Bucking Tiger on the Gila River!

Quite a few Arizona Rivers run only seasonally so you have to take advantage of them when they are running. We had another outing to the Gila River and noticed the level of water had dropped quite a bit since last we were there. When I was a high schooler, we would get old truck tire inner tubes inflate them and float from one bridge to another about a three mile trip. It was a lot of fun, but sadly I am told by my mother that car tires are now tube less.  In fact, my only scar from childhood comes from an adventure when I was tubing and hit some rapids where lost my tube and I was also separated from my party.  I began to walk back alone on foot and had to cross a barbed wire fence in so doing I sliced open my calf. I eventually made it back to civilization after a couple of hours but I never did find my tube. I have a small scar on my calf to remind me of the day.

During our outing we discovered a bucking tiger that threw quite a few unsuspecting riders.

Zany gets bucked off.

McCoy enjoying a nice float when . . .

he is tossed overboard.

Archy grabs the tiger by the tail! Watch out for Zany!

Zany and Archy fight over the tiger.

Archy gets away with the tiger (it was his turn) making Zany's very upset.

Archy goes for a wee ride until

Zany gets the tiger back.

Eddy takes Zany on the water which she didn't like at all and who can blame her you saw what happens when a tiger bucks in the water just ask McCoy. . . 

or Ashlee.

Just missed the picture of her getting bucked off but she did and was drenched.

Quinton floated on this whale while Declan preferred freestylin' it without a float.

McCoy got really good at balancing on this plane and he would float down the river get out walk back to the start and do it again.

Zany prefered the plane on the ground

Declan and Quinton enjoyed a few sword fights

River baseball

Quinton pitches to McCoy

To get a home run in river baseball you have to hit it in the water which adds an element of fun as you have to retrieve the ball before it gets downstream. Declan and Archy chase after it.

Zany on plane

Say your really talented at everything you try and you are sitting on a bank of a river with time on your hands what do you do?  Well if you are Pa you cut a few river willows peel them find a good size rock and make a tomahawk with just your bare hands.

Nona & Pa with tomahawk.

But as Pa will tell you if you want to make a tomahawk you can only do it in the spring when willows are green. If you go to the river watch out for those bucking tigers!