Cruising the Upper Willamette River 2006- Above the Locks

9 September 2006- Saturday

Care joins me for this trip. We have planned far ahead to coordinate our schedules and the schedules of the Willamette River Locks. Since the locks are only open on certain days, one has to compute all this into locking up and down. I hate to boat on the weekends as the traffic is always hectic, but have to surrender to the Lock Schedules.

We depart Scappoose Moorage at 1400 hrs and spend the night at Hadleys landing, a state marine dock on the upper Multnomah Channel. There are no longer Porta Potties at the dock, so we hike into the nearest ones and pick blackberries along the way. Its a quite day and evening as only one other boat is here with us.
Days Run 5.2 nm

The Willamette River Hadleys Landing to Oregon City

10 September 2006- Sunday
We get an early start 0845 and at 0925 we are on the Willamette River. We pass many ships tied to docks for loading and unloading cargo and pass under about 11 bridges, all of which we pass under without difficulty. That’s what I like about Shatoosh; shoal draft and 9 ft. height. We cruise past River Place Marina in downtown Portland at 1045 and head upriver to Staff Jennings and take on 7 gallons of fuel. They are having Dragon Boat races across the river. Our timing here is perfect as they will be closing for the winter season. We have a lovely cruise upriver checking out all the expensive homes as they cascade down the steep granite walls of the Willamette River. Many homes have float planes in addition to boats tied up to their private docks. As the river winds around numerous rocky outcroppings and islands we pay close attention to the water depths and follow the designated channel. At times you might be in 10 feet and minutes later you are in over 100 feet of water. You begin to get a clearer perspective of how deep this gorge really is. The Willamette River is interesting as it runs from south to north from its origin in southern origin near Springfield. We run into lots of salmon fisherman upriver and the Clackamas River is full of jumping salmon as we arrive at the beautiful new Oregon City docks at 1255 and take an inside tie-up, as the wakes from all the boats make it pretty sloppy. We use our afternoon by pumping up our fenders and adding several new ones port and starboard. I call and leave a message for the lockmaster and apprise him of our intent to lock up in the morning. In the evening Care and I walk a few blocks over to a wonderful restaurant and have a lovely dinner.
Days run 22.6 nm
Total 27.8

The Willamette River Cruise Locking Up River to Champoeg State Park

11 September 2006- Monday
Having previously surveyed many boaters along the waves, not many have cruised above the falls. Somehow people are intimidated by locks. I do have lock experience from cruising with Pat on her Danish sailboat, Skua II. We cruised across Florida using the lock system around Lake Okeechobee and I have been through the Ballard Locks in Seattle to get into Lake Union, so I do feel confident about this adventure. I did find one large cruiser who had made the upper Willamette River cruise the year before and had taken notes from his story. These are the oldest working locks in the USA and can be a little leaky, I’m told. We have to go through 4 locks to gain the 50 feet in river height. I also have preprinted locking instructions from the internet. Care and I review them and have our strategy coordinated.

We arrive at the locks at 0845 and I am unable to raise the lockmaster on my VHF, but get him on my cell phone. We wait a while and listen to the bag pipes playing to honor the 5th anniversary of 911 on the overhead bridge going into Oregon City. Finally he opens the gates and flashes the green light for us to enter the lock. The locks are situated between a paper producing company on the port side and the mainland. The locks are carved out of solid granite walls with ancient timber sidings. The lock master throws down 2 lines and in this case, you do not tie them to your boat. Someone on the bow holds a line and someone on the stern takes the stern line. Care is the bow person with a boat hook and I remain in the cockpit with the stern line and a boat hook. As the locks fill, water is swirling everywhere and it is a bit tricky to keep the boat off the walls and keep the excess line from swirling in the water catching on a prop. The locking takes about 45 minutes. I look up to see a low lying road in front of me as I am about to exit the last lock. I yell to Care to put the VHF antenna down thinking we have to travel under this road. Then it is pulled back from the paper factory to the mainland so that we can exit. My heart beat slows knowing we have made it through the locks and the sun is shining on our faces. A pay close attention as we leave noticing markers, what the entryway looks like so when we return in a few days I can find the entry to the locks and not head over the falls.

