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Previous messages!
Tuesday, August14.
I want to thank all of you for your interest in the canoe and charity event. Let me inform you on the current status. Right now I am putting the finishing touches on my canoe and marking off the last few items on my list. Everything is a go for Saturday when I will be leaving. Saturday morning, we will have a light breakfast here at the house in Shelbyville at 7:30 where we will christen the ship, and everyone is invited. We plan on arriving Monday or Tuesday at Lake Itasca, Minnesota. From there I promise I will do my best to you to you e-mail updates weekly if not sooner. Anyone interested in meeting along the way needs to contact me here, and please, in the future, use the jodyontheriver@hotmail.com e-mail address. This e-mail is a test, and if a few of you would e-mail back for confirmation of it's success, it would be appreciated. Those of you receiving the e-mail today (Tuesday) will be on the mass mailing. Those making donations to the American Diabetes Association, who wold like their money to be earmarked for research, you will have to write this on your check. Finally, I am very excited about the trip and can't wait to let the adventure begin.
Thanks,
Jody Bowman
Monday, August 20
Hey all, I'M ON THE RIVER! Dad and I spent the night in Bemidji, MN. As we were about the leave, we talked with Don, one of our "on the river e-buddies". I want to personally thank you, Don, for the help and info. Anyway, we talked with rangers, etc. and decided to put in about 20-25 miles north of Lake Itasca. As I mentioned before, reports indicated very low water levels and high vegetation. We obviously went back too far because, after I started at 9:30 a.m., I came upon rice patties as far as you could see. The river was covered? I finally came through that, and what did I come upon next...you guessed it, another field of rice patties. Zig-zagged through that one, too. The next thing I came upon was a section of the river that was completely covered by trees. It was like going through a tunnel. I've seen an eagle, a beaver, and some deer. I called Mom from Bemidji after having passed through Lake Irving. I am camping at a state park on the northeast side of Lake Bemidji. I have to figure out how to get over there because the wind is up, and I can't go straight across. I think I traveled about 15 miles today. I'm tired, but very excited? More information should come in about 4-5 days.
Thanks to all for your support,
Jody
Hey all!
It is Friday, August 24. I am safe and sound at a resort 3/4 mile outside of Lake Winnibigoshish at a place called Becker's Resort. There are a lot of people here. I am eating an ice cream cone as we speak. I've been 15 miles or more today. The winds were high today. I came upon a fisherman named joe, who towed me...saved me about 5 hours. I've had two portages. On the first one, I paid someone five dollars to help me. The second one...I did myself. The place I'm stayin in is great! Showers and everything! I've met some really nice people. Hope we'll be adding them to our address book.
Jody
Saturday, August 25
Dear friends,
Here' what happened today. I started going north on Lake Winnebegoshish because someone told me that was the route to take. There were three large rivers coming into the lake. It was windy and unsafe. I turned around and came back to Becker's resort. (Mom has put a link there on the Links Page and a phot at the top of this page.) A man here may give me a ride to the other side tomorrow. If not, I will go south around the lake, 20-25 miles. I saw two eagles today...got a picture! I camped with two guys from Wisconsin last night. They gave me a fly swat. The flies are fierce here! Anyway, I lost the fly swat on the lake today. I caught a huge perch!
Jody
(jody.freeservers.com)
Tuesday, August 28
Dear Friends,
I am camping tonight at Schoolcraft State Park. Last night I was at Gambler's Point. Tomorrow I will go through Grand Rapids. I've met a guy who is making the same trip! His name is Joshua. He's from Chicago. We're going to team up...travel together. He started eight days ago at Lake Itasca. Remember, I started 20-25 miles past Lake Itasca. Joshua said it was bad, as we had suspected. He lost his shoes in a bog. He is traveling about 23 miles a day. Thus far, I have averaged about 15. Guess I'll have to pick up the pace. Mom and Dad will be glad to hear that!
Mom has told me about all the e-mails/support coming in. I told her that maybe I'll have a chance to hook up with a computer soom and read them. I'm glad to be hearing from my brothers!
No, Chris, I haven't been able to replace my toothbrush yet, but maybe tomorrow in Grand Rapids!
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Sunday, September 2
Dear Friends,
It is 3:45 p.m. on Sunday. Joshua and I have gone 15 miles today. We've decided to stop early and take a break. We are in Palisade at Burgland Park. The portage in Grand Rapids was really tough! Joshua had brought along some wheels that really helped in moving things across the road. A nice lady stopped and helped us get our gear across. Thursday, we went 27 miles, and on Friday, we made 20 miles and did two portages. Saturday, we also traveled 27 miles! We are averaging 4.3 miles per hour. We are about 60 miles from Aitkin. I expect we will be there about mid-day Wednesday. It has rained twice, both at night, since Wednesday.
The next roll of film is in the mail AND a postcard to my sister, Brooke, in Texas. I will try to get a new message out on Wednesday.
Jody
Monday, September 3.
Dear Friends,
It is 8:15 p.m. on Monday. WE ARE IN AITKIN! We miscalculated. It was only about 30 miles from Palisade. Buzz and his son came by to see us Sunday evening. We enjoyed visiting with them. Buzz offered to take us around a couple of locks near Minneapolis. I hope we are able to find him when we get there!
The mosquitoes and bugs are not bothering us as much here. It is cooler at night now, and we are moving during the day.
Joshua rowed in college. He motivates me to work harder and move faster. He saw four bears before we met up. I saw one that had been killed and dressed.
Next town is Brainerd. We think it is about 60 miles away, and we have to go through a long skinny lake before we get there.
