Here in Grafton, IL the sky is a beautiful blue on this peaceful Sunday morning, and the sun seems to promise a lovely day. Yet we look out our stern directly to see that the muddy, debris filled, fast moving river water is still having it's way with us. We wait patiently on mother nature to recede her flood waters enough for safe cruising. (Both the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers here are closed 100 miles north of here and 200 miles south of here!) We also wait for the many agencies such as the Coast Guard and the Corp. of Engineers to advise us! Charlie studies several river and weather web sites many times daily to keep us updated and for that I am gratefull. When one is informed one can cope better!
The river crested here Wednesday from 15 ft. to 25.5Ft-(major flood stage here is 26.5) ,three days after Ike's winds and rains hit here a week ago today. The extra water created extra power and thus extra current (up to 5-6 knots here). This condition creates havoc in handling one's boat properly. Add that to no buoy markers to stay within your boundaries, continuous trees and who knows what else floating by on top let alone the unseen mysteries moving below! We are doing OK but are anxiously waiting to leave after nine days plus.
Added to this picture are the 40+ looper boats like us stuck at different places in this expansive area of closed rivers. We are waiting to move not only from marinas but some are tied up to barges and lock walls! This situation has created a need for some sort of master exit plan. One of the more experienced looper boats has now set up a plan with the executive directors of our cruising association to create excel spreadsheets keeping track of the river information and the locations of all of us. These sheets will somehow coordinate a strategic plan for getting us all down river. We now read our specially created emails from the directors and are all known as the "river rats." The problem is compounded by the fact that their are very few marinas for the next two hundred miles of here and we cannot all go down river at once!
We guess this is a part of the adventure we all signed up for!
Charlie and I have been forced to slow down and enjoy the moment now more than ever! We have found new pleasure in catching up with chores (or we convince ourselves we have) and we have had the opportunity to get to know Grafton's quaintness such as buying produce and pies from Uncle Andy's Produce, buying things both necessary and interesting from Jimbo's Food and General store, eating great food (the Mississippi Half Step Restaurant) and meeting wonderful people such as Jan and Joe, our harbormasters here at Grafton Marina. We have been here long enough to enjoy an art show, (!) go through two blackberry pies from the pie lady (Uncle Andy's wife), attend the Grafton Methodist church, and the opportunities to watch two victorious MSU football games on back to back weekends in our marina's bar (the bar's cook let us taste test their delicious chicken strips recipes).
Well, we know this is a part of the adventure we signed up for.
This past Wednesday we decided to attempt to rent a car and go to St Louis, MO about 35 miles from here. Some of the roads were closed but we found our way and we thoroughly enjoyed going to the famous Gateway Arch! We rode to the top in a tram car on the inside of the arch where you can look out. This arch was designed by Architect Eero Saarinen and built from 1963-65. The arch is a structure known as a catenary curve; the shape of a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends and considered the most structurally sound shape. The span at the ground level equals the height of 630 feet and is the tallest national monument in the U.S.
(This information was obtained by the city's tourist pamphlet and the Internet). The main building material on the exterior of the arch is stainless steel. Charlie and I could actually feel the heat from the sun coming off of the walls as walked by it.
On this day, we also went to the official Lewis and Clark museum near here in Hartford, Illinois. Although we have always been fascinated by this historical boat journey and expedition, it really hit home for us this time. The first site of their expedition is just a short distance from here in Wood River, Illinois. The boat they used was a barge type of boat, 55 feet long, weighed 10 tons unloaded and 20 tons loaded. The museum has a full size replica of their boat cut right down the middle. Lewis and Clark had 26 crew including themselves plus another 20 some boatmen to paddle the big oars. The trip took two years and four months to the Pacific Northwest, beginning in May of 1804. Their successful mission included: making maps, establishing peaceful relations with the Native American Indians, studying plants and animals and bringing specimens back to Congress and President Jefferson. It took them five months to stock the boat with some of the following items: 3,700 lbs. of flour, 3,000 lbs. of pork, and 1,000 lbs. of corn. What was truly amazing to us is the fact that with the exception of Meriweather Lewis and William Clark, all the others had to get off the boat to sleep in tents on the shore! And there were several times when the men had to portage (to carry the boat on land) when the waters were too small (this also took on a whole new meaning for us!). Can you imagine not being able to sleep in your own boat after working on it all day and before going to bed you had to lift it somewhere?
By late afternoon we headed back to our boat, but first a stop in Alton, to visit looper friends of ours at the Alton Marina and last, to the famous Fast Eddies Diner in downtown Alton. The hamburgers and fries were cheap and good and the music was loud and entertaining! By early evening, (yes there is still more) we returned to our marina to find out the river had risen more and our marina was now an island! We had to park our rental car a block away and had to carry our Walmart purchases, shoes etc., in ankle deep river water to our marina!