Just above the locks we notice a lovely State park with a dock named Bernert Landing
And I tell Care this would be a great place to overnight on the way down river so we could be in the locks at morning time. We agree that we will stay here. The Upper Willamette River is a combination of rural areas with rocky outcroppings and islands and there are lots of very expensive homes. The docks have huge pilings on them which indicates that this river can reach enormous heights during their rainy and runoff seasons. It reminded me of the Sacramento River docks. We arrive at another state park and dock at 1140.It is named Hebb State Park. We tie up and fix lunch and walk around afterwards. We give way to a cable ferry along the way. At 1330 we arrive at Boone Ferry Marina and meet BJ who owns the store. We take on ice, there is a pump out and enjoy an ice cream cone. We watch all the trout feeding on fish food BJ throws in. It looks like paranas in the amazon river. Just about every boat in the marina is a wake boarder, which means during the summer this would be one crazy place. Glad we are here after Labor Day. They do have gas here but no diesel. Up river we see gravel barges being filled. At 1500 we dock Shatoosh at Champoeg State Park. It is just downriver from Newburgh, Oregon.
Days run 19.4 nm

Total run47.2 nm

The Willamette River Cruise Champoeg To Ash Island and Back

12 September 2006 Tuesday

Champoeg State Park is a gold mine of a find. What a wonderful site, over 100 acres, RV Park, bike and hiking trails, old oak trees, lots of birds, a wonderful interpretive center, an old barn with a living garden that you can pick your own vegetables which we did.
There were lots of blackberries to pick and eat and we stored on a supply of them. After a long morning of exploring we return to Shatoosh and meet a couple in a canoe with a yellow lab. They are paddling from Springfield to Rainier, OR on the Columbia River. They will be camping along the way. He has previously paddled the entire Columbia River which originates in BC and is over 300 miles long.

Care takes a picture of me pointing to a high water mark on the pilings. Whoa Nellie, this was quite the flood.

At 1300 hrs we depart and head up river to the Newburg dock. We don’t stop as I’m told it is a long walk into town and then there is not much to see. We proceed past Ash Island for a little bit. This is the end of our chart and we have deep water, but without charts I’m turning around. I ask Care if she wants me to unload Pashmina so she can row on the backside of Ash Island and bird watch. She declines my offer so we head back to Champoeg and tie up at 1505 hr.

Days run 12.6 nm

Total run 59.8 nm

The Willamette River Cruise The Wish Full Filling Dock

13 September 2006 Wednesday

We have a leisurely morning on board and reluctantly depart this wonderful park and dock at noon. Retracing our route we pass through an area of rocky outcroppings and islands and see our canoe friends settled in for the afternoon and evening. We toot our horn and wave to them. At 1420 we tie up at Bernert State Park. I call this the Wish Full Filling Dock in my Children’s Version of the Adventures of Shatoosh and Pashmina. We need ice and I tell Care that maybe a store is nearby and we can pick some up, if the walk is not too far. Not long after we tie up 2 men come walking down the dock to check out Shatoosh. We strike up a conversation and they have Masonic emblems on their rings or belts. I said my maternal line were Masons and even had Mason for their name. I asked them where the nearest store for ice was and they said it wasn’t within walking distance, but they would make a run for us. It wasn’t long before they were back with ice in hand. I asked how much I owed them and they replied it was on them. They were happy to have helped us. A good deed done by these Masons. Care and I hike over the way to the Tualitin River as it empties into the Willamette River. There were lots of Canada Geese and Merganzers. We had an enjoyable hike and walk through the park.

Days run 14.7 nm
Total Run 74.5 nm

Locking Down to Coon Island

14 September 2008
Thursday

Morning brings a light misting rain and the temperature has dropped. There is a cold wind blowing. After an early breakfast I start a hike up to the land toilets before we pull out. I look up and see our canoe friends paddling towards the dock. They have their slickers on and do not look like they are having fun. “Have you had coffee this morning”, I ask? The lady says, “no, and I have been wishing for a cup for the last hour.” They are going to lock down this morning, so I tell them to go to Shatoosh and we will fix them some hot drinks. I return to tell Care to put on the kettle on the stove, as we have
company coming. After my pit stop I return to Shatoosh and fix up some hot coffee. They are most grateful for our kind deed. Remember this is the Wish Full Filling Dock. We got ice and she got her coffee.

