and better things. 

Him not working at anything steady, me working full time and trying to keep up with the daily chores of house and kids. Yes, he would cook and pick up around the house some, but that didn't off set all of the other shit, the drinking, the fighting, no drivers license and the lack of responsibility. All of these things get old after awhile.

Finally, things came to ahead one night. I had had enough. This time it was no threat, I had made up my mind either he was leaving or I was leaving it was the end. 

He informed me, "I am not going anywhere."

"Fine, I am leaving then, this is over. I have had enough, I can't take anymore." I told him.

"If you go I will get the gun in the closet and kill myself." He was spouting off.

"Threats aren't going to make me change my mind. Let me get the shells for you." I replied.

Calmly walking up the stairs, told the girls,  "Get a change of clothes, walk down the stairs and go straight to the car and I will be right behind you."

They did exactly as they were told with no questions asked, as I am sure that they had heard part of the argument. Very calmly, I went right behind them. Slammed the door, got in my car and away we drove.

At the time it didn't matter what he was going to do, I didn't care. I didn't look back. Well I supposed in a way I did for a moment, as I got to a friends house and called the police just to let them know what the conversation was and that maybe they would check on the situation. Cause if he had shot himself I would not have been a suspect for it. 

Then the door slammed and I never looked back after that.

 

Week 11 -- Prompt

Uncle Henry's

10 mi. yd. sale, May 19th and 20th, 8-5, rain or shine, West Ridge Rd, antiques, collectibles, clothing and more, CFMI 474-9319 or (202)474-8973 Cornville

Table after table, picnic tables, pieces of plywood laid on top of barrels all lining the edge of the road. Driveway after driveway with something in it for sale. Even places where there are no houses people have dragged stuff in to set up along the road, so as to be a part of the 10 mile yard sale.

People and cars scattered everywhere. People park their cars and walk, good exercise for the day I guess. One persons trash is an other persons treasure, they say.

Clothes, clothes and more clothes. Sheets, blankets, comforters and curtains, about any size or color one would want. Some used and some new. The heirloom blankets, the older handmade ones are not of many. 

Avon bottles after avon bottles, dust collecting knick-knacks on almost every table. Holiday decorations, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween some good, some not so good.

 

Tools, lawnmowers, snow-blowers, Shovels and rakes. Gardening tools, carts and wheelbarrows. People making offers to try to get at a cheaper price. 

Kids here there and every where. Laughing, talking and crying. "Mamma, I want, can I have, please, please, please." You can hear. Toys, bicycles, balls and bats. 

Antiques, collectibles, trash and treasures. Tables and chairs, couches, hutches, dressers and beds. All kinds of things lined up along the road.

Week 11 -- Prompt

Tools, Tools, & More Tools

Thought that it would only take a minute to check the air in my tires.

In the garage to get the tire gauge

Holy shit where would one begin to look for it.

Benches down one wall, shelves and drawers beneath it. You can't even see the top of the bench, how does anyone work here or know where to find anything. Drills and drill bits, screwdrivers, socket sets, big wrenches, little wrenches, nuts, bolts and about anything you can think of. 

Open a drawer and close it up quick, afraid that something might jump out at you. Wires, cords and who knows what.

Grease cans, oil cans, barrels of used oil, orange gas containers everywhere. Walking through and just kick them aside. 

Tall rolling tool cabinets, some drawers open, some drawers closed. Pliers, sockets, allen wrenches, hammers, all of many sizes and shapes. Tools have in and half out. Wires here there and every where. 

Battery charges, not just one or two but three or four, all kind of in a heap in the corner Big ones and little ones, most of the cables all tangled up.

Shelving units with parts, starters, batteries, hubs, headlights, mufflers with no sort of organization at all. Containers with nuts, bolts, screws, plugs and I don't even know what else. 

Heating with a big old wood type of stove. A pile of wood in the back corner. Barrel full of ashes off to the side. Axes, molls and chainsaws. Wood chips,wood smoke and grease, God what a horrible mixture of smells. 

 

 

Week 11 -- Theme

Cardboard Boxes

Big, little, short and tall

Plain white or brown, colored or printed

Full or empty, still a cardboard box.

