One hot day on Lake Itaska, in Minnesota, I was tubing with my friends.

One of my friends accidentally pushed me over the rock barrier into the beginning of the Mississippi River. The water was cool and clear. The water was so calm that I could see rocks and pebbles beneath me. The river was very narrow and shallow.

The current was fast though! Every time I tried to get out of my tube the river swept me off my feet. So, I decided to stay in my inner tube and wait until the current got weaker. While I was floating I noticed all of the trees surrounding me and heard birds chirping. It was peaceful and beautiful.

As I floated down the river I noticed it was getting wider and deeper. I looked ahead and saw a house boat in my direct path. Once I reached the house boat I tried to get off of my tube to climb on. I slipped and fell back onto my tube with a splash! Then, I heard the scratching footsteps of an animal and ferocious barking. All of the sudden I saw a big skinny golden retriever. It's stomach was sunken in and I could see it's ribs. I wondered if the dog had been abandoned? The dog scared me so much that I pushed off from the house boat and continued down the river.

The sun was going down, it was very pretty. The sky became darker and new colors came into the sky. Colors like orange, purple, pink, and red. The sun was bright enough that I was able to see a deer getting a drink of water on the river bank. Then, I looked behind the deer and saw a black bear! I gasped as the bear crept forward to attack the deer! The bear's eyes looked directly at me and chose me as it's prey. The bear charged forward toward me, in the process injuring the deer. As it splashed into the water I started splashing around to try to scare it away. The bear lunged toward me but missed me and the tube. It's splash sent me forward further down the river.