Move to Walker Island

Happy Memorial Day to all you Military Veterans, Retirees and Active Duty Personnel. Thank you for all your years of service serving our wonderful country. In celebration of this great day and holiday weekend I am fixing me another big breakfast.
This morning I'm trying one of Pam's big country eggs and her egg toast. Yummy.

The sun breaks through so I go forward to weigh anchor and surprise; a 20 foot log is entangled on my anchor line. Back to the cockpit for the camera and boat hook. I takes a few pokes, twists and jabs, but I am finally freed of the thing.

The river is fast and many ships and tug traffic are busy scooting here and there.

This mother osprey might need to be looking for a new house, if the water continues to be released out the Bonneville Dam.











I pull in to Kalama to see if I can spot my friends on Knot Enuf, but no luck. There is a lot of debris in the harbor, so I get out, as fast, as I went in. I'm not looking for trouble. Many of the waterfront places are just about awash. Kalama river houses are high on the flood list .

Joyce calls and I give her updates. It will be nice to have her onboard and she is looking forward to arriving.
I slip fast under the Lewis and Clark Bridge and here is what it looks like thru the camera, the radar and the chartplotter.

The empty shipping vessels are in a que waiting for a berth at the Longview port. I pass the Star Juventas carrying wind generator towers and remember that they all seem to come from Norway. I say, Bergen, to myself and as she passes, I read Bergen on the stern. Yes, kudos to me.

A tug loaded with 4 barges passes me to starboard heading down river and my average speed is 10k. I make my turning buoy at Walker Island and head up the channel. My speed drops to 4.5k. A large Tolleycraft is tied to the Walker Island Dock and the current is running fast all around it. I dock Shatoosh easily and later the skipper sees me and apologizes for not helping me. He didn't hear the engine. I recognize his face, but I'm not sure where I know him from. He says his name and I realize he is Tim, who hauled Shatoosh to the Snake River. He sits on the dock railing and we talk for a long time. He has lots of questions about my Snake trip and my upcoming trip. He just keeps shaking his head in disbelief about all the journeys. He prepares his boat to depart and I am alone on another favorite place. Thanks Tim for hauling me to the Snake. He is one, cool guy.

The sun continues to smile upon me today and I am one happy river rat.