Clinton, IA

After 2 days on the sandbar, hot showers at the marina were calling us.  So tonight we are at the really nice marina in Clinton.  It is only about 10 blocks from the grocery store.  10 blocks isn't too bad unless you buy too many heavy items.  A couple of cases of pop and a case of bottled water are too many heavy items.  So Bob strolls out the store and down the street 10 blocks, pushing the shopping cart down the dock and to our boat.  Why would anybody care?  We returned it 4 hours later.  But we sure got lots of funny looks.

So a guy with a packed kayak comes paddling down the river.  I called to him from the dock and started asking him all the likely questions.  He started his adventure in Lake Itasca, MN on May 11 and is kayaking all the way to New Orleans within about 10 weeks.  We visited with him for an hour or so comparing notes and discussing people we had met & things we had seen, etc.  Bob was telling him about the severe storm that blew us around as we were anchored near the shore at Bellevue last week.  He told him about the trampoline with net cage, that came rolling over the hill and down the embankment, headed straight for us.  Fortunately, it stopped dead in it's track once it hit the water because it was in a path with our sailboat.  Jeff started chuckling and explained that as he was stretching his legs in Bellevue a couple days ago, he chatted with a fellow who was repairing a gate in his yard.  The gate was being repaired because the wind had blown their trampoline threw it, at which time the gate was damaged.  Jeff's 10 year old son is joining him for the trip and will kayak with Jeff for the lower end of the Mississippi in a couple of weeks.  http://www.deltaserf.com/

Jeff, also, told us about his experience through St. Cloud, MN.  He had locked his kayak up and when he returned it and all his gear had been stolen.  http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_18184979?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Tomorrow we will find a place to anchor out near Clinton.  We will head into town in the dinghy as there are lots of things we want to see.