At 0845 we depart and meet our canoe friends at the lock waiting area on the starboard side of the locks. We pull the cord to notify the lockmaster and soon the gates open and we get our green light to enter. We follow the canoe in and tie up on the port side of the lock. Locking down is a much smoother ride and we can see the gates leaking. It looks like a waterfall inside the lock. At 0940 we are out of the locks and circle around our canoeists to take their pictures. I fix Care and I some hot chocolate to celebrate. We proceed down river and have lunch underway just prior to entering the Multnomah channel. We decide to bypass Scappoose Moorage and go to Coon Island for another night on the water. Lots of Sandhill cranes are landing at Sauvie Island for their wintering at the refuge. We tie up at Coon Island and late afternoon brings some powerful lightning and thunder storms with some torrential rains which move through very fast. We spend some time cleaning up the boat and Care gets to clean the stove and I get the ice chest and refrigerator. My friend Pat on the Skua II always said,

"a busy crew is a happy crew."

Days run 33.5 nm
Total run 108 nm

Willamette River Cruise Coon Island to Scappose Moorage

15 September 2008 Friday

We depart Coon Island at 0830 and arrive at Scappoose Moorage at 0915 with a
days run of 4 nm
Total trip 112 nm
What a wonderful trip and it is such a delight to have Care onboard. We spent many evenings playing some of her favorite card and dice games. I must have lost every round of cribbage. Aside from locking through, the highlight of the trip was experiencing Champoeg State Park. It is really a must place to visit and are both very happy that we explored the Upper Willamette River.

Dirtiest Boats-Dock Losers

"Can't you just hear the conversation? "Honey, I just bought a boat, it needs some work, I got a great deal on it, we can sell our house, move aboard and fix it, as we cruise to Mexico this winter."
"Honey, did you hear what I just said?"

Dirtiest Boats-Dock Losers

I've heard of nurse logs in the forest, but never a nurse bottom in a slough. Survival of the fittest. These plants have a healthy zest for life, growing on the slimy bottom of a boat.

Dirtiest Boats-Dock Losers

The dirtiest Cal 20 in the world. Ugh, ugh, how could this ever happen?

Dirtest Boats-Dock Losers

A Westport loser: one has to wonder at times is this boat being rehabed and on its way up or has someone abandoned it and it is on its way downhill? My optimistic nature says,

"I'm hoping someone has bought this boat and is beginning to take care of it". However, my realistic nature says,

"It's a shame no one is taking care of this sweet boat".

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

A junk rigged schooner being constructed in Westport Slough, now up for sale. I have watched this boat over the years, so was surprised to see it for sale. Looks like a good boat to go cruising in; steel hull.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

The Klick Tat anchored off of Cathlamet Sept 2008

This is the nice cruiser that I saw twice on the Sept 2008 cruise, spotting her anchored off of Walker Island and Cathlamet. A single handed man was onboard. I never met him but tooted our horns and waved to each other.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

The vessel Viola Helen

I ran into this fellow in Sept 2003 on my first trip to Martin Slough. I don't remember his name, but he designed and built his 26 ft aluminum cruiser. He has some of the most interesting fabrications of metal designs I had ever seen. The hinges and hatch and doorlocks were really works of art.I am grateful to him as he spent lots of time going over my charts and marking anchorages, places to go and directions how to approach certain sloughs. I have passed him only once on the river and he was off in the distance. We both recognized each other and waved. He kept his boat downriver near Astoria.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

I have often seen this sweet little boat on the multnomah channel heading upriver carrying a stack of freshly cut wood in its bow deck area. Today she has large logs stacked in every nook and cranny.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

A beautiful wood boat cruising past Coon Island late one afternoon. There are many beautiful and well maintained vessels on the River. Always nice to see.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

Motor sailing up the river. There are lots of sailboats on the river but few actually sail.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

A cute tug-like dinghy hanging off a large sailboat in Westport Slough.

Look closely to see the energy swirls and orb activity that afternoon.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

Oh, this is my favorite!

The Florence A nestled in Westport Slough at Kerry West Marina. A beautiful built and maintained steel vessel circa 1940's.

Once a pilot boat in Alaska and now a home for her owner. I'd love to go to sea on this one.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

I took this for Jean, as it is a Gulf 32, a design like her Namaste 32 which she used to own. Hers was tan and brown.

