On the Missouri River with Bonnie Weaver

We got up this morning and put ArmorAll on the dashboard before the sun got too hot.  We worked most of the rest of the day and have the whole coach cleaned except for the bathroom.  Every wooden surface has been cleaned and treated, all the glass cleaned and all the appliances have been spiffed up.  What a job, but worth it!  It feels like a brand new coach again.  It will only last until the next dusty campground but for now it feels great.

Bonnie had to work late but arrived about five-thirty.  We took the kayaks off down by the river and she and Ted took our car down river while I watched the boats.  We were on the river by about six-thirty.  She had told us that this was the best time of day as the animals were out feeding and she was right.  It had been a really hot day but was cooling down a bit by the time we launched and being on the water made it seem even cooler, a perfect temperature for floating down the river.

Sheila and Bonnie

Ted on the Missouri

The section we paddled was about seven and a half miles.  The current was swift for the first part but slowed down with occasional whirlpools or eddies to make it interesting.  The sky that was quite cloudy when we left kept clearing as we continued on.  The list of animals we saw is amazing.  We saw: Muskrat, 1; Eagles, 2; Marmots, 2; Mergansers, several large flocks; Canada Geese, at least a dozen; Deer, 3 different mothers with 2 fawns each and a large herd in a field on the way home; Osprey, 1 adult with 2 chicks in a nest; White Pelicans, at least a dozen with a single one further down the river; Magpies, dozens; Cattle (not cows, we are told), dozens, Cliff Swallows, a few but about a hundred nests.

White Pelicans

Mama Deer and Two Fawns

Cliff Swallow (We Think) Nests

One Marmot Over Bonnie's Paddle, One On the Top Rock Just Fwd of Bow

It was just a beautiful trip down the wide meandering river.  We were beside tall, towering cliffs for a lot of the way.  (My eighth grade English teacher just told me in my head never to use "a lot" as a descriptive.)  An abandoned railroad ran beside the river for much of the way as well.  There was a tunnel and many other areas where the tracks cut between rocks.  It gave you the feeling of being in an old time western movie and we expected to see a steam engine coming at us at any time.  The foliage on the cliffs was all a dried, desert  golden color, a great contrast to the large pine trees that somehow manage to get a foothold and hang onto the steep slopes.

I-15 Bridge

We were off the river by a little after eight and returned to Craig where we ate at Izaaks Restaurant.  The special was a pound of Walleye for $30 with french fries and cole slaw.  Bonnie and Ted split that and both had a huge plate full.  I tried the fish which was really good but had a burger with gorgonzola instead.  We had a great meal and really enjoyed Bonnie's company.  She is so much like her parents who we love dearly and it is nice to have some connection to "family".