I called Tammy in Aitkin. She is the friend who is involved with the Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome. Her daughter, Rachel, has Rett. It was too late for her to come down, but she will try to maybe meet us in Brainerd.
I will send another message from Brainerd on Wednesday or Thursday. We're working hard but having a great time!
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Thursday, September 6.
Hey all,
Joshua and I are in Brainerd, Minnesota. We paddled 27 miles yesterday and about 19 today. We've had one portage today. It wasn't too bad. We are going nine more miles today so we can camp at Crow Wing State Park. We should be in Little Falls in 2 days. We are expecting rain today. Traveling has been slow. The wind has been in our faces. We've only been making about 3 mph.
We'll be in touch as soon as possible!
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Friday, September 7.
Hi, Everyone,
We had a layover at Crow Wing State Park. It has been raining and won't stop long enough for us to pack up our gear. We've pretty much been in our tents all day taking it easy. Joshus has been writing letters, and I've just been recharging my batteries! We tried fishing for a short while today, but Joshua lost his second lure in two days, so we gave it up. We've seen a lot of deer. For supper, I am having minnestroni(sp?) from a dried mix! We plan to make the 30 miles to Little Falls tomorrow if the rain lets up.
Here are a couple of interesting things: Everyone here participates in snowmobiling in the winter. These state parks are full in the winter unlike Tennessee. Also, folks snowmobile from town to town on old railroad routes! Mom asked me about Tilo, Joshua's girlfriend. She is presently a foreign exchange student in Austria.
Mother also tells me her computer is down. In case she can't e-mail you, Stan, we missed the diversion dam on purpose because we wanted to go into Aitkin. And what do you think about paddling with us in your canoe for a short while as we are passing through St. Louis?
Jody
Monday, September 10, 6:30 p.m.
Joshua and I are in St. Paul. I had to jog 20 minutes to get to the phone. Since I haven't shaved for three weeks, I look pretty grubby. People just stared and moved out of the way as I was jogging to the phone.
This message is short because I have to jog 20 minutes back to the canoes, and we have to paddle 3 more miles to get to our campsite. It gets dark in about 2 hours. We are camping tonight at a Boy Scout camp.
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Tuesday, September 11, 9:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Either Dad or I miscommunicated. It was St. Cloud...not St. Paul. We should be there by the end of the week. We are in Monticello, Minnesota...at a K-Mart. We trust our equipment is safe where we left it. It was about a 30 minute walk to get here. We did 19 miles yesterday with 2 portages. This is the best section of the river yet. We've had class 1 and class 2 rapids. The weather is good. We are at River Bluff Park.
Jody
Thursday, September 13, 10:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Thanks, Stan, for the tip about Ketter's. We are there! They put the feed bag on us. Joshua and I made pasta, and they prepared venison and potatoes.
We've had great weather and a portage today. Mom asked if my canoe had ever turned over. No it hasn't. Someone did steal my water bottle at one of the portages.
We are meeting Buzz at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis today at 11:00. Mother told me that Roger and Margaret, who I camped with at Bemidji, have a son that works right on the river at St. Paul. He's going to be watching for us today!
Fes, I'm interesed in MTSU's record. Mom told me they beat Vandy, but she didn't know the score.
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Friday, September 14
Dear Friends,
We are at Hidden Falls Park south of St. Paul. We met Buzz and friend Judy around 1:00 p.m. at Boom Island Park. We loaded our gear into Buzz's station wagon, put our canoes on top, and headed out. We had lunch at a great Italian restaurant. We really enjoyed hanging out with Buzz. After lunch we headed out and stopped here because it was starting to rain. We got our tents up just in time. The ranger came by and told us we have to be out by 10:00 p.m. We appealled to him, but he insisted he would have to ticket us if we stayed. We are waiting to see what will happen. The next sites are way down the river.
I want to thank Ketter's. They are the haven for all racing canoers. We would not have found them had it not been for seeing a bunch of racers preparing for a race tomorrow. In conversation, we heard them speak of Ketter's, and we remembered what Stan had told us. That's how we found them! Stan and Verlen Kreuger are canoeing legends. Verlen did Minnesota in 10 days, the whole Mississippi in 22 days. We are in our fourth week and are still in Minnesota... We saw the logo of Verlen and his wife on the water tower in Palisades. Yes, Stan, we met Kjell Peterson. He is favored to win the race tomorrow. Please let us know how he did. We hear he is favored and going to be a famous canoeist someday. We were very impressed by the equipment at Ketter's. Also, we took a shower there so we were clean when we met Buzz and Judy. Kjell made a donation to the American Diabetes Association, and I made a donation to his cause...the American Red Cross relief effort. Mom asked me how I feel about the events of the week. It is sad that people kill so many and have so much hatred in the name of their...god...or...whatever. I really can't phathom it.
We are past 3 locks and Angel Falls thanks to Buzz. We have seen barges, but they weren't moving. The next lock is in Hastings. I will be sending photos.
It is raining slightly, and I just decided to take a walk. I've walked a couple of miles. It is beautiful here. I found this phone. I called my Nana to wish her Happy Birthday and Mom to bring her/you up to date. Buzz gave Joshua his package and "sealed" e-mail from Tilo today. He saved it until after he got his tent up!
Jody
jodyontheriver@hotmail.com
Sunday, September 16, 2001
Hey Everyone,
Friday night we made it through the night at the campsite. Another ranger came by, turned on his emergency light and siren, then he left. Saturday was quite eventful.