Charlie and I have been forced to slow down and enjoy the moment now more than ever! We have found new pleasure in catching up with chores (or we convince ourselves we have) and we have had the opportunity to get to know Grafton's quaintness such as buying produce and pies from Uncle Andy's Produce, buying things both necessary and interesting from Jimbo's Food and General store, eating great food (the Mississippi Half Step Restaurant) and meeting wonderful people such as Jan and Joe, our harbormasters here at Grafton Marina. We have been here long enough to enjoy an art show, (!) go through two blackberry pies from the pie lady (Uncle Andy's wife), attend the Grafton Methodist church, and the opportunities to watch two victorious MSU football games on back to back weekends in our marina's bar (the bar's cook let us taste test their delicious chicken strips recipes).
Well, we know this is a part of the adventure we signed up for.
This past Wednesday we decided to attempt to rent a car and go to St Louis, MO about 35 miles from here. Some of the roads were closed but we found our way and we thoroughly enjoyed going to the famous Gateway Arch! We rode to the top in a tram car on the inside of the arch where you can look out. This arch was designed by Architect Eero Saarinen and built from 1963-65. The arch is a structure known as a catenary curve; the shape of a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends and considered the most structurally sound shape. The span at the ground level equals the height of 630 feet and is the tallest national monument in the U.S.
(This information was obtained by the city's tourist pamphlet and the Internet). The main building material on the exterior of the arch is stainless steel. Charlie and I could actually feel the heat from the sun coming off of the walls as walked by it.
On this day, we also went to the official Lewis and Clark museum near here in Hartford, Illinois. Although we have always been fascinated by this historical boat journey and expedition, it really hit home for us this time. The first site of their expedition is just a short distance from here in Wood River, Illinois. The boat they used was a barge type of boat, 55 feet long, weighed 10 tons unloaded and 20 tons loaded. The museum has a full size replica of their boat cut right down the middle. Lewis and Clark had 26 crew including themselves plus another 20 some boatmen to paddle the big oars. The trip took two years and four months to the Pacific Northwest, beginning in May of 1804. Their successful mission included: making maps, establishing peaceful relations with the Native American Indians, studying plants and animals and bringing specimens back to Congress and President Jefferson. It took them five months to stock the boat with some of the following items: 3,700 lbs. of flour, 3,000 lbs. of pork, and 1,000 lbs. of corn. What was truly amazing to us is the fact that with the exception of Meriweather Lewis and William Clark, all the others had to get off the boat to sleep in tents on the shore! And there were several times when the men had to portage (to carry the boat on land) when the waters were too small (this also took on a whole new meaning for us!). Can you imagine not being able to sleep in your own boat after working on it all day and before going to bed you had to lift it somewhere?
By late afternoon we headed back to our boat, but first a stop in Alton, to visit looper friends of ours at the Alton Marina and last, to the famous Fast Eddies Diner in downtown Alton. The hamburgers and fries were cheap and good and the music was loud and entertaining! By early evening, (yes there is still more) we returned to our marina to find out the river had risen more and our marina was now an island! We had to park our rental car a block away and had to carry our Walmart purchases, shoes etc., in ankle deep river water to our marina!
Every day is truly a different adventure.
It is time to sign off but first we want to talk about three things Charlie and I appreciate. One is our house sitter, Christa, (not our daughter- another Christa) who is looking after our home and property and who is kindly sending us our mail. Two is our great tailgating friends back home who actually call us during their MSU football tailgates to make us feel good, And three to our wonderful new computer and air card from Verizon that we can hook up easily to stay in touch with everyone!
Finally, I'd like to note that it is enjoyable for me to include quotes in this blog from Henry David Thoreau because this trip for us is a lot like what Thoreau felt and what he wrote as he lived "deliberately" in the wilderness. He left many things in his life to go away and take a deeper look at nature. To him, all of nature represented a " spiritual cycle of life" and a miracle; "bigger than all of human nature". We agree with him on that.
Bye Bye,
Linda and Charlie
Finally, I'd like to note that it is enjoyable for me to include quotes in this blog from Henry David Thoreau because this trip for us is a lot like what Thoreau felt and what he wrote as he lived "deliberately" in the wilderness. He left many things in his life to go away and take a deeper look at nature. To him, all of nature represented a " spiritual cycle of life" and a miracle; "bigger than all of human nature". We agree with him on that.
Bye Bye,
Linda and Charlie
