Two Chickens

... Two Chickens means "Keep Your Mouth Closed."

A favorite pass time of Dad and the brothers-in-law is paddling. Ever since I was fully wimpified after getting stuck upside down without a paddle and unable to wet exit from Matt's kayak, I generally prefer to stay on dry land. It works out well since Mom feels the same way and we often end up spending the day together while the rest of the group spends the day in the rapids.

Last week, after a big dump of rainwater, one of the whitewater rivers within driving distance was at a good level for the boys (and Amy Beth) to paddle. (Monitoring river flow charts is a common activity in the Harnation household.)



Alabama Whitewater has a rating system for all of the rivers with water gauges. It rates each section of river from one to three chickens. (Three being the worst). The chicken rating tells you the level of runoff and pollution - possibly from chicken houses and cow pastures. (Mmmm, yum!)

Now that a couple members of the group have gotten sick after running the Locust Fork, we think that the chicken rating should be a stern warning. I know I try to never swallow any of the water, but when you get flipped or splashed, it's pretty hard to stay completely chicken-water-free.

Like when in Mexico, if you paddle here, DON'T DRINK THE WATER!