Mid-day, we were leaving the St. Paul area. A large Coast Guard vessel was heading the other way. It turned around and started moving right beside us. I thought...how nice...they are watching out for us. I could see them using their binoculaars. They mimicked every move we made. I appreciated their concern. I did consider that maybe we were in some violation...no tags...no registration. Shortly after, a smaller police boat pulls up beside us. He said there have been reports of some people hanging out under the bridges. (We certainly haven't been doing that!) HE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE BARREL! I guess the thought was it might be a bomb...or drugs maybe. I told him it was just a plastic barrel, a dry box, to transport things you don't want to get wet. I let him look through it. Of course, he found the maps, my journal, some food items, etc. He also looked through Joshua's boat. He seemed satisfied and left. A while later, we heard something ringing from Joshua's boat. It was a cell phone. The police officer had lost it while searching Joshua's boat. Well, I used my marine radio for the first time and informed the Coast Guard boat that the policeman had lost his cell phone on Joshua's boat. A short time later, the policeman returned to retrieve his cell phone. He said, "I'm never gonna live this one down." We met up with the Coast Guard later. They pulled out their megaphone and said, "Have a good trip, enjoy yourselves, and be careful." Joshua and I proceeded to our campsite, an island, where a couple were waiting who had been listening to the radio messages between us and Coast Guard and Police. They, too, were interested in the contents of the BARREL.
Today we went through Hastings. Joshua's canoe caught a lot of water because he didn't pull it out far enough, and the wakes from the yachts and speedboats put out a lot of water. Hastings is a cool town. The buildings are all old...it is like stepping back in time. We went through our first lock. It was easy. There was a yacht in there with us. The water went down about a foot every 30 seconds.
The bridges are very interesting. They all open or twist to let barge traffic through. We saw seven barges hooked together today. We are traveling on the edges, not in the channel. We are in Prescott, Wisconsin, and have about four miles to go to get to the island where we will camp tonight. Today we stopped at a tackle shop that sells live bait out of a vending machine!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Wednesday, September 19
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Wabasha, Minnesota. We are staying at a camp that is empty because it is the off season. The counselors are letting us stay here. This is our first day for sunshine in quite a while. There is a huge lake below us. It is going to take us some time to get around it.
We are calling from a restaurant. Joshua is going to call Tilo in Austria. I'm feeling good, and everything is going well!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Friday, September 21
Dear Friends!
Mom guessed that Joshua and I would be in Winona. We are past there in a small town called Dakota. We've been through two locks today and one yesterday. We have paddled 24 miles today, and we have about one mile to go to get to our site. It has been slow going. Even though the wind has been in our back today, there is no current in this part of the river. It was sunny all day today for the first day in quite a while. In about 30 miles, WE WILL BE OUT OF MINNESOTA!
Two days ago, we saw this pleasure boat. We saw it again yesterday. When we were scouting around for a place to camp, we saw it pulled up on an island. We decided to camp with them. They fed us supper and breakfast. They took some pictures which they will send. I also gave them another finished roll of film to mail for me.
Mom asked me if I was gathering information about what is going on in the world. Honestly, I haven't heard much. We are fairly isolated. She told me that newspapers are being saved for us so that we can catch up. We do know about the attack and are very sad about that.
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Sunday, September 23, 8:00 a.m.
Dear Friends!
We are in Genoa, Wisconsin. Minnesota is STILL on the other side of the river. Yesterday evening we were paddling across this big lake about three miles out when a bad storm hit. The waves were three to six feet high. We were trying to make it to the lock, but there was no way! Our canoes were getting swamped. We landed on a levee before the lock and sought out shelter under a house that was raised on concrete blocks. About 9:30, we saw a fisherman who gave us a ride into town. The first motel we checked was full, a firefighters convention. The second one was closed, but we saw a woman inside through a window. She saw the sorry state we were in and told us she was full except for one room that was going to be painted. She cleaned it up for us and told us she would buy us breakfast the next morning. The motel is the Red River Inn, and it is great! Showers and everything! I stayed up all night watching television. All the news is terrible!
We are going to paddle half a day today, get into Iowa, and listen to some ball games on the radio. After breakfast, we've got to go down to the pier and try to catch a ride across the lake to our boats. This guy told us to tell the guys there that we know Ace at Captain Hooks, and they'll give us a ride. We'll see.....
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Wednesday, September 26
Dear Friends!
It is about 11:30 a.m. Joshua and I are in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Our goal is to make Guttenburg, Iowa by tonight. We are in good shape, good spirits, and are having fun. The weather has been nice. It gets into the 30's at night and the 70's during the day.
Sunday, Mr. Clements, in Genoa, Wisconsin, gave us a ride back to our boats. He offered to let us sleep on his fishing barge that night. Of course, we took him up on that offer! Yesterday, we met two guys who are doing the Mississippi in a sail boat. They said they just happened to have two extra t-bone steaks, and would we like to join them. We didn't turn down that offer either!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Saturday, September 29, 2:00 p.m.
Dear Everyone,
We are in Bellevue, Iowa, past Dubuque. Illinois is now on the other side of the river! Remeber those guys who fed us steaks on their sailboar. We have been seeing them a lot over the past three days. They live in the Quad City area. That's Bettendorff and Davenport, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois. Anyway, one has invited us to his home so that we can shower and clean up.
Mother told me about the group traveling the river with bigmuddyadventure.com. Joshua actually saw them before we met up around Lake Winnibigoshish. We have received word that there are a couple of groups making the trip that we may meet along the way. There is one guy going solo.
One day we did 35 miles, another day we did 17. We're averaging about 25 miles a day.
