|
|
|
|
June 13, 2005 -- Vol. 5 Issue 24 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to The Waterways Journal.
| ||||||||
 In This Newsletter:
Headline Errors
"Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures" A Personal Note From Jack
 The appearance of two major articles in the June 6 "Waterways Journal" about transportation infrastructure highlight what is perhaps one of the greatest problems the United States is facing presently. A nation is dependent upon its ability to move products for whatever purpose. It is in the end that the consumer always suffers, but along the way (from the source of raw materials to the manufacturers) there are necessary deliveries that keep the system working. Further, the entire transportation infrastructure is an employer of many thousands of workers, each of whom spends his/her income in ways that benefit the economy. The "Journal" articles were written by Capt. Richard Eberhardt, who is both a tug captain and a freelance writer. His background implies that he knows the issues well and focuses on crucial points. The articles by Capt. Eberhardt represent a report on a May 25-27 joint meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Water Transportation (SCOWT) and the Heartland Intermodal Partnership (HIP). HIP represents government and industry representatives from 24 mid-America states, organized by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd). The conference was hosted by Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals (IRPT), which has been active in supporting water resource development and the towing industry since its formal beginning in St. Louis, Mo., in 1977. The foremost of Capt. Eberhardt’s articles was titled "Transport Official Warns Of Infrastructure Shortfall." It appeared in the WJ on page 3. The message is that our transportation system is overloaded and near the breaking point. The role of water transportation must be expanded because trucks and trains are not able to keep up with transportation demands. One result of the conference was to establish a committee, which is to report soon on the ability of water transportation to ease congestion problems and the "red flags" that will arise in that mode. The content of the second article is apparent in its title: "Four States Seek Funding For Study Of Water Transportation System." It appears on page 6. Many of you may already read "The Waterways Journal", and if you do, I recommend that you reread those two articles. The problems upon which they focus should be at the top of our priorities list. In military operations, the need for efficient transportation is obvious and never questioned. Why, when a nation’s economic well being depends upon efficient transportation, are government overseers ignorant of the transportation infrastructure shortfalls? The official being quoted in the first article, John Horsley, president of AASHTO, said, "We’re facing a shock of major proportions and most politicians haven’t got it." It couldn’t be put more plainly. Horsley is telling us that most politicians haven’t a clue to what is happening. Because of the importance of these issues, I am reproducing a portion of each of those stories and then adding a link so that B&B readers who do not subscribe to the WJ can read them in their entirety. The WJ reports on the nuts and bolts of water transportation. Since so many major adjustments are presently being made in the industry, subscribing to the publication would be most beneficial. If you care to do that, click here. Our thanks to "The Waterways Journal" for allowing us to use these stories, which also are being posted permanently in Portal To The Waterways. Transport Official Warns Of Infrastructure Shortfall By Capt. Richard Eberhardt The wave of trade coming from Asia will overwhelm the United States’ ability to handle freight if major revisions are not made quickly, said John Horsley, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). "We’re facing a shock of major proportions and most politicians haven’t got it," Horsley said. Representatives of 17 state transportation departments were given a detailed insight into the growing needs that increased intermodal (container) transportation of freight will place on an already overburdened infrastructure, at a conference in New Orleans May 25–27. The conference was a joint meeting of AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Water Transportation (SCOWT) and the Heartland Intermodal Partnership (HIP), a group of government and industry representatives from 24 mid-America states organized by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd). Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals (IRPT) hosted the meeting. With highways already heavily congested and many rail lines at or near capacity, transportation officials in government and private industry must scramble to deal with the anticipated influx of containerized freight. Container-on-barge, improved terminal facilities, dredging and short-sea shipping are the obvious options… For the rest of the story, click here. Funding Sought For Study Of Water Transport System By Captain Richard Eberhardt The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has taken the lead in seeking U.S. Department of Transportation support and congressional funding for a study of the water transportation system’s opportunities and impediments, Col Tom Atkinson told the joint meeting of the Heartland Intermodal Partnership (HIP) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in New Orleans. Col. Atkinson is the deputy assistant secretary-intermodal transportation of the Louisiana DOTD. He is a retired Air Force air wing commander. The four states that have agreed to seek support of their respective congressional delegations for $2 million to fund the study are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and Louisiana, Col. Atkinson said. Rep. Richard Baker (R-La.) has requested the funds and Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore has indicated he will contact the House appropriations committee leadership in support of HITS funding, Col. Atkinson said. Called the Heartland Intermodal Transportation Study (HITS), he said the federal Maritime Administration (MarAd) and Louisiana DOTD will administer the funds. MarAd is a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. With an emphasis on the inland waterway system, the scope of the study will be:… For the rest of the story, click here. Portal to the Waterways
Now is a good time to remind B&B readers that the sole purpose of this newsletter and the Portal to the Waterways section of our www.littleriverbooks.com web site is to promote low-cost water transportation. I concluded years ago that the U.S. needs the towing industry and a modern, well-maintained river system upon which to operate. That’s it in the nutshell. While I have tried to add some frills to make the letter and web site "fun" as well as educational, our goal is a serious one, and the industry needs all the advocates it can muster. If you visit Portals, you can also find out how individuals and companies can support our effort.  For Those Inclined To Pray
 We have modified the steps for joining our Prayer Circle. If you visit the Prayer Circle link on at www.littleriverbooks.com, you will find that those who sign up are completely anonymous. We do not ask for first names nor states of residence. Joining is as simple as providing an email address to which we can send future prayer requests. Each prayer request list includes a link for including requests.
By joining our Prayer Circle, you can tap into the prayerful support of circle members wherever they are. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. Newsletter News
Renewable Energy Information Abounds We at B&B have interest in renewable energy. Who doesn’t? But we also must retain our major focus on water transportation. Occasionally we condense a story about wind power, or hydrogen studies, etc., but by and large, we have to ignore 99% plus of the renewable energy news. Therefore, for those of you who are seriously interested in learning about how the U.S. (and the world) are progressing with renewable energy sources, we invite you to visit the following site and sign up for their newsletter: RenewableEnergyAccess.com. Like many newsletters, it provides a great index and condensations to give you an idea of what the main stories are about. Then you can visit various links and read to your heart’s content. Web Site News
During the absence of B&B for nearly a year, we were not able to keep up totally with our Portal to the Waterways site. Now we are reorganizing the effort in such a way as to allow visitors to find quickly the present status of waterways issues. Obviously, we center upon national water transportation issues and then move to those most pressing issues in the Midwest, namely the proposals for the modernization and maintenance of the Upper Mississippi/Illinois rivers and, our old standby, the Missouri River. But we also try to provide background to illustrate how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been involved in water resources development. We hope to convince readers that an overhaul of the Corps is NOT necessary and inadvisable. The service has more than 200 years of experience, while most agencies that would become involved in overseeing the Corps’ civil works operations (if Corps reform were to take place) haven’t a clue. Water transportation detractors (for the most part environmentalists) have done everything in their power, especially litigation, to obstruct any river projects that might benefit our water transportation system. As an example of how obstructive environmentalists can be and how they hobble progress, let me quote a paragraph from the June 10, 2005, "St. Louis Post-Dispatch." "After years spent fighting environmentalists and getting necessary permits, Holcim Inc. says the sprawling cement plant planned for a site 40 miles south of St. Louis might never be