floating the river

One of the favorite summertime activities for Boise-ites is floating down the Boise River. You park your car at a park on the outskirts of town and inflate your raft, inner tube, kayak, or whatever you can find that floats. Drag the makeshift craft down to the sandy launch ramp and you're off.
The water's cold but the sun is hot, the perfect combination. Dangle your feet over the edge as you go with the current. There are a few bumps on the way, just enough to keep the kids excited. We hit one just right today and Claire bounced three feet into the air. I was just getting ready to catch her when Janelle pulled her back down by the strap on Claire's life vest. You can always rely on Mom to have your back, or in this case, the strap on your life vest.
The whole experience is very relaxing. You don't have to paddle other than to keep away from the occasional low hanging branch. You just sit back and enjoy the river. Birds fly between the banks catching insects. An occasional fish splashes just out of the corner of your eye. We even saw two weasels, or minks, not sure which, today along the river's edge. The purpose is to relax, enjoy the sunshine, the water, and let the kids splash a bit without getting everyone too wet.