I told Mom my tent leaks, and she is sending another to Keokuk, where Chris, one of her e-buddies, lives. I've asked her to include sandals and a knit cap. I've managed to lose both. She also told me that she had received photos from the nice people we met from the houseboat, and she has developed my second roll of film. She will be in the process of adding new photos to the website this weekend!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Le Claire, Iowa. We will be in the Quad City area tomorrow. We laid off yesterday because Joshua wasn't up to par. He had strained a muscle in his shoulder or something. Anyway, we traveled a hard 27 miles today...against the wind. Joshua was a little ways ahead of me. He pulled up at this dock and started talking with Dudley Stevenson. We are presently at his house with wife Mary. We have showered, and Mary is doing our laundry for us! They are taking us out to dinner in a few minutes, and we are camping in their back yard! The people along the river are amazingly wonderful!
When we left Bellevue, we had to pass through a military reservation. A small Coast Guard boat carrying six men slowed down as they passed us. Five of the six lifted their binnoculars in unison and watched us as they passed. A while later, we met the same boat as it was going in the opposite direction. It slowed, and the same five men, again in unison, lifted their binnoculars and studied us as they passed!
I told Mom I would be in touch again tomorrow from Quad Cities.
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Thursday, October 4, 4:00 p.m.
Dear All,
Yesterday we only made about 5 miles. The wind was in our faces at 20 mph, and the waves were very high. We did make it to the Quad City area. We called our friends from the sailboat. We stayed at one of their homes last night. We have done about 10 miles today, and will do more before settling into our campsite. The weather has not been favorable. It has drizzled all day and is cool. We saw the first bridge built on the Mississippi River today. It was built in 1856. Also, as we were passing through Lock and Dam 15, one of those swinging/pivoting bridges was opening right over our heads. Mother said she posted a picture of that exact place on the website this morning!
We hope to be in Keokuk around Monday. That is where we hope to meet Mom's good friend, Chris, and her family. They have been accepting mail for us. Mother has sent a new tent to replace the leaky one. Tilo has sent something to Joshua, also.
Jody
Saturday, October 6, 7:15 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Muscatine, Iowa. We did 22 miles yesterday, but today we only did five. The wind was in our faces and we were only making about one and a half miles per hour. We met our friends from the sailboat here for lunch (hamburgers and french fries). They gave us some pasta sauce and ketchup to add to our supplies.
Last night we camped with Sean, Shane, and Justin. They are related to our new sailboat friends. They are also on the river in a sailboat. mom asked me if I am warm enough. Well, I am experiencing cold, and it is not pleasant. However, last night we had a great bonfire, and my sleeping bag was pleanty warm. It is supposed to warm up somewhat and be sunny tomorrow. We just hope the wind dies down. We are staying close to shore because of the wind.
There is some kind of street festival in Muscatine tonight with a band, etc. We aren't going to stay for the festivities. We will cross the river to our campsite...in the dark. It is within sight.
I've started asking new friends along the way to sign my barrel with permanent marker. Today, someone from the Coast Guard came up to us on a jet ski. He didn't search us, just checked to see how we were doing. He signed my barrel also.
We are one hour behind a solo canoeist who started somewhere in Wisconsin and is going to Memphis. We will catch up with him. We don't know anything about him except he is traveling in an aluminum canoe with a kayak paddle.
Mom asked me about our supplies. We are about to break into Joshua's 50 pound bag of rice. We will be working on a supply list for things we need Mom and Dad to bring us when they meet us near St. Louis. mom said she is experiencing trouble with the website, but she posted a picture of the river in Muscatine last night. She seems to know where we are on the river, but she can't seem to keep up with MTSU football! Does anyone know how they did today?
We may be in Keokuk by Tuesday...or it could be Wednesday. The weather is slowing us down. Our goal is to be in St. Louis by October 23rd.
Mom is worried about Joshua's shoe situation. HE HAS THREE PAIRS OF SHOES! I only have one...and a half. I picked up a stray sandle today!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Thursday, October 11, 11:00 a.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I have been stranded for 2 1/2 days on an island. The wind has been gusting up to what seems about 40 mph. Also, it has been raining fiercly. The wind ripped the zipper out of my tent and blew Joshua's tent over. I knew my parents would be worried because they haven't heard from me, but I figured they would rather I be safe and stranded than taking the risk of trying to go on and find a telephone. It is clearer today. We have ventured forth and have stopped at a little store for peanut butter and bread.
We think it is about 50 river miles to Keokuk. We are going to go as far as we can today. It is more likely that we will arrive there tomorrow evening.
Someone gave us a map that has all the campsites listed on it. It turns out there was one very near where we have been camping. It had fire rings and a shelter/pavilion.
We have both requested new rainsuits to be delivered by my mom and dad when they meet us somewhere near St. Louis in about ten days.
One final note. Dad filled me in on what has been happening in the world in the last few days. I told him that my barrel has been getting a lot of curious stares. He says people are paranoid right now. He also thinks we might look a little shady with our beards. I told him I wouldn't shave my beard off but that I would use my silver duct tape to write FOOD on the barrel.
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Friday, October 12, 8:30 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Keokuk, Iowa, at Chris' house. She is my Mom's e-buddy. We called her from Montrose and the No Wake Cafe. She had already been there looking for us, BUT WE JUST WEREN'T THERE YET! We left our gear there with her friend who owns the place and rode 15 miles with her down to Keokuk. We are healthy, not smelling too good at this point, but we will shower and smell better. We had a great day on the river. When we awoke, we saw a tent on an ajacent island. I told you about the guy who was traveling solo from Wisconsin to Memphis. We went over to the campsite. When we saw the canoe with the rocking chair and the kayak paddle, we knew we had found him. His name is Jeff. He had walked from North Carolina to Wisconsin. He acquired "a job". His boss gave him a canoe, and other friends gave him other gear. He said, "Hey, I will float down to Memphis and then walk back to North Carolina! It will be shorter that way!" He is a free spirit who has traveled to India and Southeast Asia to teach kids to read. We hope to hear from him again as he was on his way to the library to use the computer. I need to go now because Chris is about to feed us...bratwurst, burgers, and chili!
