How did you spend your New Year's Day? Napping away a hangover on the couch, pretending to watch football?

That kind of afternoon sounds foolish to the group of rafters who floated the Spokane River on Tuesday. The Northwest Whitewater Association celebrated the 20th Annual Only Fools Float the River on the First the only way they knew how – by eschewing a day at home and getting onto the water despite the air being only 22 degrees when they launched.

“If you're a boater, you take every chance to get on the water,” Bruce Bernhardt said.

More than 30 people attended the event with more than 20 boats on the water.

“This is more exciting” than watching football, said Pat Keegan before launching.

Washington Fish and Wildlife biologists and volunteers are putting leg bands on a thousand Canada geese to study population trends in Eastern Washington.

Waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore says they're trying to understand why nesting is declining in rural areas while complaints about urban geese have been rising.

The banding project began this week and continues through next Tuesday. Geese are currently easy to catch because they are molting and unable to fly.