Heading South

Dear Friends and Family,

Just a little entry as Geoff is going to expound about Saugatuck and Chicago. We just completed the Illinois River. I think back to my entry about New Jersey and what a working place it seemed compared to what we had previously been through.  Well, this part of the trip is amazing for the number of bridges, plants, granaries, tows and barges.  This is a brown, south-flowing WORKING river.  Still, there is something beautiful about it.  A different way of life.  Can you imagine growing up here?  You may spend your life as a kid growing up thinking, "I can't wait to drive a tow, push those huge barges, and OWN this river!"  We have also seen the most eagles ever except for Klamath Falls, Oregon. A tremendous number of egrets, herons and white pelicans. The pelicans are beautiful white with black wing edges and fly in amazing formations. Finally, some clear, warm weather too but nowhere to swim. We enter the MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI River tomorrow. I can see it from our anchorage right now and the boat is rocking from the combining currents of the Illinois and Mississippi. Some pictures to tell the story.....

YOU CAN NAME IT....BECKY ANN!

 

EAGLES

 Oh Yeah, and we are finally seeing some rolling hills after the flatlands. Leaves are only thinking about changing their color at this point.  Maybe in Tennessee?
I also forgot to mention Asian Carp!!! Look them up.  They look like they have been in a science experiment that didn't work out very well for them.  The state is trying to keep them out of Lake Michigan or they will destroy all the nutrients for native species.  They have also been known to jump so high they land in people's boats and can knock them unconscious!!!! We went through an electric fence of sorts that is attempting to keep them at bay.  We have seen them, they are good jumpers, but not nearly as big as we thought they would be.  Met a guy in Chicago that said he and his buddies have won the redneck fishing contest several years running.  They put a horse trough in their boat and caught 428 carp in two hours.  Just another way to try to control their numbers!!

THOUGHT WE MIGHT GET A GOOD BUZZ GOING....NOTHING HAPPENED!!!! Back to beer.