A note to my Kappa Sigma friends...Jeff Banks told me that his band, Zboja and Banks, is playing for the homecoming dance!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Wednesday, October 17
Dear All,
Joshua and I are in Canton, Missouri. We laid off day before yesterday because of freezing rain. We are two days from Hannibal. We plan to be at Mark Twain Cave Campground early Friday.
Last night some people stopped by our campsite to see what we were doing. We told them our plans and also about raising money for the American Diabetes Association. They left but came back shortly with hot coffee and a plate of fried chicken!
We have been seeing Jeff off and on. He's the one with the rocking chair in his canoe. He told us the guys doing the river with the Big Muddy Adventure have passed us.
Mom and Dad plan to see us on Sunday.
Jody
Monday, October 22,
Dear All,
This is what has been happening. We were supposed to meet up with Mom and Dad on Sunday. When I called them on Saturday, they said they were two hours away. I told them we were in Louisianna, Missouri. They found us at 3:30 p.m. We spent an hour or so loading up our gear and equipment. Some folks launching their boat next to us gave us another rope to help us secure our canoes. I had already checked the motel situation in Louisianna. There were no rooms because of the festival and car show going on. We rode down to Clarksville. There were no rooms there either. So...we rode down to Elsberry. We found rooms there! We took showers/baths! We felt really clean. Then we went to Big D's Place for dinner and pool. The next morning, we went to the laundromat and washed all our clothes. We had eaten breakfast at Sadie's. Mom then went down to the IGA and got us fried chicken for lunch. I was looking forward to seeing the Titan's play, but it was not meant to be. The game was not showing in our area. So...Dad and Mom went through their suitcase, found appropriate clothing for us, and we...WENT TO PLAY GOLF! We had a good time...a nice diversion. After golf, we went back to Sadie's for supper. We then went to the motel, watched news, and went to bed.
This morning, Mom woke me up before 7:00 a.m. By 8:30, we were eating breakfast at Sadie's. We then went back and loaded up the canoes and gear. At 10:00, we said goodbye at Timberlake Marina. I am glad to be back on the river. I also look forward to the end of the journey and procuring productive employment. I greatly appreciate your interest in my journey AND in my cause!
Jody
Wednesday, October 24, 8:00 p.m.
Dear Good Friends,
This message is from Mom, not Jody. We have been awaiting another call from Jody this evening so that he could convey to you the events of the day. I will tell you all that I know. Jody called around 1:30 p.m. from St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles, Missouri. He and Joshua were on the river when high winds hit. (I researched it on the internet and saw that the wind was as strong as 55 mph.) They pulled up at a dock at Portage Des Sioux and were running for shelter. Jody was in front and made it. Joshua saw that he wasn't going to so he just buckled over on the ground. The roof or awning (I'm not sure which) blew off a building and landed on top of Joshua. Jody said it took three men to get if off of him. Joshua said that he had never been so afraid in his life. He couldn't budge. The ambulance came and took them to the hospital. Last word I had was around 2:15. It appeared that Joshua suffered only scrapes, bruises, and maybe a couple of bruised ribs. He was awaiting x-rays and expected to be released in a short while. Meanwhile, the boys didn't know the status of their boats or how they were going to get back to where they left them. Jody said they were about 30 minutes away from where the accident happened.
I am sure if Jody can get to a phone, he will call, but we are slowly losing hope of hearing from him tonight. We believe that they are safe and as healthy as can be expected after the events of the day. We are anxious to hear again that Joshua is okay and that they have safely recovered their canoes and gear.
Claudia (Mom)
Thursday, October 25, 6:55 p.m.
Dear Friends,
I called Mom late last night. It was too late for her to send out an update. We were at the hospital and didn't know how we were going to get back to our canoes, so we called Stan in East St. Louis. He is our e-buddy who is involved with the Great Mississippi Race for Rett's Syndrome. He came and picked us up. We went back to Palisades Yacht Club in Portage de Sioux to check on our boats and gear. Everything was fine. The media was there in full force. Joshua's "incident" made the front page of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. We made the news at 10 on two of the three major television stations. Then we went home with Stan. He and his wife, Dana, fed us well...shoulder roast, baked potatoes, corn...and for dessert, homemade brownies with ice cream!
We talked with Verlen Kruger on the phone. Verlen set the world record in the Great Mississippi River Race. From May, 1980, to December, 1983, he logged 28,000 miles in a canoe. He had 600 portages, the longest being 30 miles. He was 58 years old when he started. Mom will try to put a link to his site on ours.
Jeff, our friend on the river with the rocking chair, has joined us for now. His primary goal is to be back home in Asheville, North Carolina, by Christmas.
Today Stan dropped us off at the waterfront. We explored St. Louis and had a great time. He picked us up around 5:00, and we are now at his house grilling steaks.
Mom is going to try to post the newspaper article about our most recent "adventure" on the website, so check it out to see if she succeeds!
Joshua is quite sore today. He has quite a few abrasions, bruises, and a knot on his left cheek bone.
Stan will take us back to our boats in the morning, and we will once again be back on the river. I will be back in touch in a couple of days, once we get south of St. Louis. I will then give you a better estimate of when we will be arriving in Memphis. Thanks to all of you who have been in contact for your concern.
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Monday, October 29, 10:20 a.m.
