BB walks through woods on a bright Spring day, listening to the twittering of birds and the buzzing of bees, and the soft sigh of the breeze in the trees overhead. He thinks how wonderful it is to finally be in a new season after a long, cold, winter. BB thinks back to all the adventures he’s had since the last time it was this warm – the time he went Trick-or-Treating dressed as a pumpkin, the Winter Solstice spent with his family in the snowy forest, and the Valentines Day card he gave to everyone in Bigfoot Country. Lost in thought, BB hears a *SPLOSH* as he steps right into the edge of a babbling creek. He looks down to see his furry foot is soaked!

BB decides he’ll cross the creek somewhere else, and starts to follow the bank downstream. He tramps happily as he sees the creek get bigger and louder, until it meets with a wide, shallow river, stretching out for miles in each direction. NOW how will he get across?

BB sees a big log bobbing at the edge of the riverbank and carefully steps out across the top of it, putting one big furry foot in front of the other. He looks down into the clear water and sees the glint of shiny scales, as little fish swim back and forth. BB thinks a roasted fish sounds perfect for lunch after a long morning hiking through the woods. As he lays flat on his fuzzy belly and reaches down to try and catch a fish, he feels the log shift, and it begins drifting out into the river! BB nearly jumps back onto his feet and skitters back to the other end of the log, but it’s too far from the shore to jump. He nearly steps off the log but stops short after he sees how deep the water is in the river below – BB doesn’t know how to swim!

As the bobbing log drifts further into the middle of the wide river, BB feels the log start to roll to one side. He clings tight as he and the log start to pick up speed. BB tries to stand back up, but the log rolls back the other way! His big furry feet go SMACK – SMACK – SMACK on the wet log as it rolls back and forth until finally  – SPLASH – BB falls headlong into the river! He feels himself tumbling over and over through the water until… BB feels someone grasp his fuzzy paw and lift him out of the water!

BB wipes the water out of his bright eyes and sees he’s sitting on top of a big plastic kayak, right in front of a human lady holding a big double-ended paddle. BB looks down to see his fur is absolutely soaked – he looks like a drenched otter with long arms! BB sees the kayak is in the middle of a group of boats – other kayaks, inner tubes, and one big pontoon boat – all slowly floating down the big river together.

“Lucky thing I saw you fall off of that slippery log!” says the lady in the kayak, “The currents in the Susquehanna River can be tricky at times. We’re heading downriver to the big party on Lake Augusta. You’re more than welcome to join us!” A party? BB nods his head excitedly.

The kayaker paddles over to the pontoon boat, and BB looks up to see a family of humans riding on it. A young boy reaches down and helps BB climb aboard. “Now you’re safe and sound,” he says. “That looked scary. Do you know how to swim?” BB hangs his head and shakes it slowly. The young boy thinks for a moment, then opens up a compartment in the boat and rummages around. “Here they are!” he exclaims. BB sees the boy pull out a pair of soft rubber arm bands. “These were mine when I was little and didn’t know how to swim – I think they’re just your size!”

BB claps his damp paws in excitement, sending a spray of water drops into the air. He watches as the boy blows into one of the bands and inflates it. BB takes the other and blows as hard as he can into the nozzle, until it puffs up like the other. He slips them over his furry arms – they ARE just the right size for a little Sasquatch! “All right,” says the boy, “now you’re all ready to go back in the water!” 

BB’s not so sure about that. The boy sees the expression on BB’s furry face and says, “Don’t worry, now that you’ve got those floaties on your arms, they’ll help you stay up in the water!”

BB watches as the young boy jumps off the edge of the pontoon boat and bobs in the water. “Come on in!” he calls out.

BB hesitates before taking a step back and then… he pushes off with his big feet and leaps in! He feels the water rush over his furry head before he bobs back to the surface. He’s floating! Now that he doesn’t have to worry about sinking, BB starts to kick with his big feet, zooming back and forth across the water. Maybe he was a natural swimmer all along!

BB and his new friends spend the rest of the float downriver jumping off the pontoon boat, splashing in big cannonball dives, and eventually tiring themselves out altogether. They climb back on board where BB towels off and dries his wet fur. Now he looks like a big puffball! The young boy hands BB a little floatation vest. “This was also mine when I was smaller, you can use it too!” BB buckles it on, just as the group of boats rounds a corner in the river to see it open into a wide lake. “This is where the two branches of the Susquehanna come together into one BIG river,” says the boy. “It’s the perfect spot for a boat!” Sure enough, BB can see boats of all kinds, speedboats, water scooters, and even more pontoon boats.

BB feels a rumble as the boat starts up its motor and the human at the wheel pilot it near a long grassy riverbank. BB can see a big stage on shore facing the river, and lots of boats anchored all around. The pontoon boat glides into an open space near the stage. “Anchor aweigh!” calls the pilot as he drops a big heavy anchor into the water. SPLASH! BB thinks that must have been what it sounded like when he fell in the water! 

As BB is taking in the scene, a voice from the stage calls out over the speakers:

“Welcome to the show! We are Top Shelf – thank you for coming out tonight!” BB looks up to see a band of musicians on the stage – they’re playing for the boats on the water! BB sits back and relaxes as the music continues into the evening. How proud will his Mama Willow and Papa Thorn be when they find out he can swim! All thanks to his newfound friends on his ride down the river.