built because of soaring construction costs." The project would have provided employment for 1,200 workers at the peak of construction as well as about 200 jobs after completion, the "Post" reported. Literally thousands of U.S. businesses have faced obstructive tactics of environmental organizations, and I ask you: Is it any wonder that many of them move offshore? I am against the mass movement of companies to foreign lands, but if you are like me, you have to admit that the environmental movement has played a major role in costing our nation businesses and jobs. (Certainly not all environmental challenges are bad, but many are merely stalling actions.) Virtually every business expansion requires a flurry of environmental impact studies. Business leaders said two decades ago that costs related to environmental requirements took up some 30 percent of their project budgets. Wonder what that percent is today? Businesses that are not allowed to expand have no other choice than to close down or lay off workers. Right now there is an effort underway involving the Ice Harbor at Dubuque. Developers and transportation detractors want to move maritime-related businesses out of the harbor. Thus, were told, the city will not issue permits that would allow necessary expansion if some entities hope to remain in business. Over the next 20 years, Minneapolis/St. Paul officials and developers hope to move marine interests away from the pools in their area and replace them with housing and "appropriate" type businesses. So far, they have not offered any help for these marine companies to relocate where they can continue to serve the area’s transportation needs. Numerous business establishments depend upon materials brought to Minneapolis/St. Paul by barge. I know there are those who will take issue with that. However, in my library I have dozens of quotes by environmental leaders about how to stymie U.S. growth and deplete the population so as to reduce environmental problems. Well, they are succeeding. The major growth in U.S. population is coming from a questionable immigration policy. That means the population keeps growing but not due to basically due to the birth of more citizens. The need for economic growth continues to grow. So in that respect, many of the more radical environmentalists are not our friends. Advertising
Your classified ad can go in this space for $10 for one week, $20 for two weeks, $25 for three weeks, and $30 for four weeks. For details click here. On The Waterfront
Senate Mark-Up of Appropriations Word from Worth Hager, president of the National Waterways Conference, is that at 2:30 p.m. on June 14, the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark-up their bill. The Subcommittee allocation was $31.25 billion, $1.5 billion more than the House and the President’s budget request, which bodes well for an increase for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The full Appropriations Committee plans to mark-up the bill on Thursday, June 16th at 2:00 p.m. Anyone who is in a position to do so should contact Senate appropriators to support adequate funding as well as guidance that would allow Corps in its management practices. Members of NWC have been urged to communicate with the appropriate senators. In addition to drastically cutting the General Investigations and General Expenses accounts, the House added a number of provisions severely limiting Corps reprogramming as well as the use of continuing contracts. One of the hallmarks of recent Corps management has been the efficient and optimized spending of available funds. Flexibility is needed, particularly for O&M, and do bear in mind that all needed "pay-backs" are tracked. The House has indicated they no longer have a problem with large carry-overs, leading to their new policies in their version of the bill. House Mark-up of WRDA At last the House is ready to go forward with their version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. The Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee will mark-up the bill on June 16 at 10:00 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. The full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to mark-up the bill on June 22nd with floor action expected the next week. NWC expects the bill to be quite similar in many respects to WRDA 2003, passed by the House on September 24, 2003, by a vote of 412-8. Insiders believe WRDA 2005, because of the delay in the normal biannual passage, will authorize around $9 billion in Federal expenditures for projects (bearing in mind that half of that amount will probably be for the multi-billion "big three" — the Indian River Lagoon part of the Everglades project, Upper Mississippi Locks & Dams/Environmental Restoration and Louisiana Coastal Restoration.) Again, anyone who is in a position to contact the appropriate committeemen is asked to do so. NWC members also have been urged to do so. WRC is urging support of marking-up a workable WRDA such as the 2003 version. TVA Says It Could