Loose on the Neuse

Well that is exactly what is was, LOOSE ON THE NEUSE!  And boy did everyone cut loose.  Let me give a little background here.  I have some peeps that started the "Float", what you do is get a bunch of rafts and float down the NASTY neuse as we Smithfield people call it, but I guess a little further upstream, water is water and you just have fun in it.  Although the water up there seems a little different than the chocolate milk that floats by the Little Brown Jug and Neuse Little Theater, just saying.  So anyway, now thanks to FB, you just make a little invite on there and send to everyone you know to bring your float and your beer and just hang out and float down the river on the 3rd Saturday in July (if you are interested for next year).  So we gather bright and early, around 7:30am at the finishing point.  Please make sure to bring only what you need, do not blow up your float prior to arrival, sunscreen, snacks, no towels (no room) and don't forget the extra float for your COOLER!!  So we get shuttled down to the drop off/put in point...because it's really smart to have your cars so accessible when drunkenly getting out of the chocolate milk :)  But I guess it is the best plan because no one else wants to be responsible for your drunk ass once you are off the river.... even if you knee is gushing blood and you just can't seem to get your feet on those rocks and make it out of the river and you sure as heck can't find your flip flops, your cooler or your float.  Oh well, I used my Koozie as a band aid, flip flops were old navy $5 because somehow I knew that would happen, my beer was in Stuart's cooler (you're welcome, although I prob drank most of them since you were drinking water down the last stretch) and yeah well my float did make it into my car but our other two passengers abandoned ship!
So there is also an award for who has the best float and this year it went to a group of guys who built a tiki bar/well thing that housed a KEG... yep that's right folks, we in the country can figure out how to build a float that can float a KEG of beer down the river!  Awesome they deserved the win!  Although there were some other really awesome floats and could compare some Masonboro masterpieces!  There was a 9 seater float, with a tailgate tent on top, several 6 seaters and one seadoo float that looked like a giant hot tub and played music! 
So you blow up your floats, get down in the chocolate milk, tie up with your besties, or people you can stand to be beside, get peed on by, dunked in chocolate milk, and possibly puked on because you are stuck with those people for like 5-6 hours... .yes that is how long it takes.  Although there are stops along the way, there is a rope swing, where guys like to show their manhood and climb up so very high and do flips and shit and act like they are not hurt when they smack face first into the water.  There is also a little bank where the awesome JOSH paddles ahead and cooks HOT DOGS... and should you ask, but yes they are RED!  Then there is alittle rapids, tiny little spot to go through, so when you have 10 floats tied together, IT'S AWESOME, so hold onto your beer.
And it would not be a trip to C-TOWN or a day without CLAYTON peeps with out a good FIGHT!   That's right folks, fist were flying, chocolate milk a splashing and good ole KING OF MOUNTAIN ensued...too bad I was a little to far ahead to this see.  Don't worry it almost started up again at the departure point.  I'm just convinced the equation of CLAYTON BOYS + BEER= FIGHTING!  It's just a proven fact, just everyone think about any spring break in history...oh yes the Clayton peeps over in "The Beverly" hotel would always wanna meet Smithfield peeps on the beach and whoop ass.  But that is so long ago, but glad to see the tradition continues!

So happy floating ya'll, get your floats, your beers, your peers, your brass knuckles (kidding, really kidding) and just enjoy some good old fun and conversation without Blackberry's, i-pods, laptops etc.... Sometimes it's fun to turn that shit off and ENJOY LIFE and NATURE!!!

There's the keg in the well looking thing

another photo of keg

Empty KEG

Little Rapids, boys watching us get tossed around

Group blowing up floats for departure

Rope Swing!!

A little Shotgun and Beach Ball on the river