I went tubing all day yesterday on the Salt River. It was awesome, even though today I'm paying for it with excruciating sun burns.

I had never been before, and so I was a little surprised at the concept. Its more uneventful than I had expected, since all we did was float ten miles downriver on tubes. Thats it. No motors, no ropes, and no cigarrettes since they got wet early on in the trip.

We parked the car and got our tubes, then rode a bus for ten minutes to the drop point. After making our way to the edge of the water, and settling ourselves as comfortably as possible onto our rubber contraptions, we began drifting slowly down the river.

At first the mass of humanity on the river with us was almost stifling, since it was labor day, and groups of families and college kids were having floating parties with their coolers, beer, and frisbees. These thinned out considerably as we left the drop point, though we were never truly alone throughout the trip. It was not unenjoyable to have others near, enjoying nature in their own way, however only at the pace that mother nature allowed.

It was this that fascinated me: being coerced into taking my time, and enjoying the breathtaking view and small bits of wildlife that we encountered. If I was on a jet ski, or even a canoe, I certainly would have ignored them, concentrating instead on how fast I could conquer it myself. Instead I was at the mercy of the river.

The current was not very fast (unless you tried to get out in the shallower parts and walk in it- then you realized its speed and power). At first I hoped it would begin to rush me down its panks perilously; before too long I was too busy gazing at the monstrous craigs and beautiful constructions that the river winds its way through, it, too, at the mercy of the landscape around it.

I am sure some of you are wondering why I am making my post so boring, with talk of rocks and water, and philosophical ramblings caused by floating around all day. But I was in awe! I can't help but try to express the beauty, and how nice it was for once to just. . .float, and observe something beautiful.

If you are a local reading this, you have to try this mini adventure sometime. Just let me give you some tips; Plenty of sunscreen, drink water, even though you'll feel fine (afterwards is when it hits you), and take a waterproof camera. I didn't bring my camera because it would have been ruined, but I was vey disappointed to miss the chances to capture some awesome views and unique animal moments on film.

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So after we left, we got some taco bell, and I went home, after smearing myself all over with aloe vera and neosporin (since I am apparently allergic to raw leather).

Jesse came over and we hung out for a while after she left her photo shoot. She had a rough day apparently. I was glad for the opportunity to make her feel better, and her company is always enjoyed.

We got to talking (it seems like it had been a while since we just sat and talked about nothing. Those are some of the best times. . . . my advice to anyone would be not to only hang out with friends if there's a reason to) about random stuff, and then about dreams... always a gripping subject with me, because of the vividness and ironic, fake reality that I find in my own. I have done a lot of reading on the subject, and it still eludes me, as it supposedly does the whole scientific world.

But those who know me (which seem to be few, really, but thats kind of beside the point) know that I only take science so seriously. Not to say I think they are necesarily wrong about some things.... but I believe that we don't do ourselves any favors by thinking too deeply into anything. Dreams are manifestations of whatever it is that sneaks around in the back of our minds while we are awake; fears, longings, secrets, they are all let lose while we dream. i think the reasons for this are simple: our brain tries to rememebr itself. It won't allow us to shove away those thngs we try to stifle, or to forget what we try to erase, and its always bringing up what it hopes we will someday grasp in our waking life (things that the soul, or whatever that part of us is, has figured out, and longs to manifest itself)... I am not making sense most likely. I just mean to say this: that dreams are who we are in the background, when we finally give our selves a rest from chasing our dreams and desires around all day.

With that unintentionally poured out, I will share with you that I have a blog floating around in cyber space that I used to put all my dreams in that I could rememebr. I am inspired now to find it and once again make a habit of recording them. Who knows what I might discover about myself?