A lazy summer afternoon

A lazy summer afternoon

 by Reed Johnson, Williamsburg, VA “You first” A lazy summer afternoon somewhere in the late 1970s. We had finished milking cows. Ralph Lee Harris (RL) and I had ten dollars between us, and as was the ordinary afternoon growing up in Appomattox, VA, near the James...
A lazy summer afternoon

40 Year Laugh

 by Heidi Thacker, Henrico, VA One of the funniest memories I have of the James River happened many years ago. My husband and some friends were walking across the river using rocks and logs. I have NO balance and my knees do not bend when I am nervous. I fell off the...
Immersing Ourselves in Nature

Immersing Ourselves in Nature

 by Natalie Farmer, Richmond, VA Immersing ourselves in nature allows us to disengage from the constant distractions of society. On the river, we’re able to truly enjoy the serenity of the beautiful outdoors and be totally present in the moment. photo by...
Soothing Effect

Soothing Effect

 by Lindsey Melvin, Henrico, VA Growing up in rural Goochland County, I was soothed by the sounds of nature although I was unaware of this soothing effect in the same way that you are unaware of the air you breathe – it just happens. A chorus of cicadas in the summer...
No Experts

No Experts

 by Jim McCullough, Midlothian, VA Story prompt: Write your own river story… See the casual grace. The nonchalance. The unmitigated power. Yeah, we’re talking water. And we played in it a lot this week. Then something happened. It got hot. We got tired. We slowed...
47 Years of Whitewater Paddling on the James

47 Years of Whitewater Paddling on the James

 by Charles Ware, Richmond, VA Story prompt: The river is important to me because… In August 1969, Hurricane Camille tracked into Virginia, dumping perhaps five feet of rain on Nelson County within a 24-hour period. Approximately 160 people died as the result...