WE WERE A REGULAR LEWIS & CLARK/ ALMOST DROWNED!

written originally April 2010

       It was the Spring of 1977 and I had just built and purchased a home at 1806 Rio Valley Drive, Clive, Iowa with a close friend, Bob Merritt. The home backed up to Walnut Creek with all its natural treed refuge. It was so nice to have all this privacy backing up to our home. 

      Somewhere along the way it sounded like a good idea to go canoeing on this mighty "Creek!" And, it was Spring, the water was high and moving rapidly. This would be exciting. We rented a canoe and started our journey out near Waukee off highway #6 and would end it back at our home.

      Again, a little miscalculation. The turns on this monster Creek were fast, sharp, and often. We had trouble keeping the canoe down the middle. There wasn't much middle! The obvious happened and with a quick surprise. The fast current caught us at a turn and before we knew it we were in the water and under the canoe!

      To our amazement, after turning the canoe over, our beer cooler was still in the canoe as was the key's to Bob's vehicle. It was a miracle! We looked like drowned rats, but, somehow we made it to our destination-home!