Wasington City IN

Day 6 & 7

Did not have time yesterday (really energy) write the journal just to sick. Maybe it was the Pizza or maybe it was bad water, whatever it was we sick as dogs. We covered 12 mile to a sandbar just past Freedom IN. at noon and called it a day. Pent the rest of the day trying to stay cool. We seen not to bhaving very good luck I know I am very dehydrated but can only drink a little at a time so not to throw it back up later.

The morning of the 6th we had breakfast in Chamber's Smorgasbord but neather Di or I felt well enough to rally enjoy it. In truth I had be thinking clearly we should of found a small hotel with AC and stayed in town.

So much for day 6

Count
2 sick campers
1 camper making bad choices (me not drinking enough)

Day 7
After resting almost all yesterday woke to a misty damp dew morning. Both of us felt better I still do feel great. Decided not enough shade at that sandbar to hang out anonther day and packed up and moved on. Covered 15 miles to Boone's bluff a great campsite so we stopped and pitched in back of the trees. Lots of shade so it much cooler today. I slept some this afternoon and feel stronger still not back to 100% but getting there. Di seems to be fully recovered and she explored around the area. The bluff is suppose to have Daniel Boone carved in but she did not find it.

Ate lightly today just some soap and Mac & Cheese stomach still not 100% but it is getting better.

Among other problems my eye started to bother me so I changed to glasses. They then broke this afternoon and I had sew them together with some thread and then wrap them with duck tape. Di said I did a good job and can hardly tell. Hope my eye get better soon so I can go back to my contacts. Then the water filter has slowed way down because the water is so silty don't know how to fi that I have two pre-filters for as I expected to see silt just not so soon and so much of it. We are now filtering the water and treating with Iodine to try and prevent whatever got us yesterday..

Well I am feeling semi-human tonight and I hope another easy day of rest I will be back to normal. So early to bed early. The weather is for storms tonight that should cool things off. Wish I could think of something funny to write about but just can't get up for it right now.

Counts
2 red necks shooting pistols into the rtver. (when they saw us they stopped only to start again after we were past)
2 Fishermen (thought it was “assume” rhat we trying to reach the gulf (not sure they believed us
2 bald eagles
1 roost of bats a Boones bluff

Night to all and love and Kisses
Allan

Day 8
Boones Bluff was great and I did do it credit the pictures yesterday so here are more pictures today as I am feeling better

Somewhere south of Newberry IN

After a good night sleep and I awoke feeling much improved. My eye still felt like someone stuck a log into it. As result I spend the better part of today squinting with my left eye and now to see this small tiny screen without too squinting I have put it on 200 zoom so now I can see it but it move weirdly I guess all life is a compromise.

We traveled 21 miles we hoped to stop as something called Morgan bluffs but never found them. Either 'they are marked wrong or the really stout woman we past hid them from view. Found a sandbar with muddy shore but made do for the campsite. I got the tarp up for some shade and got fire started and the bugs became bearable.

The guide book recommended a side trip to see this covered bridge so we went. Too many bugs to stop for lunch and sides of the bank were too steep to climb. (I am sure the grapes were sour too)

The floods this year have done a lot of damage though this region. There are tons of new trees in the water making some area quite tricky to get though, Even squinting I could see well enough that I stayed clear of all the tangles. Dianne said I am making my father proud with the slient suffering I am doing about the eye. To be honest I keep it open this evening which is better than I could this morning so things are improving. To add to the improvement of stuff I washed the water filter and it is doing better to. In addition the weather although still warm was more seasonable today so all in all things are looking up.

Well the battery is getting low and in the tent during a thunderstorm so I guess it is time to say goodnight.

Count
1 obese woman fishing
12 john boats tied to shore
1 john boat moving
4 blue herons
0 geese (they all are in Morse defecating on my boat)
1 huge leather back turtle
3 squirrels

Love to all and to all good night.
Allan

Day 9

Position (for those who care)
N38.74647
W87.24005

Ok so I have been conserving battery power and not getting the position the last couple of days. Now Dianne and I think it would be a good time for a break and spent time today finding a Motel close by. Turns out to be in Washington IN about 3 miles past the Hwy 50 bridge coming up tomorrow morning so we take a half day and enjoy air conditioning and laundry service for the afternoon and night.

The river was busy today lots of john boats (flat bottom boat) running up and down the river with fishermen in them. One stopped an a wife an man talked to us. They were friendly and told us about their daughter who has had melanoma and is currently trying out for the Miss Indiana Pageant in Indianapolis. They also told about a army guy they met last summer that was trying the same trip and quite about Evansville. This is the second person we have heard about doing this trip. The last one quite at Cario IL after 7 weeks. That is about how long we hope to take in total.

The local people are friendy and unlike Indianapolis slow their boats as they pass you. Often stopping to chat a little. The canoe although I think looks a little beaten right now got 4 compliments today a record for one day I think. I am not sure all the people we told our plans to believe us. Today the weather gods smiled on us and hope they continue to do so. Partly cloudy skies sound just fine for the next couple weeks it keeps the temperature down a little, light showers are OK too so long as we know about them in advance.

Covered a total of 24 miles and still finished before 4:00 so we motored along. Well I better start cooking dinner.

Counts
3 blue heons
15 john boats moving or containing fishermen
7 tied to shore
1 guy net fishing
1 pontoon boat
1 turtle nest eggs hatched and babies gone
4 fires on shore to keep bugs down

Love and Kisses to all and to all a good night
Allan
God did not invent the little black gnats that are bugging me. PS I did have to squint all day today like yesterday.

Day 10
Monday
In Holiday Express in the city of Washington IN

Short paddle this morning only 11 miles to the highway 50 bridge for the town of Washington and Vincennes IN. Once there we started to call hotels no problems finding rooms only problem was the ride to the town from the boat ramp. When we called the hotel they suggested Ride Solutions so I called and they hummed a few times and finally said yea sure they would do that. However we would have to wait for 1 hour it took closer to 1.5 hours but they arrived and charged us a whopping $6. So I paid $15 gladly and they are to pick us up tomorrow morning at 7:30. We have now used the shower and laundry and getting caught up on the little stuff. Dianne is off trying to get caught up on her office stuff at IUK and I am working on the net book to get the blog done.

Not all of river to talk about today. Pasted a large campground with trailers along the river edge. Some of the trailers were clearly mobile homes ready to move. Some of the trailers were on stilts way up in air about 15 feet off the ground and that means about 20 feet from the current bank level. Some had decks that wrapped around and looked rather comfortable to me. Some were only 10 feet up and a couple of these got washed outed during the flooding and appeared to have seen better day. Most undergoing repairs but a couple looked like they suffered more than they were worth to fix up. I wonder how it would feel to spend that much money and lose it all in a flood like that. Just for the record it was record high floods for all time along this stretch of the White River this year.

For the first few days paddeling down the river has been lower in the morning than the night before except for the last 2 mornings when it slightly higher today than yesterday about 1 inch up. This bothers me as I am still hearing about minor flooding along the Washbash lower sections of the Ohio. I was really hoping all that stuff was over for the year. Still we saw a lot of campsites this morning so it should not be a problem over the next couple of days.

On other notes the weather was perfect today just above 80F meaning very comfortable paddling conditions. Well dinner is starting to call me, I will post this and some pictures latter this evening. The locals all say that Absorbent Junior is the thing to keep these little black gnats down. We tried some yesterday and it did seem to help so maybe I will buy some of that too while I am out.

Counts
1 trailer park
3 pontoon boats
12 empty john boats tied to shore
2 blue herons
0 people on river all morning

Love and Kisses to all and to all a good night
Allan