A couple of entries back, I revealed that my husband Allen, our Boston Terrier Buddha, and I plan to float the entire length of the Ohio River this spring and summer. Every day the trip is much on our minds. Allen has quite a bit of preparation to do on the boat, and I'm thinking a lot about the food, clothes, and equipment I want to take. We recently bought a digital camcorder, which we plan to connect to a big battery so we can take lots of footage without worry of running out of juice (the computer, too, will be hooked up to the large battery. I don't want any worries of being low on battery power when I want to do some serious writing, and I plan to do a lot of that). We have a generator to recharge our batteries.
Today was the first nice day we've seen around here for a while, so I took advantage of it and snapped a few photos out in our yard. I didn't have to teach today, and Allen got back from work at around 11 this morning. He told me our old Toyota truck (15 years old!) had finally died, and it was parked a few miles away at the Meijer gas station. It's a gonner--we've been expecting it. I rode with him in our Dodge and we loaded the poor dead thing up on the back of our trailer and hauled it home.
I wanted pictures of Allen and Buddha in the boat, which is called Blue Girl. So they were both good sports and climbed aboard. Please don't pay any attention to the "barn" in the background.
Our Ohio River Charts arrived today from the Army Corps of Engineers. Allen and I sat out in the sun in our swing and looked them over. (Unfortunately, the charts for the Monongahela did not arrive. We plan to start at the Monongahela because we want to trace the journey of Reuben Gold Thwaites.)
While we looked at the charts, Buddha ran our cats around the yard. The Toyota's death aside, it has been a good day.
11 comments:
I just can't help thinking what an adventure that will be.
Good lord that sounds like fun!
Look how the sun is shining on Allen and Buddha and the boat! It's a good omen! And Buddha looks like he has the whole trip down now - he'll take care of you. I love his little white socks.
Theresa, you are sounding so excited - me too, for you! Sorry about the Toyota's passing, but what a summer to anticipate. Can't wait for the reports. Any wifi along the way that you know of?
Vicky
http://www.livejournal.com/users/vxv789/
wow, that sounds like a wonderful journey! Buddha is adorable!
~ www.jerseygirljournal.com
I am so excited for you...what a wonderful thing (trip) (opportunity) (challange) this is going to be for the both of you. Oh yes, I love the old barn in the background. Good luck and sorry about the truck.
Marlene-PurelyPoetry
I've read both entries on the regatta now, and I think it's going to be the experience of a lifetime. Even the minor disasters (there will be a few) will yield rich subject matter. We need to come up with a title for this adventure.
the boat trip sounds wonderful. judi
Wow, what an adventure that will be! I am so envious, I would love to take such a trip myself. I've floated down the Colorado and the American Rivers, but those were day trips. I can imagine floating down the river, writing on the laptop, reliving the great westward expansion and loving the rhythm of a slower pace. I hope you will be posting entries to your journal from the trip. Bruce
I always thought that a trip on a house boat the length of the Mississippi would be quite the adventure. I look forward to hearing about your trip!
Aw, I`m so excited for you, Allen & Buddha! And for us, as we get to share your adventure.
{{{ Hugs }}}
V
I know you want to use this blog for writing ideas and thoughts, but I would be interested in hearing how you go about planning such a trip. Maybe you could start a separate blog for that. Tony and I have often thought about doing "the big loop"...but we've got to get a boat first. Although he was a sailor on the tall ship Amerigo Vespucci for 11 years;right now he's a sailor with dry feet.LOL!
Kathy
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