The girls have a huge cardboard box, they are opening it up to be flat. 

Bending it in the middle to form an upside down V.

"Look mom we have a tent" they say all proud of themselves.

The snow covered hill looks very inviting for sledding.

Oh, but wait the boys do not have a sled.

"Go get one of the old cardboard boxes" says their mother 

"It will make a great sled."

The damn cat is going to have kittens.

Let's get a cardboard box and we will make her a bed,

Some place for her to feel safe and comfortable.

Then the kittens will have a home until they are big enough to get around.

Not only just a cardboard box

they stand me up on one end, write on me with markers,

hold me down with some big rock,

Guess that I am now a sign.

We need wood for the fire,

We grab the cardboard box 

So we now have a firewood box, to carry and store the wood.

Oops fire won't start, empty out the wood 

Break up and tear the box to start the fire with.

I like to use cardboard boxes of the same shape and size.

As they make great storage containers

Stack nicely in a neat pile

I can stack them tall, I can spread them out

Even use them as a stand. 

What would we do without cardboard boxes?????????????? 

Week 10 -- Prompt

If you don't believe I am leaving,

You can count the days I'm gone!

Things seem okay, on the surface, that is. 

Still carrying on some what of normal activities.

Work, getting together with friends on occasions, and small talk.

But, I am unhappy and miserable.

*************************

With the passing days and weeks, we drift farther and farther apart.

Going through the motions, of what people call a relationship.

Work, school and the stress of missing children and grandchildren,

continue to build the wedge between us.

**************************

I am off to beano for the night, just for something to do out of the house.

He just wants to sit at his computer and play those foolish games or whatever.

Back from beano and low and behold he is still in the same place as when I left.

Comes to the kitchen just long enough to see if I had won anything.

****************************

Off to bed it is, sure it will be the same as it has been.

Yup! try to snuggle no go

I roll one way, He rolls the other.

Lots of space between us in this big king size bed.

*********************************

Okay the time has come, this is no fun.

Argument, words are spoken and exchanged.

I make the announcement that I am friggin miserable.

Not only that I am miserable, but that I am going to move to my daughters for awhile.

******************************

He didn't believe that I would do it.

Days pass, small talk on the phone,

Weeks have passed, more small talk and a weekend get together.

Same conversations, how long is this going on, what is happening between us.

******************************

I feeling better and much happier.

He still doing what he does best, always at the computer if he isn't working.

Weeks have now turned into months,

Still asking for me to come back, things aren't the same.

************************************

Six months later still counting the days.

Till maybe I will return.

Finally, so I guess things are over?

Yes, I will come and get my belongings.

****************************************

Funny how people try to make changes after the fact

He is still hoping and counting the days for my return....................................................

Week 10 -- Prompt

Just Calm Down and Begin at the Beginning

We were all sitting at my mothers one Saturday morning, drinking a coffee and trying to get ready to start the day. All of a sudden we hear someone yelling. Get up and look out the window and see my nephew running across the road with his feet hardly touching the ground and yelling. Busting through the door, still yelling and stuttering, "Hurry, hurry, need help, I,I,I,I don't know what happened. Uuuuuuncle is on the floor. Hurry, now help, cccccome help me." Turns and runs back out through the door as fast as he came flying in through it, still a mumbling and yelling hurry, hurry.

Well, so up we jump and follow him across the road to my brothers house to see if we can figure out what is going on. Sure enough by brother was on the bathroom floor. He is breathing and some what coherent. He is in a great deal of pain, which cause him to get light headed and blackout for a few minutes. Scared my nephew though as he was only about 12 or 13 years old. My brother is okay though just need to help him up and get him back on the bed. It took a little bit, but we finally was able to get him back on the bed.

So, lets go back to the beginning as to what happened. Clarence, my brother, several days ago had been trying to break and ride a horse for someone he knew. Well, needless to say things didn't go so well. The horse managed to throw him off. Before he could hit the ground the horse whirled and kicked him in the hip. In the hospital for a few days, due to having to have surgery and a steel rod put in his hip and leg. Horse did a good job.

