A Lovely Anchorage

The fog lifted as we left the harbor this morning and headed downstream about 10 AM along with all the other Sunday morning pleasure crafts and barges on the Illinois River. As the day went on it got prettier and prettier. It was a picture postcard day....the water was like glass, the sky was blue and the temperature about 84 degrees. I couldn't believe that I was actually wearing a bathing suit in Illinois in September! Lovely.

We saw a bald eagle...lots of geese...a few osprey...still no leaping carp (which by the way, they lifted the ban 2 days after we paid $500 bucks to get towed through...ARGH!)...so many beautiful blue herons...and best of all, we saw the white pelicans, which if we had not been told to look out for them, we probably would have mistaken them for cranes...the river is very peaceful here...more lovely.

We waited over two hours at the one and only lock of the day...Sundays are busy...next time we'll know better. We did 57 miles today...I was at the helm for a good part of the day...now, at last, we are anchored...behind Upper Henry Island at mile 196.5...we got the hook to stick first try...there's not another living soul within miles of us...we are drinking wine and listening to the Be Good Tanyas...and there is nothing more lovely than floating on the hook. This is paradise and Life is good on Ithaka. Amen.