Breakfast has turned into a bit of a contest now. Each morning we see what is in the cooler and try to cook up a tastier morning feast than the day before. Poached eggs being my specialty and omelettes being Dad's.
The days are very long. We are generally up from 6am until midnight but even so its incredible how they fill up. A small but vital change to the boat can take hours when you are working in a confined space. Each stop for petrol or food invariably takes more than an hour, it seems no matter how I rush when on land it always takes too long and every moment stopped counts as miles lost, and consequently sleep lost.
That said the small towns we have been stopping in have been a highlight. Some of them are little more that a few shops and a petrol station. Confusingly enough, they call this a gas station, and inside the gas station you can sometimes find a bathroom that has no bath and buy some potato chips that are cold, come in a foil bag and look remarkably like crisps. Mind you its amazing how quickly the americanisms set in.. I can't help myself but to call the rubbish 'trash' and the torch a 'flash light'.
Its these quick stops that have broken the trip up for me. Even if carrying the 5 gallon petrol cans that keep us going can be a tough job, very often we are saved the hassle by some kind soul with a car. Other times we are not so lucky. One day I was caught out in the rain walking two miles to a shop to get a new inverter so we can use our laptops on board to post this blog. Two miles there and back, in the rain with my thumb out yielded no results and cost us vital time. People of Muscatine feel your shame. For me the sign for the Mark Twain viewing platform on the way back seemed a little ironic.
There have been constant technology issues. Our poor elderly engine only has a 2 amp inverter and we have to be very sparing with the power we use. The GPS and radio are always on but if you want to charge a laptop you it will take the engine a few hours to catch up charging the battery afterwards. We have to ration ourselves to one full charge each per day. There are daily issues with technology is some respect and it feels like a full time job keeping everything working in the damp. Internet is also tricky. For now it is working but the bandwidth is terribly slow.
Our moods very much change with the weather. On a wet day its not so much the rain thats the problem its the wind and the lack of sun to dry the water that comes over the front. A big wave front on can wash into the door and if its raining anyway there is no way to dry what gets wet. On hot days however we will generally use the opportunity to get in the water and do some repairs along with a Mississippi bath! Its strange how when I first arrived I completely avoided the river water as it was dirty. Now I wash my clothes in it and they tend to come out quite well.
Moments of euphoria can wash over you when doing the simplest task. I could be on the back of the boat doing the washing up all pissed of about some insignificant detail regarding a lost coffee cup and I will look up and remember where I am and pow - I'm as happy as I've ever been. The views are incredible and are a constant pleasure. The river at night as you pass through a city just after you navigate a two mile wide stretch of river by moonlight is really something. During the day you can barely notice a city except for the bridges, at night they seem to come alive.
Navigating a few hours every night has become routine now. We are very careful about it but have got a pretty good system by now. There are times when it can be very strange. Barge trains with their giant spotlights seem like martian tripods in war of the worlds. Mile long freight trains blowing their horn persistently make you paranoid that they are planning to come off the rails and run you down on the water. Sometimes you could swear the river is going at twenty degrees down hill, all the disorientation can make it very hard to find the place you are headed to and sometimes we just find somewhere sheltered and drop anchor. Even so I do like the nights. More than anything for the contrast of scenery. There's only so much flat green tree line you can look at!
Evenings come fast. The monotony of the day creates an illusion of time slowing down. The next thing you know you are racing to get dinner on in time for sundown. If we don't get to eat before then it can become a very late meal as we need two people to navigate at night. One to drive and the other on lookout. I generally cook the evening meal. We eat well most nights but often its a matter of opportunity. We find a place selling fresh produce every few days and have to make what we can carry last. The rest we make up with what we can find at the service stations. We have managed to vary our diet pretty well, all considered. I just had a T bone steak!
I know I have been quiet until now, I promise to post more often.
Peter
#End
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