Dear Friends,
Yesterday we stopped at the Arch in St. Louis. We met up with another solo paddler. His name is Brendon Battenfelder. He is doing the same trip as us and started around September 1st. You can find out more about his trip at www.riverroads.com He's presently checking out St. Louis, but we may see him again. Jeff is leaving us. He is going to catch a barge to Cairo, Illinois and then paddle up the Ohio and maybe the Tennessee a bit. He will then walk back to Asheville.
We are making better time now that we are past the locks...about 6-6 1/2 mph. Today we are 20-25 miles south of St. Louis. We hope to reach St. Genevieve, Missouri, later on today. If that happens, it will be our first 50 mile day. We should be in Cairo, Illinois, in about 3 days, and maybe in Memphis in about 10 days. I will know better about Memphis when we get to Cairo.
Joshua is fine. The weather is great! One night it got into the 20's, but it has been getting warmer since.
Jody
Friday, November 2, 5:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. We are about 57 miles away from Cairo, Illinois. We should be there in about 1 1/2 days. The wind has been in our faces constantly. Even if we make a 180 degree turn, it still has been in our faces! It rained yesterday and today. It has stopped now, and the wind has died down. It is supposed to be nice through Tuesday. Memphis is about 250 miles from Cairo, and even though we hope to do 40-50 miles a day, it will probably be Sunday, the 11th, or Monday, the 12th, before we arrive in Memphis. We will know better by the middle of next week. We don't know what the weather will do after Tuesday.
This is a neat town. It is the home of Rush Limbaugh and the University of Southeast Missouri. I found a barber shop today. He said he worked by appointments only. I sat there and watched! Sure enough, as soon as he was finished with someone, he made his next appointment. I can't imagine a man being so organized that he can plan when he will need his hair cut again. Anyway, I begged...told him I just wanted all my hair cut off..., and finally he complied. I've still got the beard!
Josh went Trick or Treating on Halloween. He did pretty good! The next morning (yesterday) we were having breakfast at this little place. We started talking with these two ladies next to us, and they took us home with them so we could shower! So, we are clean and feeling good!
Josh is healing nicely after his mishap in Portage Des Soux. Thanks to everyone for your concern!
Jody
Sunday, November 4, 9:00 a.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Cairo, Illinois. Yesterday we paddled about 45 miles, averaging about 5 1/2 mph. We traveled for eight hours.
We have really been seeing a lot of barges. We actually saw 36 barges tied together...6 long and 6 wide. Previously, they were limited by the size of the locks, but now it seems the sky (or the length and width of the river) is the limit. I've heard of as many as a hundred or more being banded together.
We will be in Memphis next Sunday, November 11th. I will be back in touch before then with a time and place to meet any of you who are close and want to visit.
Jody
Monday, November 5, 5:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Mother is glad to hear from me two days in a row. I'm trying to make up for those four and five day periods of time when I know I worry her to death. Joshua and I are in New Madrid, Missouri. The last two days have been very uneventful. Sunday, past Cairo, we met the Ohio River. The river is now twice as wide. We did 33 miles. Today we have done forty. Sometimes we manage to paddle 6 mph. We have had good weather and will be in my home state of Tennessee tomorrow!
The Memphis "gathering" is coming together, thanks to Kappa Sigma at the University of Memphis and Brother Shawn Powers. We will meet somewhere near Mud Island at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 11th. Exact location and directions will come later.
This is to my cousin, Taylor. I REALLY liked the birthday card you sent me. I have shown it to many others, and they, too thought it was great! Thank
Jody
Wednesday, November 7, 5:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
Joshua and I are in Caruthersville, Missouri. Tennessee is on the other side
of the river!
Yesterday morning, in New Madrid, we woke up and our canoes were gone. A barge was near us. I used my marine radio to contact them and ask them if they
had they seen our canoes. They radioed back and said "no", but they sent out their boat to look around. Results came back negative. Since all our food and some of our clothing were in the boats, they sent their boat over with two sweaters, two pairs of shoes, a loaf of bread, and some potted meat. Meanwhile, Joshua's boat was spotted in the water intake area of the power plant. His shotgun was also spotted which triggered a call to the police. The Coast Guard also found my boat at a private dock. Someone had found it at 5 a.m. and had pulled it in. With the police and the Coast Guard involved, we were really busy. We determined that it was a robbery/vandalism. We lost all our food, some of our clothing, and a few other miscellaneous items. We then headed out.
We hiked to a grocery store here in Caruthersville. I went to a junk shop and bought a pot for one dollar. I got some eating utensils, etc., for 50
cents. I asked the lady there if I could leave my groceries while I carried my 5 gallon container of water back. She gave me a cart so I could carry it
all at one time.
The gathering in Memphis will take place on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. It will be at the Memphis Yacht Club Marina. If you are interested in attending, please
e-mail at jodyontheriver@hotmail.com, and we will send you directions/instructions. We are presently 110 miles from Memphis. I hope to meet some of you there on Sunday! Thanks again to Kappa Sigma Brothers in Memphis for organizing this and a special thanks to Shawn Powers!
Jody
Tuesday, November 13
Dear Friends,
(This message is from Mom, not Jody.)
I arrived in Memphis late Friday evening and had a wonderful reunion with my cousin, Linda Cochran. On Saturday morning, we were up, piddling around, and I was studying the map. I told Linda I thought I knew where Jody and Joshua would be arriving, and if she would draw me an "easy" may, I thought I would go and look for them. I was about to walk out the door, and the phone rang! They were precisely at the spot I was about to leave for! Linda and I drove there and picked them up. We brought them to her lovely home where they showered. Joshua settled in on the couch to watch football, and Jody and I headed out to the grocery store to replace the food items that had been lost/stolen. Jody was very frugal in his selections for the remaining few weeks of the trip. As it turned out, we were at the store quite a while as the truck would not start! We ended up calling a tow truck and were hopeful that Firestone would be able to repair the truck the same afternoon. That was not the case. Replacement of the fuel pump would require me to leave the truck until Monday.
