With temperatures reaching tantalizingly close to 30 C last week, finally bestowing us with some semblance of summer, I cannot help but feel beyond fortunate to live where we do.
Barely a five-minute walk from our home in Sundre’s northeast subdivision is the cool, clean water of the Red Deer River.
Although fairly frigid, the refreshing water nevertheless beckons me on such warm days. While submerging oneself in such chilly water takes a few seconds to get acclimatized to, when the weather is hot enough, I sometimes struggle to convince myself to get out of the river.
Seems I’m not the only one — just last week, as I was strolling back after a brief jaunt in the river, a couple of people waved hello as they floated peacefully along, gently carried downstream by the river’s flow.
Of course taking a dip in the river might not be for everyone — I have been known to receive a few eyebrows raised in surprise from people who seem to think I’m a little bit crazy for willingly wading into a river they basically deem freezing.
But if someone finds the Red Deer River too cold even on a searing day, there always remains the option of stopping by the Sundre Aquaplex for a pleasant excursion to the local pool.
Either way, we are extremely fortunate to have these options available to us.
Because meanwhile, many millions upon millions of people around the world, who frequently endure much hotter conditions than we do — those who are used to temperatures reaching 40 to 50 C must chuckle when someone bemoans 30 C “heat” — often only have what amount to rivers polluted by raw sewage and industrial waste to cool off in.
At best, they might have access to over-packed public fountains or facilities that struggle to accommodate the swarms of citizens desperately seeking a chance to escape the heat.
Yet I rarely ever stumble across more than a couple of people on my way to and from the river. Sometimes, I don’t even see another soul.
All I know is I can hardly fathom a better way to spend a hot summer afternoon, and look forward to heading back to the river whenever I need a refreshing break.
