Where the Wild Rice...Flows

This was the hardest paddle day so far.  Paddled only 28 miles, directly into strong winds with white-capping waves. To make matters worse, I got deep into a stump field filled with wild rice. 

Let me explain that last sentence.  In this area, there are many man-made lakes, where they just cut down the trees and left the stumps in very shallow water.  That’s what I’m calling a “stump field”.  When we began our journey at the headwaters, the wild rice was not yet growing above the top of the water, and many times our only indication of where the current was flowing was to watch the wild rice underwater.  So today we used our very own “GBA Theory” to paddle where the wild rice flows.  Ever try paddling where the wild rice flows?

Got more wonderful notes today from friends who have made donations. It's all worth it when people you haven't seen for years donate and send inspiring notes…the Philippines, no less.

The highlight of the day was when two very special ladies using SPOT Tracker just showed up at our campsite with cherries and ice cream. Turned out that Phyllis and Millie are sisters to Jim Beck, who stayed at my house last year when he paddled through Memphis on a similar source to sea expedition. Jim brought his lovely wife to our house on his way back through Memphis and he was able to finish signing my "Paddlers Wall of Fame" as I call it.