Clarence is a different kind of person. He was driving the nurses at the hospital crazy. He believes that he has the ability to mentally control most of his pain and can talk himself into lowering his blood pressure and different things like that. He believes in mental healing and just crazy shit. So he convinced the doctor to let him go home. Arrangements were made for a hospital bed to be delivered and set up in his living room along with what ever else that was needed. There was to be a home nurse come in every couple of days to change his dressings and such. He has enough family and friends to keep him company and get his meals and tend out on him.

He had been doing really good about staying in bed and doing what he was supposed to. But, today he decided that with the help of James, our nephew, that he could use the walker and make it into the bathroom and back. Well, I guess that he did okay getting into the bathroom, but it was getting up off the toilet and getting moving again that posed the problem. He said that the pain got to him, before he could get control of the pain. It took James a little while to calm down, as he was pretty scared. Finally got Clarence settled and comfortable or as comfortable as could be.

Week 10 -- Theme

Distance, Framing & Alienation

As I enter the dimly lit bar where a band will start playing soon and the dancing will begin. I can't wait, as my eyes quickly glance around the room, checking out to see who is there or who isn't there. Not many empty tables, but I find a seat with some friends and take up residency for the night. Now having a base point for the night, head to the bar for a drink. Takes a little while cause it seems like everyone had the same idea. Wouldn't be so bad if once people got their drinks they would move away from the bar. Instead they stand in a cluster and chit chat. Then of course you have the ones that just sit or stand at the bar all night anyway. Although there is a waitress or two maundering their way through the crowd to get drinks for people, it is still quicker to go to the bar and get it.

People standing and sitting all around. There is a group gathered around the pool table, appears as though a couple of them are playing pool. There is a group of 15 -20 over at the bigger tables, looks like someone is having a birthday, by the balloons hovering over the table. There are young and older people and any age in between. Appears as if some have come as couples, some as singles and others you just can't tell.Sounds like a bee hive in here. Music playing, people talking, laughing and a few just sitting there, are they waiting for someone or here looking to meet new friends. Some people had come to have something to eat before the band starts. I can tell because there are still plates and food and what have you all over the tables. I think, to myself, guess they had better get that shit cleaned up as the band is about to start.

Yeah! the band has started, Let's dance. Not many dance for the first few songs. Some of it because it takes a little bit for the band to get really warmed up and to find the music the crowd wants for the night. Also, I think that some people are afraid to be the first ones on the floor to dance, because everyone will be watching them. I like to observe what people are wearing. Wow! you can see lots of different styles. Jeans and t-shirts seem to be the most popular for the guys. I often wonder how the guys dance in sneakers and work boots, but some of them seem to do a good job at it. Some guys are a little more conscious of their appearance and are wearing button-up shirts and dressier shoes.They seem to be the ones that have come with a date, girlfriend or wife.

Now for the gals, well can I just tell you there is conservative, revealing and everything in between. Jeans and shirts, skirts (which are very short) with a top that is as revealing as the skirt, my comment usually is, "Hum, she thinks she is something now doesn't she." Sneakers, flats, boots and heels, some heels are about three inches high. Not sure how they can manage to dance in those heels, but anyway, they seem to do okay.  There seems to be more gals out tonight guys. The older ladies seem to be the more conservative of the crowd.

Okay enough of the crowd, let's get to the dancing, I love to dance. Now the dance floor is getting crowded. Some people are on the dance floor with drinks in their hands. Oops, just as I thought a drink has been spilled on the floor. It is hard to tell sometimes who is dancing with who. There are good dancers and there are not so good dancers. But, you have to give credit to the ones that get out and just do it. It isn't uncommon these days to see a group of girls dancing together. Yes, I have been known to be one of those girls in the group, but I would really rather dance with a guy. Finally, my dance partner has shown up. 

Wow, you can barely get to the bar now for another drink. All of the bar stools are full and people just gathered around talking. Some are waiting for a drink, it is kind of slow as there is only two bartenders behind the bar. Making my way through the crowd I finally get another drink. Making my way back to the table to put my drink down, I run into an old friend that just showed up. Chat for a minute and tell her she can come sit at our table if she wants to. On to the dance floor we go, one dance, two dances and three in a row. Whew, I need a break for a minute. I try to spend more time dancing than sitting. It is good exercise.


