Yesterday I rafted the Upper Pigeon River named for passenger pigeons who used the river as a migratory waterway. It was a beautiful sunny day with a warm breeze blowing upstream. My guide was Skinner from San Francisco, who proved the notion that California girls are the best. Now in her second season, she has several rescues under her belt and has a safety certification in swift water rescue or wilderness CPR. She has a warm, free spirited personality and she shared a window into her fun life as a river guide, filled with healthy adventure and festive hijinks. At one point in the trip she explained that she was happy about where life was taking her, and that she feels good about being a great raft guide, which she is. She got all of us to talk a little about our lives, but the best part was hearing about hers. I left the river a little different from when I entered it that day thanks to Skinner. I hope I will be lucky enough to run the river again someday with her.