Poste from the River Rose Inn a Great spot

Day 14
Position
N38.30090
W7.91659

It always feels good to finish up the last chores of a day and today it feels even better as the paddling was hard as we were going into a strong headwind most of the day. So as we have covered more than 20 miles it felt good to stop even if it is on a sandbar. I hate sand as it gets into everything and sticks everything. Well I should start at the start of the day and run you though it as it happened.

Dinner last night was at the Nostalgia Tavern and it was great. So anyone passing though the Mt Carmel area should stop in and say hi. They also have some really cool stuff to see like motorcycles and sign athletic stuff. Like from Bobby Ore an hockey stick and a jersey.

Back at the hotel Dianne and I fell asleep fast and I slept well getting up once to take some Tylenol as legs were bothering me a bit. This morning slept in to the old hour of 7:00 AM Eastern time although it was 6 local. The inn keeper at the Economy Lodge was also the taxi drive in town and he gave us a lift back to the canoe. That place is nothing fancy but filled the filled the bill for us and the owners are really trying hard and are good people.

At the boat ramp in Mt Carmel is the Twin River Restaurant and that is where we ate. They did a good job and the meal was great. So overall Mt. Carmel was a fun little town with lot of Victorian homes, a good local museum and lots of friendly people.

Then we started to move the canoe down to the rive and guy on a golf cart stopped and asked if we would like him to use his cart to take the packs for us. Of course we said yea sure! Boy that town is full of really nice people.

The river was pretty empty today only saw one moving john boat and that was at the boat launch. Lots of trees down and you can really see where the flood reshaped the river this year.

We stopped for lunch and realized that the river would take a bend next and put the wind to our backs for while and so off we went planning to do another 4 miles. However it was one mile too many as it started to storm just as we were pitching the tent so the inside got wet during the erection process. This required Dianne to bail out the inside of the tent to keep the sleeping stuff dry. I just hate pitching or taking down in the rain. Dinner went well and the fire was not too hard to start. So now it is just 6:30 and I am finishing up the last chore the Blog.

Count
1 croquette ball
6 earth moving machines
1 old combine
21 blue herrons
2 working barges
2 railroad bridges
1 main hiway bridge
23 fishing net buoys
4 fishingmen
1 Huge thuderstorm
5 buoys hanging in trees
1 tire swing
1 rope swing over the river
1 front door
12 refrigerators
1 moving john boat
5 tied up john boats

Love to all and to all a good night.
Allan

Day 15

New Harmony State Park

Woke to storms all though the night one gust took the peg out of the front of the gound and had to be fixed. While putting the stakes back into the ground the wind blow the tent bag away. We were lucky to find it this morning way back in the trees. The storms lasted all night and into the morning. As packing the rain is no fun we slept in till it stopped and packed up and had a breakfast. Finishing the coffee just in time for more rain and wind. It was so windy that we could not leave for another hour. When we finially get started the rain drizzled on us for another couple of hours. Some of the lighting and thunder were really impressive. Unfortunately the wind was in our face most of the way to New Harmony and it took longer than hoped for to reach there.

Getting into New Harmony around 4 we watched a movie about the history of the town. How Robb founded it in 1845 on 20,000 acres of land and started a religious community to await for the end days. Then he moved back east for business resons and a Owens moved in trying to create a utopia for people to live based on knowledge and educations. Today it is quaint place in history. We had a good dinner in town and moved out around 6 hoping to find a campsite.

When we reached the state park a group of people on sunset walk were at the boat ramp with a DNR rep. So I asked if would be OK if we camped right there and she was nice enough to say sure. Given the alternative of sending us off down the river to in a sunset I think that was really kind of them.

Counts
7 oil wells
1 blue heron
5 john boats
1 pontoon boat
4.5 bridges one was not all there
7 fishermen in boats
6 fishermen on shore

good night it has been a very long day
Allan

June 19
Position
N37.89065
W88.01566

You would think god would get tired of raining on us during the early morning hours and leave us alone but he did it again this morning and it was another big thunderstorm again. It all started at about 3 am and kept it up till 7 this morning. Enough water fell to raise the level in the river about 1.5 ft. This will make finding campsites difficult.

We decided as it was father's day and Sunday and we needed to figure a quick breakfast to have a cake. So we made it like a coffee cake and tea. It was good and simple to do. We were off to a late start but still got out before 10. The weather forecast sucked saying rain and wind. The canoe was rigged for rain and it did not happen. Not a lot of activity on the river this morning only saw 1 boat moving after we left New Harmony State Park. Stopped for a quick lunch at a ramp that was more mud than ramp. This was a good choice as it had lots of grass to set up.

I used the Parks water to clean the filter and does it run fast now. I hope it still is working at removing what it is suppose to. During lunch two cars came by to look at the river. One guy stopped and asked what we were doing when I told him he and his kids said “Awesome”. Last night at the park when I spoke to some couples out for the sunset on the Wabash walk with the park ranger they said, “We almost envy you doing this trip”. It for sure is not for everyone.