Always a great northwest boat and fantasticc live-aboard boat.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

The latest upgrade on the Walker Bay dinghy; inflatable fenders.

Sometimes things don't make sense to me.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

This little fishing boat caught my eye at St. Helens City Dock.

2 recliners crammed into the cockpit facing aft. Don't believe I have ever seen the like.This is something that definitely would show up in the Delta.

Intersting Boats Along the Waves

A steel hulled Dutch built trawler. Jean and I saw this on our first outing to Coon Island in 2003 and got to go aboard. She is a beautiful vessel and I have since seen it for sale.

Ann and I watch as 2 fellows perform an emergency haulout at the Cathlamet Dock to repair his fouled prop and slipped shaft. They had her tied to the dock, cushioned with fenders and let the tide go out.

Interesting Cargo

The ships seem to get larger and no longer fit in a single frame, so I have to take 2 pictures and join them together..
These are car vessel ships; drive on and drive off.

The Star Gran from Bergen, Norway carrying wind generator propellors.

Often, while at anchor or driving I-5

I see more and more propellors being transported. There is hope for alternative energy sources.

Meet Udo and Bev Aboard Its Mee

I met Its Mee back in 2004 at Martin Slough when they pulled in next to me at the dock. We had a sunny, nice afternoon of story telling and getting to know each other. Udo, the captain escaped East Germany as a teenager and came to America. He often takes Its Mee north to the San Juan Islands and BC and does a lot of fishing. He is a fascinating guy with lots of boating skills. Bev, I found to be really a fun loving person who understands many spiritual avenues and does Reiki. Need I say anything more? But I will.

Later that summer I am returning from Cathlamet and make an overnight stopover at Walker Island Dock. During late afternoon I look up to see Its Mee pulling in. Gosh, I am excited to see them. Bev tells me about this wonderful new product she has been using on the windows to take off the water spots, it is called Spot X. The next morning after breakfast she is bounding across the dock with her yellow gloves on to start on my windows. Another generous boater who can't wait to help me out. I love it. She does the front windows and then hands over her gloves for me to finish the job. Boy the windows look like new. I clean things up and walk over to return everything. Bev slides open the galley window and is sitting on the sink soaking her feet for her early morning pedicure, I suspect. This is one gal I like. Footloose and Fancy Free.

I continue to see them on the river, but somehow it is never often enough. My windows are dirty again. Bev, where are you?

Meet Carol and Steve onboard Knot Enuf

I met Steve and Carol in Martin Slough in 2006 and hit it right off with them. What a delightful couple; it was my lucky day!

They live aboard their beautiful cruiser Knot Enuf in Kalama, Wa. I run into them on the river, as well as in Kalama, when I stop to pump out, pick up crew or have to make a run to the grocery store. They are always so upbeat, helpful and full of river knowledge.

As you can see from the photo Carol even has a sewing machine onboard, as she is an ardent quilter. This really impressed me and I made the comment that I had never sewn my curtains on Shatoosh. They still have pins in them and I am always nicking my fingers as I slide open the curtains. In a flash she was over on Shatoosh dismantling my curtains and sewing up a storm. What a generous person I thought. I always seem to have the great fortune of meeting such wonderful, generous people.

One evening I was docking on Coon Island during blackberry season. Knot Enuf was tied up on opposite side of the island. Steve is circumnavigating the island in his dinghy and sees me. I'm just in time for blackberry cobbler, he yells at me. I undock and tie up behind them for a delicious dessert and company for the evening. How great is this?

I always look forward to seeing them on the river.

Meet Larry and His Funny Tale

Since this is a funny tale I have asked Larry to submit this to the blog. I could listen to this tale over and over. I first met Larry in Martin Slough several years ago and we talked several hours one afternoon about our Hawaii connection, sailing and our love of boats and especially dinghys. I have since run into him along the river several times and always enjoy his stories, music and expertise on many subjects. I hope you enjoy his dinghy tale. Also, see his website link for his country western music cd's.


09/10/09
First, let me say that I have made it a life’s journey to find the perfect dinghy.
I have owned every kind of dinghy known to West Marine, Costco, and those shown at Portland and Seattle boat shows. Still haven’t found my “perfect” tender, but have settled on something I believe to be very close to that goal.