Now that it is later in the evening, things are really hopping. People getting happier with each drink they have. The more some people drink the louder they get. Some not quite as steady on their feet as they were earlier. All of the tables now cluttered with beer bottles, drink and shot glasses. Still some pool players at the pool table. Some people have left so therefore more room on the dance floor. Time goes by so fast on a Saturday night when you are out dancing and having fun. The band announces this is the last song. Everyone hits the floor, song done and the chanting begins for  "ONE MORE, ONE MORE." The band accommodating to the crowd plays one more. Now the debate begins about who is going to drive or who can drive. As leaving you see taxis outside to pick up people. Some people do know how to make good choices. It was a good night. No arguments, or disagreements sometimes when you are out there are a couple in the crowd that want to fight. DANCE for your health.

Week 10 -- Prompt

Doesn't matter where you begin, you'll end up back here.................

What a cluttered mess.... Laundry piled up, dirty dishes in the sink, papers and books everywhere. Floors need sweeping, rugs need vacuuming, bathroom needs cleaning. Oh Lordy, where does one begin. Cat and dog hair everywhere, doesn't matter how much you brush them it seems, that it is never enough. Wonder how they can have any hair left on their bodies. Clean, pick up, sweep and vacuum never an end. 

House is quiet and everyone except myself the dogs and cats are gone until Monday. Guess to start with the bathroom. Dirty clothes piled high, shower stall with soap scum and hair all over it. The cats litter box needs cleaning and oh my are they messy litter all over the floor around the box. Well, I'll get started. Spray down the shower stall with a spray can of scrubbing bubbles, let it sit a few minutes while I spray windex on the mirror to clean it. Off to start a load of laundry, get some of this pile knocked down a little. Clean the toilet, what a shitty job, but someone has to do it. The bubbles in the shower stall have turned to liquid and running down the walls, guess I'd better get it washed off. Vanity and water faucets sparkling clean. Sweep and wash the floor. 

Clothes into the dryer, grab a fabric softener sheet from the box. Put the clothes that are all folder on top of the dryer into the bedrooms of whom they belong. Bedrooms of teenagers, oh my god what a figgin mess. Oh well they will have to deal with that when they get home. Close the door, don't have to look at it. Vacuum the hallway and down the stairs. Carpeted stairs, boy do they collect a lot of cat hair. Anyway, gone now and looks good.

Why is it easier to throw a coat over a chair than it is to hang it in the coat closet? Everyone in this house does it, even me. Imagine, bitching about something that you do yourself, doesn't make sense does it. Spraying endust and wiping off the stands, amazing how so much dust accumulates. Picking up papers and books. Vacuuming the cat and dog hair off the couch and chairs. Sweep and wash the living room floor. Things are starting to take shape now. 

Dining room table seems to be a catch all...... mail, school papers, empty glasses, just what ever you have in your hand at the time. Sliding glass door surprised you can even see out through it. Dog and cat nose prints and slobber everywhere, fingerprints you name it is there. A little windex and paper towel will take care of that though. Baseboard hot water heat oh how it gathers hair, dust and dirt underneath them. Okay gone for this time around. Wii games, movies and books all back where they belong. Plants watered, they are happy now. Things are looking up.

Dishes rinsed and in the dishwasher. Pots and pans washed and in the strainer to dry. Holy shit look at the grease and spills on the stove. Guess it is time to break out the liquid degreaser for this mess. Well, it didn't take as long or as much work as I thought it would when I started. Putting things away and clearing off the counters. Done....now to wipe them down and make them sparkle. Finish sweeping the floor and then to wash it. Wow!!!!!!!!!!! house looks and smells good. 

Guess what????????????Doesn't matter where you begin cleaning, You will always end up back there doing the same things again. NEVER ENDING BATTLE......................................

Week 9 Prompt

I came, I saw, I conquered

Weekend planned with a bunch of wild and crazy girls. Sixteen of us all together. Meeting at the Dunkin Donuts on Route 201 in Skowhegan, early Saturday morning need to have that coffee for the ride. Heading to the north woods to a whitewater rafting lodge.  Really what a scarey idea for the first time. Okay, everyone is on time with sleeping bags, pillows, coolers and their overnight bags as we are going to stay the night in one of the little cabins that are there. Off we go one, two, three cars following each other up through the winding, hilly, curvy road to the Forks.

