Dip in the Deerfield

I took it as a bad omen that our two hottest days this summer were falling on the first two days that I began lecturing for my summer course. But after the lectures went off without a hitch, and the threat of omen had cleared, Shan and I high-tailed it to Shelburne for a dip in the Deerfield River, both Monday and Tuesday. The little-known (save for the locals) Wilcox Hollow, right off the Mohawk Trail, proved to be our personal resort, complete with massaging torrents and mineral rich baths, and a natural backdrop to top any day-spa. The first picture (a grainy camera-phone pic) is of me enjoying one of the more forceful "jacuzzi jets" that poured between two boulders. There is a hydroelectric dam not far upstream which must have been at work because, by the time Shannon took this picture, the water had risen 6" and was beginning to test my strength! The second picture is of Shan perched atop a dark smooth sandstone boulder that she affectionately refers to as "the Hershey kiss." There are few rivers as clear and rocky as the Deerfield in Mass. The water was fast and cold, but not too cold, and there were ample flat-topped boulders along the shore that served the purpose of a beach in a place where beaches are lacking. This denser element helped us endure the scorching heat, and our tolerance has earned us this upcoming cool spell, which will end with a delightful high of 69 on Sunday - an apparent birthday present from the meteorologists. By then I may be hoping for more hot days so I can go back to the river for a swim.