Being a musician by genetic make-up and a mechanic at heart, one would think I’d be searching for that perfect guitar or articulating wrench set. To me, those are tools…and a tool is a tool. A dinghy, on the other hand, is more than a tool. It is something that I bet the lives and general safety of my crew and myself on, every time it is used. A Dinghy takes people places, the “big boat” cannot go. A dinghy must perform well in all kinds of weather and sea conditions, get you there before you forget why you set out, be stable, ride dry, easily handled and/or stowed by one person, take kindly to oars and sail, and most important, not fail in the event of a hard landing, a cut from a cleaving crustacean, or nasty dock nail.

The “PortA-Bote” (Bote: Portuguese for Boat) does all this. The only thing it doesn’t like is being towed over ten knots, because it is light. Therefore, we carry our PortA-Bote on a cradle, aboard our “StarShip”. Because it is collapsible and folds to four inches thick by whatever length the boat is, some people will take P-Bs apart and stow them on the side of their boat, or motor home. I have found that in an emergency, as in an “on-the-water” emergency, Porta-Botes are not something one wants to be messing with as the mother ship is sinking. Porta-Botes are made of Polypropylene and are quite stiff, especially if it is chilly. This brings me (almost) to my tale.

This is a true story. Nobody could make up something like this. Anyway, I was at the Seattle Boat Show in 1995 or 6 and passed by the Porta-Bote (AKA “fold-a-boat”) booth. The salesman was showing a demo DVD about Porta-Botes. I’ve always been told that Porta-Botes were unstable and slow…everything I didn’t want in a dinghy. Now, with a wider transom, the boat could plane, was stable (even with two adults walking around in it) and took huge water. A testimony to P-B’s ruggedness: The Japanese Coast Guard had devised some evil plot to try to protect unsuspecting Japanese from owning flimsy American products. The test was to put over 600 pounds of concrete in a Porta-Bote and drop it off a dock, at a height of over 21’, on to the water. The test didn’t even faze the Porta-Bote. Well, thinking it was a fluke, they tried it again…and again…Nada. When the DVD had finished, the Porta-Bote salesman turned to the crowd, who by now had swollen to five or six, and asked; “Who wants to be the first in their marina to own one of these fine Porta-Botes?” I raised my hand and yelled…”I do…I do!!!!!” Besides, there was a 1/3 off discount which included all the options for free (except sailing gear), free shipping, and the lowest price on a Nissan outboard motor w/free shipping on that too. I just knew my wife, Susan, was going to be so proud of me after hearing about all the money I saved.

Fast Forward: (The Story)
It was the middle of a cold February. Dad (85 years young and victim of several strokes that has slowed him down some) and I were sitting gazing out the front windows of our house in Port Angeles, WA. We had a lovely view of Vancouver and San Juan Islands and were having a nice chat about some of the trips we had taken over the years. Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

I went to the door and it was a truck driver with several boxes. The driver asked if I wanted the boxes in the garage, but I asked if he could bring them into the living room. He smiled and said he would get his hand truck and bring them inside. Once the boxes had been positioned so as to make them entirely the center of attention, I started walking around them like a dog circling a rib eye steak it had just pulled off the table on to the floor.

Dad kept telling me that I should wait for Susan, my wife, to get home so she could help me, if needed, but I assured him that I could handle this assemblage all by myself…I’d seen one guy do it on the DVD - at the boat show. Dad said, again, “You know I can’t help you if there is a problem, so please wait for Susan.” I said, “Dad…get a grip, the guy on the DVD assembled the boat in a couple minutes, I can handle this.” By now all the pieces; the boat shell, transom, seats, and all the hardware were out of their respective boxes and neatly lined up…just like the DVD guy did it. Now it was time to put this boat together.

I put the folded boat shell up on edge (the center keel) and started to pry the boat apart. Wow!!!! It didn’t look this difficult on the DVD. Maybe, I thought, the guy had put together an older boat and this new one was just a little stiff. Also, the boat had been sitting in the cold winter air for the last week, while being transported to Port Angeles. Regardless, I was going to have this thing together by the time Susan got home from work…I had three hours. After some great but failing effort to unfold the boat, so I could put the seats in (the seats and transom are what give the boat its shape), I was about to give up and do what Dad had suggested…wait for Susan. Then the thought crossed my mind, maybe I could use my leg strength to hold the boat apart. You see, when looking at a Porta-Bote that is completely folded up, one is really looking only at the bottom of the boat. A Porta-Bote actually folds in on itself - twice. Unfolding once gives one a look at the gunnels (sides) that are laying flat. Lifting the gunnels up and spreading them apart makes it possible to slide the seats and transom into place, thus giving what is otherwise a polypropylene bag, the shape of the boat.