WOW!!! Looks like a lot of people are going to raft down the river. People standing and sitting around, waiting for the instructions on how the day is going to go. People in  bathing suits, shorts and tee shirts, some even still in long pants. Chit, chat going on here and there everyone seems to be in their own little groups. Time to pay attention as the instructions and agenda for the day are being given. They tell us who our guides are going to be. We all will be in two rafts, eight each and each raft has a guide. Now we are being sent around to be fitted for a life jacket. Butterflies are starting to gather in my stomach. Life jacket and paddle in hand onto the buses we go to be transported to the top of the river. Rafts are ready and on the buses. The guides are having us do and sing funny things on the way. 

Now the butterflies are really fluttering about the stomach as we get off the buses. Bathroom call if needed going to be on the river for a few hours. Get our rafts and in the line to go down the stairs to the river. A lot of people and rafts, not only our organization, but others as well. Careful, wait, slowdown, are some of the words heard amongst the chit-chatter. Finally our turn to put our raft in the river. The guide hollers, "Everyone ready? Here we go." Everyone has to paddle. "Let's get the rhythm going," he tells us.

It's not long before we get to the first rapid. Need to make sure the raft before us gets through and everyone is still in the raft. Holy shit butterflies and adrenalin are surely working overtime now. Here we go up, down, left and right. Guide yelling, "paddle, paddle, paddle." You don't even have time to think about it, cause it all happens so fast. God damn the first splashes of water are cold. Now I understand why some people chose to rent wet suits for the day. "WHEW, we all made it through that one okay. Good job girls." you hear someone say. Deep breathes and sighs of relieve. The next raft full is the rest of our group so we wait to watch them and how they do. Made it through, no one out of the raft.

Continuing down the winding river we go.  Red, blue, yellow and orange rafts full of people. Young and old alike paddling along.  Approaching the next rapid, the guide calls the rapids by name. This is a big one. The rafts ahead of us seem to be doing okay with it. OH, no people out of the raft, paddles floating. Not much we can do as we are behind them waiting our turn, but the rafts that have already gone through are helping them out. Now really nervous, but here we go. Raft up, down, twisted and god only know what else. Yelling, laughing, and paddling to beat hell. Water splashing and spraying everywhere, what a RUSH. Shit we have a girl overboard, her head bobbing up and down. "Grab the paddle," someone yells. Not so easy to get her back in the raft, but finally we make it. Whew, sigh of relieve.

The raft behind us is the rest of the girls. We watch to see how they do. See the raft, don't see the raft. Wow are they making a lot of noise. Oops they didn't do as good as we did, they have a couple of people out of the raft. One of the girls is a little heavy, she is really having a hard time to get into the raft, but finally she gets back in. They are all out of breath, sighs of relieve and laughing.

The sun is dancing and sparkling off the river. Everyone got through all the rapids safely. Now for the easy part just paddling along to where we end our trip. Everyone having fun. There are areas where we could get out of the raft and float through some very small rapids. Not for me, but some of the girls did. Jumping in and out of the raft and playing around. What a great trip down the river. Everyone had a great time. Now to get the rafts out of the river and loaded back on the bus. DONE, back to the lodge we go.

Okay, where is the beer? Gathering in the lodge to watch the videos that had been taken. Sounds like a beehive, with all of the chitter, chatter and laughter. Pictures and videos ordered. Off to eat, the lodge has a nice spread layed out. Another beer, another drink. Campfire going, music blaring. People playing cribbage, horseshoes and a little ball. Interacting and making new friends what a great time. More drinks and more laughter. After midnight before you know it.

Next morning, "Oh I don't feel so well, Holy shit what a mess to clean up." you hear someone mumble. Crawling out of the cabin, the sunshine way to bright for these eyes, "Where are my sunglasses?" Drink glasses, beer bottles, chip bags, and stuff everywhere. I think everyone had a good time.

I came to the  river, I saw and conquered the rapids of the river. What an adrenalin rush, can't wait to do it again.