What’s new with me & my own

 Written by MacDaniel Reynolds

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’ve had several pretty hot weather stretches this summer in Portland! Hot enough to drive people indoors towards air conditioning if they can find it. And that’s the rub – I don’t want to be inside, I want to enjoy the outdoors, and how do you cool down outside in the summer? You go swimming! But where can you go for a quick dip after work?

According to the thousands of people that turned out for the Big Float in July, our part of the Willamette River is a great and safe place to go for a summer swim! What is the Big Float, you may ask? According to www.thebigfloat.com, “it is a celebration of our river – including the recreation that it offers as well as the restoration it has undergone in recent years. The idea is to enjoy the river and also inspire positive aspirations for the river’s healthy development (beaches and access), protection and improvement.”

While it is true that the Willamette has a stigma, perhaps it is time to use some independent thought, rather than just blindly doing what we’ve always done. I do know that a quick dip in the river feels so much better than listening to folks complain about the heat!