Day 108 on the Mississippi River

Day 108

September 25, 2022

Sunday

LRM 336

1959 miles completed

I retrieved my car as planned. Actually, it was much better than expected. My daughter Tracey and I had great fun together.

The short version is: Tracey picked me up in Natchez. Took me to her house in Ponchatoula Louisiana. On Friday she took me to Mike Bohannon’s house in Dyersburg Tennessee to get my car. We drove two cars back.  We stopped for the night just south of Memphis (Horn Lake). On Saturday we drove back to Ponchatoula and left her car. Then Tracey took me back to Natchez and she returned home.

The fun part was: on the way to Mike Bohannon‘s house we stopped in Horn Lake and had lunch at Memphis BBQ company. It was so good we made reservations at the La Quinta Inn so we could stop there on the way back and eat dinner at the same place. Our waiter was Mario Findley. The food was good, the service was good. Mario was still working when we went back for dinner.

Saturday night I spent the night at Peggy Pierrepont’s house. She fixed me a nice breakfast in the morning: Eggs, toast, beans, and espresso.

Peggy hauled me and my gear back to the boat ramp. I was pleased to see that my kayak and gear was still there just as I had left them. I had left my kayak and some of my gear in a fenced yard near the saloon. Peggy helped me carry all my stuff down the ramp to the river. We talked as I went through the long process of packing everything in the tiny boat. We said a sweet goodbye and she took pictures as I left. I have made a lasting friendship. I’m sure she feels the same way. She had placed a flower under a bungee cord on the back of my kayak to ensure that I return.

I got underway at 8:45. I took a break after two hours to stretch my back. At 1:30 I stoped for lunch. At 2 o’clock I resumed paddling and did not get even a mile. I had to stop because of the heat. I found a shady spot under some trees and rested till 4 o’clock. Then I paddled another hour and a half and camped.

The sunset was very colorful.

The mosquitoes were bad. It was hot in the tent.

I knew the heat wave would be over in the morning. The wind was shifting to come out of the Northwest.