With shoes off, so as not to scratch my new toy, and much huffing and puffing, I finally got the gunnels separated. I had my back against one side and feet against the other side. Wow, this was like wrestling a Siamese cat…nothing but spring steel. Now is the time to remember that the properties of polypropylene that make the boat slippery in the water, are the same properties that could easily make me lose my footing with sweaty cotton socks on.

As I reached outside the boat for the middle seat….OMG….suddenly, I felt like Jonah, being swallowed by the whale. Dad got more animated than I had seen him in years. My feet had slipped and the boat had resumed its original folded shipping shape of four inches wide, plus me. It was dark and quite cold inside and there was absolutely nothing I could do to get out of my situation.

When Dad got control of himself, his first words were…”Would you like me to call 911?” then another fit of laughter. “NO!!!!” said I. “I know all those people and don’t want them to see me like this. I will wait here for Susan to get home.” I spent the next three hours inside the Porta-Bote wondering how I was going to explain this to Susan. I did ask Dad to turn the heat up in the house as high as he could stand it, so by the time Susan got home the boat would have warmed up and might be more pliable. Dad served me snacks and water through a gap in the folds and eventually Susan came home. More Laughter!!!!!!! Susan turned the heat down and then changed out of her work clothes into her “work” clothes. Together, we were able to open the boat up and insert the three seats and transom. Dad thanked me for the best laugh he had ever had and ordered Chinese food from our favorite restaurant to celebrate the occasion of my release from captivity. THE END.

Our boat “StarShip”, a 30’ ClipperCraft, is made of fiberglass. The mold was formed from an older wood 28’ CC gillnetter. As the bow of a gillnetter is flat across the front, a pointy bow was added, and that made it 30’. The first “new generation” ClipperCraft’s interior was all fiberglass. I thought it was sterile looking and had little accessible storage, so asked the builders to make the interior out of wood, to my specs, and they obliged. ClipperCrafts were originally built by Jim Staley, for over 40 years, and were made out of marine plywood and mahogany. The hull is a clinker or lapstrake design which is very strong. Overlapping side boards make the rising bow wake fold over and lift the boat up on top of the water. The bottom is very flat except for a short keel. In wood form, ClipperCrafts were designed to be launched and retrieved off the beach, most commonly at Cape Kiwanda, in Oregon. In 1999, the motto for the “new” ClipperCrafts was “120’ of Yacht, in 30’”. I have skippered all of the three ClipperCrafts built by Premier Motor Yachts. At this time, the first two are in Canada. Mine, the last to be built is in Washington State, moored on the Columbia River. I love the hull design. When few other boats are out on the river, because of the tall/close chop, it’s just another day in paradise for my ClipperCraft…StarShip. These boats were made to go many miles out into the open ocean, especially for tuna. You can see photos of StarShip and other dories by visiting The Dory Page at: http://home.comcast.net/~dorypage/doryphotos9.htm

Some of my favorite spots to visit on the river are: Martin’s Slough, Sand Island/St. Helens city docks, Coon Island, Gilbert River, behind Sandy Island (across from Kalama) Walker Island, Cathlamet, WA., behind Tongue Point (Astoria, Or.), and West Basin-Astoria. Don’t get above Portland very often. Kalama, WA, is also a good place to visit. The marina has a transient moorage dock and is a short walk to town for supplies. Kalama, a Hawaiian heritage town, has numerous antique shops to explore. The last time I was at Government Island, some loon put dozens of Starling bird houses on the pilings. The resulting poop on StarShip and incessant noise drove me away. What a waste of Oregon boat tax money, especially when there is so much natural habitat on the island for the birds. We hope that someone has since removed the bird houses.

If you like Classic Country Music, check out my Web Site at:
http://www.wichitacountry.com/

See you on the river.
Cheers,
Larry