Linda and I had a wonderful dinner with Jody and Joshua. The boys were happy and full of wonderful stories about their adventure. After dinner we took them to the Kappa Sigma house at the University of Memphis. They caught a ride to Beale Street from there and explored Memphis a bit.
On Sunday morning, Shawn Powers, webmaster for the Kappa Sigma chapter and organizer of the "gathering", picked us up and took us to a wonderful breakfast at the Blue Plate Cafe. We enjoyed getting to know him better. We proceeded from there to begin the process of loading gear and canoes into his new truck. By 1:45, Jody and Joshua were once again in the water and on their way to the Memphis Yacht Club and Marina.
It was a wonderful get together. There were a dozen or so representatives from Kappa Sigma. Some of Linda's friends were there, as well as Doug Carriker, one of Jody's college roommates. Also, we were excited to see Tripp York, one of Jody's friends from home. Channel 13 took some footage for the news. Everyone signed the barrel and visited for a while. By 4:00, Joshua had finally managed to talk with Tilo on the phone, and it was time for departure.
Linda and I drove down to Tom Lee Park for a final glimpse. The boys looked like ants as they tried to cross over to the opposite shore where I assume they were planning to set up camp for the evening.
I arrived home yesterday evening, somewhat spent after my own adventurous weekend. I've studied the map and hope I will hear from Jody tonight from Helena, Arkansas. One thing I have noticed is that there are not as many towns on this section of the river. Joe and I will begin to prepare for the last leg of this trip...when we will go Louisianna to bring our son home!
There are too many people who deserve thanks to mention right now, but I would like to especially thank Shawn Powers, an especially nice young man, for organizing the event in Memphis and the people who came. A special thanks is in order to my cousin who graciously hosted us for the weekend. Thanks to each one of you who has kept up with the journey and who continually give me comfort and encouragement!
Sincerely,
Claudia (Mom)
Sunday, November 18
Dear Friends,
(Another message from Mom)...Jody called Thursday. I didn't post a message because...well...he didn't have anything to say except that they were fine and in Helena, Arkansas. Then on Saturday, I got a call from Joshua. Let me say that it scared me because I always figured that if Joshua called, Jody couldn't. Anyway, he said that Jody was fine, that he was just calling to tell me that his sister Amy was sending him a package to him through me, and would I bring it when we go to pick them up. He said they were in Rosedale, Mississippi. Town was about 5 miles from the river and someone gave them a ride. They picked up groceries, and he got to have a cup of coffee! He said they had picked up another paddler. His name is Jason Jamar. His story is that he and his dog walked from San Diego to Maine. He stayed there for a while and built his own kayak. He then meandered through rivers until he ended up in the Mississippi via the Ohio River.
Just a note...before the call I was looking at the big map we have at our business with friend, Joe Pitner. I told him I had heard from Jody in Helena on Thursday. He said, "They should be in Rosedale now." When Joshua called and said they were in Rosedale, I was not surprised!
Claudia (Mom)
Monday, November 19
Dear Friends,
I am in Greenville, Mississippi. I am presently alone. Josh and Jason are traveling into the harbor and into town. The plan is to meet up on Thursday in Vicksburg. Mom asked me about Jason. Well, he is from Texas. He started on his walk across America when he got out of the Marines. It took him 16 months to do it. His dog, B.J., is great!
It is cold here tonight. I will be back in touch on Thursday when I get to Vicksburg.
Jody
Thursday, November 22, 3:30 p.m.
Dear Friends,
I am in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I called home and spoke briefly with each member of my family who is enjoying Thanksgiving at my house. I asked Mom to freeze me a plate for when I get back home.
Monday night, I wasn't expecting to see them, but Joshua and Jason returned to camp with me. The next day, they left to paddle up another river to travel to Durant, Mississippi to visit with friends of Jason. We will try to meet up again either in Vicksburg or more likely in Natchez. Mom said that Joshua called her and they won't be leaving there until mid-day Saturday.
There is a big casino boat next to where I am docked. I am going to go over there to see if they have a buffet. I guess that will have to suffice for my Thanksgiving Dinner!
Jody
Wednesday, November 23, 4:30 p.m.
Dear All,
Since I talked with you last..., I checked out the Thanksgiving buffet at the casino boat next door. It was fifteen bucks, so I explored around a bit and found a Waffle House in Vicksburg. They had an "All-U-Can-Eat" hash browns for five dollars. I had a triple order all the way! I am still looking forward to that plate that Mom has frozen for me!
I have been stuck on the side of the river for several days because of the weather. There was a bad tornado 50 miles from me. I guess I was camped on somebody's farmland because there was this herd of cattle/Texas Longhorns/beefalo (who knows?) there with me. I was a little worried about them as they approached to check me out. I still had my mace, but I didn't want to harm them or make them mad. I guess they tired of me or were spooked by me because they finally left me alone. I have been bored for these last couple of days...stuck in my tent. Joshua has the rice, the pot, and the grate for cooking, but that is okay because it was too wet to cook outside, anyway. I have been eating a lot of beans inside my tent. Anyway, the weather let up today. I saw what I thought was a 2 hour window, and I went for it! I am in Natchez, Mississippi at Bailey Park. It is a neat area, and I am camped behind a saloon. When I told Mom that, she said, "It's the Under the Hill Saloon!" She said she knew that because of Brendan Battenfelder's e-mail. He had camped at the same place a weeks or so ago. I knew that because owner, Andre, told me about Brendan!
