Started out in misty haze this morning. The kayak across the span of the raft now overhangs a few inches. With this span I will be able to steer and paddle. But I no longer have a large enough platform to set up my 10 by 12 tent. I will not have to get plywood to form a deck. I will have to think about how I will make camp when I pass only private property.
My shoulder ached this morning and I still have a fever. But wonder of wonders, I was able to pee last night without the terrible burning. The acidity from the vinegar must be holding back the infection. I will buy some cranberry juice and orange juice as soon as I come to a store. Maybe I can beat this thing by keeping my urine acidic?
As I came around the corner and saw the highway bridge ahead of me, wind picked up and started gusting directly at me. The wind was strong enough to blow me back upstream against the current and all of my efforts to move forward. When I realized that I could not beat the wind I let it blow me back to the river bend and there I turned toward the bank and tied up.
I took the kayak off of the boats and tied it on behind. I started for the bend again and again the wind was able to catch enough of my bow to blow me back up stream. I pulled the kayak close to the raft and changed positions. I sat on the kayak and tied the raft behind. I hoped being lower in the water would lower my profile to the wind, and that not being on the stern of the raft would lower its profile as well.
Around the corner I paddled, slowly I made headway into the wind. Very slow and very tiring progress. When I tired, I pulled up to a private dock, tied up and sat down to drink some water and to eat an apple. I planned on waiting for the wind to stop. I took my cellphone out of my purse and set my purse on the steps leading steeply up to the trailers. I called my friend, Dezra, and sent texts and pictures of the journey to other friends.
The owner of the property came down to a picnic table and started eating lunch with some friends. I asked if he minded my waiting for the wind to stop right there. He said he did not mind but the weather forecast called for the wind to pick up and for a big storm front to move in in the afternoon. He said that the ramp across the river belonged to Donnie Turner and that Donnie's place was only a mile downstream around another bend.
I decided to try to make it to the other side of the river and then to walk up the bank and down the road to Mr. Turner's place. Pulling the kayak behind again, I paddled for all I was worth. In about 20 minutes, I had crossed the one hundred yards of water against the wind. I tied my boats to a tree and went ashore. That's when I noticed that I had left my purse on the other side of the river.
I pulled the boats to the side so they would not be blocking the boat ramp. As I did this two young men came down in a pickup with a boat on a trailer. I tied my raft, trimaran to a bush and walked over to ask them if I could get a ride in their boat to the other side of the river. They said fine.
We offloaded their boat and using the electric trolling motor lined up to cross the river. The trolling motor wasn't enough to steady the boat, but when the outboard motor was started it did not help. Two of us paddled like crazy while the man operating the trolling motor steered us back to the boat ramp. The wind was still fiercely against moving in this direction.
We got the boat onto the trailer again and found that the prop pin connecting the prop to the motor had sheared. The two men pulled the boat up the hill going home to fix the prop. I started walking up to the highway bridge.
As I reached the top another gentleman, the owner of the property where I left my purse, stopped on his way to work. He gave me a ride to his place and after I retrieved my purse brought me back to the boat ramp. By truck we traveled almost three miles to make this roundtrip.
Everyone I have met on this journey has been wonderful. There has not been one reason to hum any music from "Deliverence."
I packed my blankets and some food into a backpack and walked down the road to Donnie Turner's campground. I waited on his doorstep for two hours until he came home and arranged to rent a campsite teepee. he gave me a ride back to the boatramp, which belonged to him by the way. I pulled out a notebook for this journal entry and he gave me a ride to the tent.
There is a hot shower here and no one else camping. I have the whole campground to myself. It going to rain soon. Good night, Daddy. I'll greet you again in the morning
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