With great thanks and relief we returned to river time on Saturday at noon. The Junebug raft made a nervous but very successful land movement from Clarksdale to Vicksburg, MS. The Quapaw Canoe Company shuttle crew performed their jobs with the usual great skill and dependability. Melvin Carpenter, Ellis Coleman and John Fewkes created a three vehicle caravan to deliver the Junebugs back to their natural habitat.
Once on the water the muscle memory kicked in for John, the Mighty Quapaws and myself. We were joined for the first day by “Missus Sippi”, the enigmatic and multi talented Patricia Schaffer, as well as one of the unsung heros of Monsta Movies, Producer’s assistant Jodwiga Wenke. Two gorgeous ladies and a crew of river rats. Needless to say, the tow boat captains were all on the binoculars outside the pilot house as we passed by. Their commentary on the radio was much more animated than their usual response to a Quapaw Canoe or Big Muddy Adventures sighting.
Through clear blues skies and pleasant river conditions we rowed and paddled twenty five miles to Middle Ground Island just above Port Gibson, MS. This place holds special relevance for Wanblee John Ruskey. It was his honeymoon suite with his beautiful wife Sarah in May 2003. Yes, indeed, John and Sarah paddled away from their great wedding reception in a canoe to spend their honeymoon on the river.
With little fear and surprising skill, Patricia made her solo flight on the river in one of the Bell canoes that have been at times throughout the expedition, support craft, or trailing little doggies to the mother vessel. We watched as Patricia paddled at safe distance, exploring the wonders of the chaotic water which often at the wing dikes or in the wake of the massive line of barges moving up and down our nation’s first great super highway. Meanwhile, the MQ’s provided their usual strength at the six rowing stations.
Despite the onslaught of ferocious mosquitos which descend on us at the “mosquito hour”, dusk, I was able to sleep well once again outside of the protection of a tent. I zipped the sleeping bag tight, laid down close to our fire, wore a mosquito net on my head, and enjoyed the luster and magnificence of a Mississippi night sky, Scorpio rising, the Milky Way bathing me, and the new Moon quickly making its way to an early night exit on the western horizon.
We were rejoined on Sunday by the Monsta Movie crew at the Port Gibson State Park landing. Also there to greet us was one of the most interesting and enjoyable ladies of the South, Mrs. Emma Crisler. She is the editor, writer and publisher of the oldest family owned newspaper in Mississippi, printing the 133rd Volume of a classic small town newspaper. She also happens to be John’s mother-in-law. True to the gracious nature of a refined daughter of the South, she brought treats and a copy of her newspaper as well as the Jackson Clarion Ledger. We read hers of course, and I checked the box scores in the big city print to see how my Chicago White Sox have been doing.
Just after setting off, again at noon, a foreboding sky approached from the West. Instead of making our way downstream with the potential of some real dangerous conditions occurring, we decided to ferry cross the river to a sand bar at the entrance of a long channel leading to Yucatan Lake, a classic ox bow of the Mother River. Upon landing a plan was made to fulfill a promise. We would go alligator hunting with the actors and film crew. We would explore the channel leading to the lake and attempt to find the kings of the swamp.
Monsta Movie crew hunting alligators.
Tags: Alligators, Monsta Movies, Vicksburg