After lunch we stopped the first thing that resembled a campsite. Now it is a campsite and we working on the journals before dinner because we can and it shady now. The gods did try to get us wet one more time while pitching the tents but it was a half hearted try. Though I still hear some distance thunder.

Counts
2 deer (One I forgot to count yesterday
4 bald eagles
7 herons
6 net markers
1 school bus on it side in the river
7 full trees floating down the river
4 john boats (all day only one while paddling)
1 cooler stuck way up high in a tree
2 refrigerators
3 bridges

Love to all and to all a good night. (kisses to the ladies)
Allan

Day 17
Mouth of the Wabash and Ohio
N37.79909
W88.03217
Short paddling time today finishing 20 river mile and 16 total work mile before lunch. The reason for this is the river created a new cut across some land in 2008 and shortened our paddle. The river is so high that the cut had lots of water for our canoe so we took it. Found sandbar with trees backing it so called it a day. Will get a good start on the Ohio tomorrows.

I am beginning to think that the equipment on this trip is cursed. First the filter stopped working then the tent was soaked thought, the waterrroof bags for eletronics and my contacts and now the stupid camp stove I have has slowed way down and appears to have a plugged fuel line. I have tried cleaning the nozzle and many other tricks but it just won't go as normal. I finally decided to try and burn the plug out and that is what I am trying now. 1 am now tring to burn the line clean but no joy yet been working on the damn thing for more than 2 hours. Getting tried of fixing stuff.

Today not much on the Wabash but it was nice of the river god to send us off with an beatuful morning no rain or thunderstorm. Only problem is some contrary winds that we coped with not too badly. I also put in contacts this morning and have not had any problems with them today so that is good news. If only the damn stove would work.

Di has tried fishing with limited luck some bites but no landings.

A bunch of barges have gone by 2 going upstream one grain (looked empty) the other coal which was full and two going down one grain and one petro of some sort.

Aside from that it hot one today over 88F and sunny but the breeze is keeping us cool.

Count
1 run away buoy
4 barges
1 john boat
7 herrons
1 all steel cabin
2 working
1 non working camp stove

Good afternoon to everyone
Allan

Tuesday June 21
Day 18
Position
N 37.69809
W 88.13716

Short paddling time but with the wind in our face all morning decided to call it early at Old Shawnee Town IL. The forecast was even worse thunderstorms and high wind for this afternoon and evening. I do not understand how the weather changed from yesterday morning where rain was only a 20% probability to almost 100% today. We must be sitting on the edge of the of a two fronts that are fighting it out.

Dianne said she was tried of the wind in our face all morning making no speed at all just creeping along slowly. So we decided to call it at Old Shawnee town. The local motel closed a week ago though so they would not let out any rooms. So we walked over to the local restaurant and they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Next came a Biker Bar and they had closed for the winter on Oct 31 and still had not opened back up. So we walked to the package store/bar/bait shop and asked about accommodations and the keep said the same thing try the Chief Motel. I said we did and it was closed and he said OH I did not know that! So we had a cold drink and discussed camping in the park across the street he said no one would care so that where we are. I have gone back there to call the local law enforcement (and have a good beer) and they are not answering but the keeper said do not worry he would tell them not to bother us. The guy just sitting at the bar sipping his beer said the same thing. So here we are sitting in a picnic shelter charging stuff with thunderstorms overhead.

The customer at the package store was a red neck in the classic style. While there he told 3 off colored jokes about race and one crude joke about women. Then a young kid came in with a fresh cast on his right knuckles and when asked about he said fighting and knocked the other guy out with the punch. The red neck then showed off his broken and bend knuckles and seem proud of them. I thought this is good time to leave I do not need to find out how they fight. Clearly not the classic martial artist though who would come straight in and not break anything while knocking you out.

Old Shawnee town is small now and not lot left in it. There is an old bank building that is very impressive and some historic signs and poster but aside from those there is nothing. Apparently it was the first large town in Illinois and one of the biggest too. The Lewis and Clark stopped here on their west to buy salt. Lafayette stopped here in 1825 while doing a major tour of the US. The sign claims thousands greeted him at the dock and walked with him to local hotel still there. (Not working though.)

Sure is nice sitting at a picnic table when it thundering and raining out.

I have not discussed the Teals we have seen lately. The have little babies and as soon as they see us the mother moves the babies over to the shore and then run decoy down the river play hurt bird some times for half a mile. The other thing that is really weird is the Asian Carp that jump when we get close to them some of them are big enough to startle you good and make you jump quite a good distance! Dianne always screams when she has it happens next to her. We have seen some really big fish close to surface too.

