Memorial Day weekend in the USA  is usually filled with family get togethers, food, some form of adventure & the celebration of those who gave everything for the benefit of the USA.

This year i’m spending it on the river putting in long miles while watching others on sand bars gather together while others mow grass and get river houses ready for the summer. Today I miss my family, miss my friends and miss the community we have in the USA, but I am also enjoying the freedom to explore what others over the last couple hundred years have traveled with the same exact emotions as me. Today is a great day!

I think it was about 1:30pm when I cleared lock #25 and I drank most of my water waiting for the barge to clear the lock and head upstream.  Most of the time getting out of the kayak isn’t possible at the locks due to river currents and the rocky shoreline so sitting an hour or two can be a challenge. 

As I paddled downstream I caught the subtle hint of hotdogs being cooked on a bbq grill. It was the  smell of charcoal, the dogs slightly crispy with a bit of charred ends. It was the smell that comes with a visualization of a paper plate, 2 dogs on buns with just the right amount of condiments. I had no clue if it was my imagination or if it was true, but the thought of eating a dozen dogs sounded amazing if only in my imagination lol.

A couple miles down river there was a river house that stood out from many I have seen on this trip. Most of the homes in this part of the river are right on the river, built on stilts and have no yard based on the river flooding issues. Behind the homes, it typically looks like a jungle, with a notch cut out for the home with a dock. It is clear that most of the time is spent on the deck or on the dock. This home was different, it had great grass, everything mowed, the house set back off the water with a young kid power washing something and someone on a tractor cutting grass on the hill above the house.  I paddled to shore, the nose of my boat sliding into the Mississippi mud making it easy to get out, yet impossible to walk on the carpet lol. I walked up the long tapered grass yard to the high school aged kid power washing a trailer. It was clear he was doing it for the love of the trailer, not the chore that most take it.  He was like his grandfather on the tractor… a retired dentist maintaining the home his parents had before him.  I filled my water bag from the hose and headed back to the river when a woman walked out waving.  As she got closer she asked if her grandson offered any food.  I let her know all I needed was some water and was all set.  10 minutes later, I am eating the most amazing sandwiches only a grandma makes. Hawaiian bread, smoked turkey, just little squares of heaven!  I was quickly joined by the rest of the family, their daughter, her husband and both of the grandkids. (Dan, Pam, Adam, Tara, Hudson and Graham)  We gabbed like we had been friends for years, enjoying stories and life experiences.  It was obvious this family was very tight, a well built team with huge hearts.  Every single one of the was a leader, they all had confidence and are what true Americans are all about!  I wobbled back to my boat, grabbed a quick photo and bid them farewell.

The next group of people are the type

you love to see or hate to see.  They cruised up slowly not to tip me over before saying hello.  The clearly didn’t see me surfing the barge waves  prior to their arrival or they wouldn’t have worried about the wake.  These to game wardens checked to see that I was ok, let me know about some storms on the radar and grabbed a couple of photos for IG. We talked boat safety and fishing for a few minutes and then off they went to keep other people safe on the water.  I thanked them for working on the holiday and appreciated them for looking out for the small guy like me!

the weather changed quickly.  Fluffy clouds turned into much larger future thunder storms so it was time to call it a day. The usual conditions kicked in, is there a town close, is there a campground, is there a random stranger who will allow me to camp on the corner of the property & last is always camping on the river bank or sandbar.  Going down the list, I found a campground, paddled up and it was more of an air bnb.  I called the owner who said nope, the property was closed for the weekend. I took my boat out of the water and started walking down the dirt road looking for a couple trees to stretch my hammock before the approaching storms hit.  I rounded the corner and saw two great trees on the corner of a property with a couple trailers and loud Tejano music playing… Am I back in Texas?  As I walked up and asked about camping in the corner of the property the answer was instantly YES!  I happened to find a family enjoying the water and firing up the bbq. They happened to be boaters and UTV enthusiasts.  I quickly got squared away for the weather and then enjoying dinner with my 2nd family of the day. They had never traveled west, they didn’t know they are actually desert racers who haven’t ever been to the desert. If they transplanted to San Diego, they would be just as at home welcoming a stranger riding into camp in the desert.  All of them solid folks.

sadly I didn’t catch a photo of them but I did get Carters cell number.  ( He needs to experience Baja with us!)