Everyone knows Barb loved to travel and she went on a lot of trips with a lot of friends.  The best trip I shared with her was our week rafting down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon.  We needed to spend the night before the trip in Page, AZ and luckily, our hotel was near the local bar.  That night we learned the two-step from a couple of local cowboys and drank way too much, way too late, especially since we had to get up at 6 a.m. to meet the bus.  We made it just on time as we ran from the local store with our last-minute supplies…and, boy, did we suffer from the worst hangovers the whole way to the river. 

The trip was in the summer and it was so hot, we slept in sleeping bags without any tents for cover. The sound of the river rushing passed did help put us to sleep even though we feared unseen insects, snakes and river monsters!  Since we were the only ones with the foresight to bring a “stash” of alcohol carefully snuggled in our duffel bags

---  c’mon now, who of you can go an entire week without a drink???  ---

we, naturally, appointed ourselves the after-dinner hostesses at our nightly roundups.  We shared our meager refreshments with the others and everyone told jokes and stories through the night.

We didn’t have many pictures to show because at one of the stops Barb voluntarily jumped off the departing raft to pick up some trash somebody left behind…she didn’t realize that she took the trash but left the camera on a boulder.  Well, we always had our memories!   She also saved my life when we hit some really fierce rapids actually causing me to pop straight up in the air and right out of my sneakers.  She grabbed my shirt just in time to stop me from going overboard. 

When it came time to get in the helicopter and leave the Canyon, I’ll never forget Barb’s tearful sniffles.  She had totally bonded with the crew and passengers and just did not want to go. She hugged each and every person while the helicopter waited, blades spinning - and then she reluctantly came aboard. 

It was the best trip of my life and it wouldn’t have been if Barb didn’t go with me.  She was the only person I could share those memories with; but now, since I’ve told you all, you can help me remember.