It is strange how little has been written about the Upper Mississippi. The river below St. Louis has been described time and again, and it is the least interesting part. One can sit on the pilot-house for a few hours and watch the low shores, the ungainly trees and the democratic buzzards, and then one … Read more
Every old river town along the Mississippi has a rich history…many were involved in trading and transport of goods (and still are). And this goes back as far as the late 1700’s when Julien Dubuque arrived in Northeast Iowa. Lumber was big back in the late 1800’s. For Muscatine (where I live), the harvesting of … Read more
Every couple of years, the Canadian Pacific Railways Holiday Train makes a stop in Muscatine. It’s a neat event in early December that supports local food banks where ever it goes. As you can see, it’s quite a light spectacle when it rolls into town. It also blends well with the lighted bridge in the … Read more
The annual criterium was held again after a two-year hiatus (thanks Covid) and it was good to see the bikes racing around again. It’s fun to watch the packs of riders navigate hairpin turns, battle it out on the uphill climbs, and roll with a sense of abandon on the downhills. Some of them really … Read more
Piloting on the Mississippi River was not work to me; it was play — delightful play, vigorous play, adventurous play — and I loved it… Mark Twain in Erupti
I am constantly amazed at what an eagle can see. Of course, most people know they have great eyesight, but its only when you get an elevated perspective on the river, that you can literally see how difficult it is to pick out fish from the waves and currents. Yet they just don’t seem to … Read more