Note: There was a statement in yesterday’s post that was insensitive; this occurred 11 years ago, well before a more recent event that made this statement very offensive. I didn’t make the connection but should have; I’ve edited yesterday’s post and I’m sorry if anyone was upset with my oversight. Thanks.

Word for today: PARADOXICAL. Sort of like Lecy’s 2nd day (best of times, blurst of times), today was a roller coaster of emotions with Mudd. Peaceful start, brutal afternoon, little slice of heaven for the early evening.

We expected some south winds today, and they started early. Though we were able to shelter from the wind fairly well for the first 3 miles or so to Louisiana, Missouri. It seemed funny entering Louisiana, which I hadn’t expected to see for another 700-800 miles. But, we had to make a stop since Angry Beaver Island was too small to be regular guys. We went ashore and found porcelain at the riverfront park, and I walked into town for two more coffees from Gambino’s restaurant. There was a closed cafe next door and a closed bakery next to that; it seemed Gambino’s was the one place that survived the pandemic.

Leaving Louisiana, we came upon a small menagerie of river industry. There were grain barges waiting to be loaded, sand being unloaded to a small concrete plant, dredging in progress, and a crane loading some scrap metal onto a barge. It was like watching an ant farm: you can kind of understand what’s happening, but you know you can’t fully appreciate it, and maybe that makes it more fascinating.

We entered lock #24 in the afternoon. The locks always provide a welcome 20-30 minute break, especially after battling a mild wind for a few hours. Mudd was feeling the effects of 23 miles yesterday and resistance from the wind today. After the lock the wind picked up speed; it was now blowing a steady 10-15 mph which caused more waves. After an hour or so of fighting the conditions, we settled on an early finish around 4pm and we pulled into a little island cove by an elevated beach. We had only made about 17 miles today, but we weren’t going to do much more in the hour or two we had left before risking darkness.

The camping spot was fabulous. In two days Mudd now got to experience likely the worst and the best of “stealth camping”. Mudd commented that some people would pay $1,000 for this opportunity, and we were just claiming it for free; it made me appreciate the whole experience a little more. We had freeze dried spaghetti dinner and sat on the beach watching another gorgeous sunset. Somewhat unfortunately the wind abated which enabled mosquitos to fly freely, so we retreated to our tents shortly after sundown.

When Mudd retired after working for the federal bank where he was clean cut and shaven for 100 years, he let his hair grow long and went unshaven. One night after seeing a Bob Seger cover band, we joked that Mudd had a striking resemblance to Bob. So for today’s playlist addition: Bob Seger Against the Wind