Life’s richer after a break-even day on the rascally river

April Fools’ Day is approaching, so I believed I’d share a real tale about a simple joke performed on me, courtesy of the Delaware River.

The finest points in everyday living are absolutely free, and swimming in the river is on that checklist.

My brother and I frequently scuba dive in the river. No kidding! North of Trenton, the river’s very clear, rocky, shallow, and heat. Which is why you see so numerous internal tubers in the summertime. On this working day my brother preferred to steel detect around an old mill in Higher Bucks County. We experienced been there in advance of. He set on his scuba equipment and settled into the mill race.

I just experienced my snorkeling gear and was heading to spend my working day swimming in the Delaware. The drinking water was distinct and warm as I snorkeled away from our boat. I spotted a dollar monthly bill caught to a rock, pinned there by the recent. A handful of seconds later on I located a 20 the exact same way. Then yet another greenback. Then a further 20. I’d only been snorkeling a couple minutes, but I’d located $42. I was heading to discover each and every twenty stuck to rocks in the Delaware. I was swimming like a idiot, downstream, upstream, more than to Treasure Island (Not kidding, that is its identify.) But I did not find any extra twenties stuck to rocks.

I saw my brother unloading his equipment into the boat. I swam over and started out to brag. “Hey, what did you obtain? I located forty-two bucks.”

He explained, nonchalantly, “Didn’t you depart the household with forty-two bucks?”

That’s when I recognized why I hadn’t observed any additional cash. I experienced observed my very own dollars! Now, I could’ve been sad I was not $42 richer. But I was satisfied. I hadn’t dropped $42 both. Other than, I had invested a couple excellent hours swimming in the Delaware River, and it literally hadn’t cost me a dime.

We loaded up the boat and headed upstream. It’s a large amount less complicated in a boat with a motor (compared with swimming.) We entered the tranquil waters of Pigeon Pool. You won’t find it on a map, just like you will not find Karly’s Kut Via, or Hen Cutlet. These are our locations.

I stopped in Frenchtown for a bag of chips and a ginger ale. Swimming would make you hungry. I handed the cashier a soggy 20-dollar bill. She handled it like it was toxic and slipped it less than the till in which the larger sized expenses are kept.

Tale proceeds

Driving house I thought of a further cliché. Revenue talks. I guess it does, ‘cuz there’s this twenty I know, bragging to the fifties and hundreds that it is summer time and you can go swimming in the Delaware River for no cost. It doesn’t get considerably much better than that.

Carl Radich lives in Falls Township.

This post at first appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Visitor Viewpoint: Life’s richer soon after a break-even working day on the Delaware