Save Millions by Switching From Barge to Rail In a proposal that leaves most of us in the towing-industry circles dragging our lower lip, the Tennessee Valley Authority says it can save millions of dollars by switching coal deliveries to its Gallatin Fossil Plant from barges to rail. Gallatin Mayor Don Wright does not like the idea because he says it will cause pollution problems and hold up traffic. Wright told "The Tennessean" in Nashville that he was disappointed to see that they could save so much money by switching to rail. "I want to help them," he said, "but not at the expense of my citizens." If the switch is made, it would result in scheduling trains with up to 135 cars each through the city several times weekly. It would cause cars and trucks to have to sit and idle for up to 10 minutes at four major thoroughfares in Gallatin. Some nine years ago the plant did get coal delivered by rail. Delivery times were considered inconvenient for city drivers, because they occurred around 7 a.m. and then again around 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Under the proposal, deliveries would be at random hours, and there would be fewer than five trips per week. The utility is expected to make its decision by the end of the summer. In the meantime, it has scheduled an open house from 5-8 p.m. on June 21 in the Gallatin City Hall to discuss the issue. TVA switched to barge deliveries about eight years ago when it began to purchase Western coal. CSX did not have the facilities to deliver such large amounts. The plant began getting deliveries up the Cumberland River. Now, however, trains deliver Western coal to the Mississippi River, where they are transloaded to barge. The contract to move the coal from the river to the Gallatin plant is held by Ingram Barge Co., Nashville. Ingram would stand to lose several shipments per day. Ingram president Craig Philip responded to the proposal by saying, "We [barges] don’t pollute, and we don’t block intersections, and we’re not noisy." CSX is working on a plan to get more business delivering coal east. It is presently investing in a second track in East St. Louis, Ill., in order to accommodate all traffic. CSX recently was awarded a contract to deliver coal to TVA’s Widows Creek plant in Alabama. The exact amount of savings to be realized (provided in the proposal) was not released because it is still part of the negotiations — except that it was expressed publicly to be in the millions. Ingram did not indicate what percentage of the company’s business is represented by deliveries to Gallatin. American Commercial Lines Trimming Corporate Jobs by 115 American Commercial Lines, parent of Jeffboat, is eliminating 115 corporate jobs to make the company profitable again, company officials said. ACL emerged from bankruptcy in January. The move will save $8 million annually. Christopher Black, chief financial officer, was quick to explain that the jobs are not being eliminated because the company is in financial distress. "The company," he said, "is as strong as it has been in some time." The cuts eliminate 23 percent of ACL’s corporate force, about half of them at its headquarters in Jeffersonville. The 115 jobs include middle management and clerical jobs at Jeffersonville, New Orleans and other river towns. Black said Jeffboat had a backlog of $175 million in production orders at the end of March. ACL filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2003. The reason given was high debt, an economic slowdown, reduced river shipping and an oversupply of barges. Some sources say the demand for barges may be down for some time. It was just reported by B&B and "The Waterways Journal" that Trinity Industries, Inc., Dallas, Texas, had orders for 198 hopper barges, with a total cost of $82 million. Louisiana Dropping Into The ’Sea’ Another major ongoing story that we cannot cover in great detail due to space limitations is the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that by century’s end, much of southern Louisiana may sink into the Gulf of Mexico. The Texas coastline, including Galveston, could follow. NOAA officials say the entire coastal area is sinking about five feet per century. We suggest you try the following URLs to read about it in detail. Several sites have been reporting the story. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/topstory/3210967# (You can also search: www.HoumaToday.com) Plan Calls For Diverting Mississippi Water Into Louisiana Bayou Louisiana legislators were briefed last week on a $9.7 million wetlands restoration project that would divert Mississippi River water into Bayou Lafourche. Called the "Mississippi River Water Reintroduction to Bayou Lafourche Project," its goal is to restore and protect the health of marshes in the Barataria and Terrebonne basins, "Houma Today" reports. If it works as planned, the net benefit in 20 years will be 988 acres of new marshes. First, according to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, planners will have to screen 99 alternative routes. The end result will eight viable alternative routes that will be presented in an analysis due in just a matter of days (in two weeks as of June 9). The engineering and design found in the project’s first phase has already been paid for by the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force. The state will pick up roughly have of the cost. Officials will explore other means of financing as the project progresses. Louisiana Boat Builder To Build Patrol Ships For Oman United States Marine Inc., with shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans and Pass Christian, Miss., has received a $18.8 million contract through the U.S. Defense Department’s foreign military sales program to build three Fast Patrol Boats for the Middle Eastern nation of Oman. The 89-foot-long vessels, a stretched version of a fiberglass-hull boat built by United States Marine and another shipbuilder in the early 1990s for the Mexican Navy, will go to the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard. The vessels will be able to travel at speeds up to 58 mph. and carry a host of weapons as large as a 20 mm cannon. Coast Guard: Polaris Oil Spill Could Result in Charges (An Update) A Coast Guard spokesman said both criminal and civil charges could be filed in connection with the sinking of the Polaris recently at the Port of Iberia. "Charges will possibly be civil penalty violations, and any criminal referrals will be made to the U.S. attorney," he told "The Advertiser." Some 5,052 gallons of diesel were recovered from the Polaris and from the Commercial Canal after the vessel sank. Fully 4,948 gallons escaped into the canal, but 60 to 70 percent evaporated, the spokesman said. According to the Coast Guard, the 50+ year-old vessel did not require a certificate of inspection. That will change. Due to passage of the Coast and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, certain uninspected vessels will now have to undergo inspections. The Polaris has been removed from the channel. Traffic is back to normal. As many as 100 businesses used trucks during the channel closure to get their products to their customers. The vessel will eventually be scrapped, the Coast Guard spokesman said. advertisement
The River School - Deck and engineer licenses, radar observer, tankerman, fire and water safety courses, video programs. Travel classes in convenient locations. (800) 238-7113 www.riverschool.com Our Readers Write
Re: Personal Comments June 6, 2005 Jack, you said you don’t have a dog in this hunt. Well, I see where you are coming from there, but consider this. If local and national jobs are lost and TAXES are raised to cover the lost income and tax base, then that dog is going to bite you right on the sit down to put it politely. What affects one affects us all in the long run. Ernie Wright (Editor’s note: I guess I was merely trying to say that I am not concerned about my own situation but am about the situation of some others. You are right, of course. It could jump up and bite all of us.) River Recipes
 If you are a towboat cook, home chef, backyard barbecuer, tailgater, or know anybody who is, please pass the word along to submit recipes to www.littleriverbooks.com where they can go to "Other Services" on the menu. This site is nicely designed and easy to explore. It also provides an easy way to contribute recipes. Keep in mind that towboat crews can number from a few to a dozen or more.
Thanks to Kathy Flippo from Clinton, Iowa for submitting the following recipe: CAPT. PAT FLIPPO’S SINFUL SOUP Retired 1992 off M/v Audrey Fouts, a 50 year river veteran. He came up with this one all by himself. Makes a giant crockpot full…enough for four people! (Oh yeah, you can’t just eat one bowl at a sitting…four huge ones is the record!) Fry up 1 lb. lean bacon crisp and drained (use microwave) and chop into pieces size of your little finger nail. At the same time get out the Dutch oven, peel enough spuds chunked to golf ball size to fill it; fill with water and boil. In crockpot put 1 family size Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 regular can Cream of Potato Soup, 1 drained can of mushroom pieces, 1 lb.Velveeta cheese, and 8 oz. grated cheddar cheese. Add bacon. Drain spud water into a bowl. Add spuds to crockpot. Stir it all up. (Oh yeah, turn crockpot on!) Add enough of the spud water to fill crockpot. Stir again. (or you could fill it up with milk instead, depending on how many calories you want.) Let burble and gurgle. Serve with sody crackers. And then you wonder why K. Flippo is so darned fat! It’s that Sinful Soup! Boat Photo Center
 This week’s Photo Center includes two pictures of the Cooperative Enterprise and one of the Twyla Luhr from Ron Richardson; pictures of the Philip M. Pfeffer and Trojan from Jim Klosterboer; the Penny of Cassville in ice by Mike Herschler; the St. Joseph and Sainte Marie from Thomas Waller; and the J. S. Lewis, Raymond C. Peck, and the U.S. Engineers work fleet from Brent Maletic.
