Monday, October 4: Contrasts

We awoke in Peoria to blue skies, bright sun, and a soft breeze. Quite a contrast to last year, where we woke to below freezing temps, bitter winds, and dock lines frozen to the deck in chunks of ice. Most of the trip this year has contrasted significantly to last years experiences. Most good, some not so good. After we waited out the high winds in Mackinaw City until Sunday, September 27, the weather window dramitically improved. Gary and I were both dreading the trip down and across Lake Michigan, based on the horrible memories of last fall. This trip was a piece of cake! Sunshine during the days, moonlite nights, and calm seas. The Tessa crew and the Taken Care of Business crew agreed to keep going for 48 hours, all the way to Hammond Indiana, as long as Mother Nature was cooperating. We arranged to unstep the masts on Wednesday at Crowleys Boat Yard on the Cal-Sag Canal. Brother Bill, the great guy we became friends with on the river system last year, lives in Hammond. He was kind enough to run me all over town doing errands and provisioning, while the yard crew and Gary and Chas did the hard physical labor. Bill and I returned shortly after the work was finished. I love it when a plan comes together like that! Last year, we couldn't pile on enough clothes to stay warm. This year, we start off with jeans and a sweatshirt early in the morning. By noon, we've pealed those off and changed into shorts and t-shirts. Last year, Nick James and Don Dunn were so polite and appreciative of my cooking that I was constantly showered with compliments and praise. This year, I still receive thanks and praise, but not without impatient demands. One of the first mornings crossing Lake Michigan, I was exclaiming to Gary that we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. Chas emerges from his stateroom and interrupts "What would be perfect is if you had my breakfast ready!" Or another morning, my "Good morning Chas!" was answered with "Feed me woman!" Once the breakfast dishes are washed and put away, the questions start. "What's for lunch?" "When is dinner?" "Is there any iced tea ready?" "Do we get chocolate chip cookies today?" And on it goes, day after day...... Last year when we stopped in Joliet, we utilized the restrooms in Harrah's casino like homeless people, trying to escape the elements and warm up. This year, our friends Jim and Jan Herrick joined us for dinner and gambling in the casino, just like regular tourists. Since it was so late in the season last fall, we had the Joliet dock all to ourselves. This year there were several other big power boats tied up in front of us. So Captain and I devised a scheme to quietly sneak away at dawn and beat them all to the first lock. This would give us enough of a lead to get a space for the night at the free city dock in Ottawa, which can accommodate two large boats. As a last resort, Walt and Vickie could raft off to us for the night. To our disappointment and much frustration, our timing was off. The lock was backed up with northbound barges, and a southbound barge was already waiting in front of us. Three and a half hours later, we were still not locked through. We watched angrily as all the big power boats (with well rested crews that got to sleep THREE MORE HOURS than we did) came into view behind us, just as the lock was ready to open. ARRRRRRRRGH!!! The second lock of the day was almost as frustrating. Walt and Vickie arrived first and dropped anchor when the lock master advised an hour and a half wait. We just circled around, waiting for the green light. Again, here comes the last minute arrival of the big power boats, zipping past both of us to be first in the lock. Everyone positioned like the start of a race, glaring at each other. GRRRRRRRRRR! We didn't remember having issues like that until Demopolis last year, where everyone was backed up due to the arrival of Hurricane Ida. Luckily, the big boys with the big boats have big money and were spending the night in a nice marina. They were not the least bit concerned about the freebie in Ottawa, so our two boats had no problem with space that evening. Once secured at the dock, we witnessed an Asian Carp frenzy. They were excited by the vibration of a speed boat, and came shooting up out of the water nearby. We weren't fast enough to capture it on film, but one poor guy landed on the dock and flopped around long enough for us to snap some pictures. Once again this year, Dave and Becky,the friendly and accommodating Ottawa Ambassadors, joined us for an interesting visit. The next morning, we looked forward to visiting the nice folks at Herman's Liquor Store. Then we were off to Henry Harbor. We like this stop because they have a nice bar and cute little town. Chas had such a good time at the nice bar that he didn't see much of the cute little town the next morning before we had to depart for Peoria. Peoria is a great river city with lots to offer, including Chas and Walt's favorite...Hooters. We had a fun evening and were happy that (the amazing) Amanda still works there. Not for long, though, as she is leaving to begin a nursing career. Hmmmmm...Hooters waitress to taking care of old and/or sick people. Not much of a stretch if you really think about it.... Tonight we hope to find a nice anchorage between Peoria and Grafton. The river level is down almost two feet, which is a concern for anchoring. Thankfully, unlike last year, the nice weather seems to holding out. Chas claims he will take it with him on Friday when he departs from St. Louis. It will be doom and gloom after that. Whether that happens or not, it truly will be gloomy without him and we are going to miss him terribly. He has added so much to this trip, not to mention how hard he has worked ON HIS VACATION!! He has reminded me of this dozens of times throughout each and every day, in between harassing me, changing my Talk Radio to the Blue Collar Comedy station, demanding more to eat, and attempting several times to push me overboard. Life as we have known it since Chas' arrival September 13th will be over on Friday. And in spite of all the harassment, I will be the first to admit that the time went by way too fast!