IT'S HOT!!  89 degrees today with about the same percentage of humidity.  We left Hamm's Holiday Marina at Chillicothe at 6:30 this morning with two goals in mind:  (1) to lock through the Peoria Lock with no delay (some Loopers have waited as long as 5 hours to lock through at Peoria -- which we learned today is the busiest lock on the Illinois River); and (2) to beat the predicted heat of upper 80s today.  

 

We locked through the Peoria Lock swiftly with only about a 10-minute wait and were happy the commercial traffic on the river was minimal.  As we cruised along we saw trees with hummocked roots and wide spans of sand and rock above the river level -- evidence of a major drought season. 

We were passing a tug pushing 6 double barges when lo and behold, we saw Asian Carp leaping in our wake.  I'd never seen them before.  They sparkled in the sun and I got a photo of one and Ralph got a video.  We were standing on the flybridge when we heard a big clunk!   My job is to remove any Asian Carp that might leap onto our boat -- well I wasn't thrilled with this prospect, but lucky for me (and not so lucky for the fish) he had leaped into the dinghy.  I quickly grabbed my camera and took a photo, then the Captain and I exchanged places and I took the helm and he grabbed the boat pole and poked it into the gill of the fish and flung him unscathed out of the dinghy and he swam away. Needless to say, I then closed the cabin doors "just in case."

We arrived at Tall Timbers Marina in Havana.  Another Looper boat, Native Son, was ahead of us at the entrance.  It was tricky getting in because of the low water level but we both made it in -- but on our way in, we heard another clunk -- and yet another Asian carp landed in our dinghy.  This time, the poor soul had to wait till we maneuvered into the harbor and tied up, then Ralph tackled the job of getting him out of the dinghy -- and he was still alive too.

 

Havana is a slice of Americana (I know it sounds like it should be Cuba) but it's a lovely little town established in 1853 with brick streets and beautiful old sculpted facades on the buildings.  This is the locale for the annual  "Redneck Fishing Tournament" which should be called the "Asian Carp Roundup"  that was held in early August this year.  Bow hunting of these invasive fish is now permitted.  

 

I have an update on Ralph's Mom.  Tomorrow she will be transferred from Betty Bacharach Rehabilitation Center to Galloway Health Center -- an acute rehab facility where she will be receiving more extensive PT and OT for the next several weeks.  She is happy to be moving along and is doing well.  Ralph spoke with her doctor today who is very pleased with her progress.  Thank you for your prayers and please continue them for her.  

 

Attached are a few photos from today's adventure:

 

Mmmmm....ice cream floats this afternoon

Downtown Peoria

Our first leaping Asian Carp south of Peoria

Our second Asian Carp at the entrance to Tall Timbers Marina, Havana

Facades in downtown Havana

Beautiful facades in downtown Havana

Sunrise this morning

Downtown Peoria, IL

We have seen many river boats

Hummocked tree roots along the Illinois River

Whoa! An Asian Carp