While this shelter leaks a little so I am going to sign off before some water gets into the net book.
Count
Remember it is only a half day.
5 barges at one time (nothing all day then boom 3 going up and 2 going down)
2 eagles
2 seaguls
1 cooler
1 kids life jacket (no kid attached)
1 ball
2 five gallon pails
2 big fish
1 jumping carp

Love to all stay dry and happy.
Allan

Day 19
Position
N37.47375
W88.09926

Well the journey continues.
Yesterday I wanted to see a fire truck in town so I walked over during a let up in the storm. Once there it worth while to see it. It was cool the last stamp on it said 59 so I assume that was the year. I would not believe how few controls it had in it not a lot of stuff for the guy too work with. However when it was time to start back it started to pour down and strong winds. So we rested there at the truck. However back at the picnic shelter the rain and wind move our stuff around and got a lot of the electronics wet (really damp). So we spent the rest of the afternoon drying stuff. Most of all the stuff seems to work except for the touch pad on this net book so I am working with command keys and it is a little fustrating as it takes longer to get the simple stuff down. But I am coping. The good news is the last thing I did with small cook stove was put in the fire to try and burn out the plug and it works again. Just the normal problems of plugging the nozzle every so often and that will get better I hope.

Ok on to today adventures. This morning the clouds looked a little iffy so rigged for rain that never happened. The wind was in our faces at the start and we had to work our way thought the Old Shawnee Port. Even talked talked to a few of the working tows to tell them where we were. One guy said, “where are you? OH I see you now OK go on past your are out of my way.” The wind then calmed down and we made pretty good time covering about 21 miles. This should allow us to reach a hotel tomorrow we hope.

On weird stuff today the Asian carp are out after us. During one jumping display one hit me on the head and another on the arm. During another display on skipped over Di lap. To her credit she did not freak and turn the canoe over. I do not think she thought it was funny when it hit her, though she thought it humorous when it hit me. I still think they have a contract out for me, maybe that is why we say so many buzzards today.

Lentils for dinner we see how they turn out this time last time they were not so good so I am cooking them a lot more this time.

Count
14 buzzards
13 jumping fish 3 that hit one of us
4 turtles
4 bald eagles
5 barges (3 going down 2 going up)
1 trailer camp park
1 working boat for the survey or something
1 jet ski (really a count from yesterday)

Good night to all and all love and kisses
Allan

Day 20
Position
Right now Damn if I know as I am in Tavern having a beer waiting for laundry.
Rose Inn Bed and Breakfast for the night.

First the net book works much better when it dry and not being blown all over the place with sand and grit. So right now I guess all my equipment is working about as well as can be expected I only hope it stays that way. I also hope my muscles keep working well as I am using my oar about full time now so I must be doing better and getting stronger. The rain held off last night and the wind stopped blowing enough to make us comfortable for a good night sleep however the wind did not stay down this morning. When we started it was just a light breeze changing into a gusting blow later in the morning directly into our face. It slowed us down a bunch making for a tough paddle. When Di checked the GPS she said it said it would read 2 miles per hour for my stroke than slow to 1 mile per hour while I was reaching for the next stroke. Any ways when we finally reached Elizabethtown we were tried. The GPS said nothing here the sign at the marine suggested Rose Bed and Breakfast. So we checked out the The River Rose Bed and the Breakfast (A great place to stay) and they had a room and here we stay. When I went out to do laundry Dianne was singing in the shower saying how great the place was. Just for the record a lot of sand was left in the shower when I finished up cleaning off in it. Do not know where that sand came from on me but I must surely track a lot of it with me somewhere! I consider it proof that the sand gets into everything.

The bar is interesting as all the men are a little older with big belly and watch old television shows. About 6 now as the price of beer is only one dollar it is a cheap place to past an afternoon. The all complain about their wife's and tell lies about the catfish that got away.

The river was a little busy as we past one gravel pit today and the working tow beeped at us. I do not know what he expected us to do. We moving about as fast as possible and we did try to hail him on the radio but he did not answer. I just think he was pissed off because we held him about 5 minutes trying to move out his way. The ferry was much friendlier as when hailed him he answered and said he saw us
would watch out for us. Then they asked where we were headed and I am not sure he believed us. As he then asked if we intended to go the distance in that canoe. We said yes and that he said, “good luck have a good trip”.

This stretch of the Ohio River is really pretty with lime stone bluffs and lots of pretty views on both sides. Kind of surprising not to see more development along the river for recreation as it really is a nice river here. I guess it kind of seasonal thing and with all the flooding people are worried about coming down.

The buzzards are still with us and I think they are the ones paying the carp to try and kill us.

On funny note I told Dianne last night to be sure to check the bank before stepping down as if it falls in you fall in too. Well when we were washing up guess who stepped on the edge of the foot bank and fell down? ME, pretty silly, so I told her I was showing her how it happens.

Counts
8 buzzards
7 jumping carp (no hits today)
9 herons
1 eagle
3 coolers
1 thermos
2 dollar beers
1 Great bed and Breakfast (Rose INN)
1 run away red bouys

Love and Kissed to all
Allan