My plan is to hike into town (all uphill) and get some groceries. I plan to be in Baton Rouge in 3 days if the weather allows. I will visit with my friend, Keith, there and hopefully watch some football on tv. I plan to meet up with Joshua there.
Mother and I are working on the ending plan. She and Dad will pick me up in New Orleans on/around December 6th. It has been a wonderful trip, and, as much as I know it is time for it to end, I hate to see it be over!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Sunday, December 2, 6:30 p.m.
Dear All,
I am in St. Francesville, Louisiana. I am calling from a bar. They wouldn't let me use the phone unless they watched me dial. I am about 35 miles from Baton Rouge. I looked for Josh today. I travel better when I am with him. He motivates me! Mother asked me about my food. Well, I bought some onions and potatoes, and I am doing just fine. I may try to hike into to town and call my friend, Keith, who lives in Baton Rouge. It is too much of a hassle to use the phone here. I guess it is time to get off the river. I am looking forward to coming home!
Jody
jody.freeservers.com
Tuesday, December 4, 6:50 a.m.
Dear All,
I am at a truck stop in Baton Rouge. I camped nearby last night. I took a shower here last night, and I'm feeling really good. The folks are really friendly. My friend, Keith, from Baton Rouge came down to see me. We had a great visit!
There is this bridge right here that prevents supertankers from coming through, so, as I start out today, I don't know how this type of ocean traffic will affect the river and my progress. They say they put out really big wakes.
I will meet Mom and Dad on Thursday or Friday in New Orleans. I guess you won't be hearing from me again until I get home.
Thanks again for your support!
Jody
Saturday, December 8
Joe and I left Wednesday evening for New Orleans. We spent the night on the road in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. On Thursday, around 11:30, we arrived in New Orleans. I didn't think Jody would be finished, but we decided that we would go upriver and see if we could find him...just for the heck of it. One couldn't see the river because of the levies, and signs were posted everywhere..."no trespassing". We kept pulling over, and I would run to the top of the levy and look. We checked in at Edgar Ferry, and they hadn't seen him. We only saw one other place where we might get down on the river. I said, "Let's go further upstream, and we'll check by here on the way back." Well, we went up a ways and found this great little grocery store/restaurant with Cajun food. We had a great lunch and headed back downstream. We stopped in at the Marine Landing place and asked the men had they seen a solo canoeist with a big brown barrel in the canoe. They said, "Yes, passed by about 20 minutes ago." They said the best place to find him was at the ferry which was 6 miles down. We rushed back to the ferry and watched...and watched. I kept seeing logs that I swore were canoes, and frankly, I was a nervous wreck. We were about to leave, and who do we see? Right! Jody Bowman...about 20 feet off shore. Joe yelled at him...he saw us and tried to make his way to shore. A ferry was actually coming in, and a tug was passing by also. He actually went in between the tug and the ferry, and we actually nearly had heart attacks! To his credit, he really seemed to know what he was doing. He made it to shore, somewhat surprised to see us. We took him three or four miles up the road for a soft drink and a double cheeseburger, po boy sandwich. We enjoyed a short visit, took him back to his canoe and held our respective breaths as he left again. Joe was yelling, "Look out, Jody! Those barges have started moving!" I said, "Come on, Daddy. Let's leave him in God's hands. It's certainly out of ours." And Joe and I left.
What concerned us so much was the amount of traffic, going different directions, all different shapes, sizes, and speeds. It was overwhelming to us because the real danger of this part of the river was right before our eyes! We went back to our motel room, took a nap, ate supper and went to bed. The next morning with nothing else to do but wait for Jody's call, we set out to find Joshua. We figured he was a little ways behind Jody and would be in the same general area where we had found Jody the day before. We checked by the ferry, climbed a few levies, and went to the Marine Landing place. They hadn't seen Josh, but they said if an aircraft carrier was passing by they wouldn't see it either because the fog was so heavy. So we left a number and a message for Joshua to call us if they happened to see him.
Joe and I had what we thought was several hours before Jody would call. I suggested we could tour some of these old plantations or walk around in down town New Orleans. Joe said why couldn't we do both. We were pulling into the parking lot of this beautiful old home when the phone rang. It was Lori from our business saying Jody had called and left a number. He was at his ending place and wanted us to come and get him. I called the number. The answer on the other end was, "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is Jody. How may I help you?" Well, I've got to tell you. That threw us for a loop. He said the man who answered the phone had stepped out to get him a cup of coffee and had directed him to answer the phone that way! He was at the Spillway Boat Ramp and was declaring his journey had reached its end. With my river map in hand, I knew exactly how to get there. In about forty minutes, we arrived. As we were loading up our son to come home, the phone rang. It was Joshua! He had received our message! I was so glad to hear that he, too, was safe. I asked him if he would like us to drive around to visit with him, but he respectfully declined saying he really needed to be paddling so that he could reach his destination of the Moon Walk by tomorrow.
After a nice Cajun lunch, the three of us headed back toward Tennessee. Our goal was to be home by 10 p.m., but an ailing left tail-light caused us to have to spend the night on the road. We didn't sleep at all, had breakfast at 5 a.m., and were on the road by 6:30. We rolled into Shelbyville around noon, today, Saturday, December 8th. We are all tired, but Joe, Petey, and I are glad to have Jody home. I am so thankful that he has arrived home in one piece! I am also thankful to Jody that he has let me be a part of his great adventure!
Claudia(Mom)
jody.freeservers.com
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