Advertisement
I have a 35 mm Nikon F2 in mint condition and lots of other goodies for a combined price of $750. The only lens is a 52 mm Nikormat macro (and extender ring) that allows for shooting relatively normal pictures (no telephoto zoom or wide angle) that allows focusing down to about 2 inches. Other accessories include horsehide camera bag (large boxy type), and various extras too numerous to describe. I will not break up the package. Anyone interested can contact me by calling 314/921-4419 and ask for Jack, or via email at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. Book Beat
 While it has not been long since I featured the "Inland River Record" in this column, it occurs to me that river watchers and boat watchers who are not familiar with it are missing a chance to add a very helpful tool to their library. Then too, hundreds of the boats found in our Boat Photo Center are listed in the IRR. Thus it will provide myriad details about the pictures site visitors visit each week.
Many professionals buy the newly revised edition each year (the 2005 edition is available) but those for whom boat watching is only a hobby can actually get by for several years with the same copy, spreading the $32.50 plus shipping cost over several years. The book can provide them with many hours (yea, days!) of interesting reading, as they follow the history of their favorite boats, learn when and where they were built and how they came to be what they are today (if the names have changed). The book is accompanied by a CD, which allows most computer users to do a search-and-find procedure to track any boat throughout the book from beginning to end. It is a most useful tool, and dedicated river watchers swear by it. Our Price: $32.50 Nautical Gift Shop
Binoculars - Since 1928, navigators have relied on the Weems & Plath name for safe passage. These rugged all-weather binoculars are hermetically sealed and nitrogen purged for true waterproof and fog  proof performance. Navy One and Apache optics are extremely sharp and bright. By using high purity index lenses and prisms, aligned to perfection, the best possible image quality is achieved. Exclusive SPARC (Stimulated Penetration Anti-Reflection Coatings) optics eliminate internal glare and ghost images resulting in very high light transmission at night or in low light. The anti-corrosive, lightweight aluminum body will pass the military specification drop/shock test from 6 feet, and withstand a vibration test equal to 20 gravities of force. Extreme temperature resistance and waterproofing make the Navy One and Apache perfect for marine use and other tough outdoor activities. All Navy One and Apache binoculars have a five-year limited factory warranty against defects, fogging, or leakage.
7x50 Navy One Binocular - The checkered grips offer a slip-proof, positive grip. Meets or exceeds U.S. Navy specifications, SPARC optics provide nearly 95% light transmission. Black rubber armored. Waterproof! BN1A2 7x50 Navy One Binocular $359.99 
Steamboat Clock & Barometer - The hinged porthole-style case is solid brass with a lacquered antique finish. It has quartz movement for convenience and accuracy and runs on one AA battery. The matching Steamboat Barometer has visible aneroid barometer movement, and the antique brass case is hinged so that the movement is accessible from the front.280522 Steamboat Quartz Clock $136.49 280722 Steamboat Barometer $146.99 Nightwatch Collection - Photo-luminescent dials combined with corrosion resistant, black epoxy coated aluminum cases. The B/T/H combination instrument gives the user three essential elements in the weather equation: air pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity. Provided with complete instructions, mounting hardware, lifetime warranty, and a fresh battery as required.  Night Watch Quartz Clock - N battery operated, precision movement. Wt. 5.2 oz.240513 Night Watch Quartz Clock $125.99  Night Watch Barometer/Thermometer/Hygrometer - Aneroid movement. Fully adjustable barometer movement with inch and millibar scales. Barometer movements are calibrated for altitudes to 1,500’ above sea level. Thermometer and hygrometer are pre-adjusted in a temperature-controlled environment. Wt. 5.6 oz.241413 Night Watch Barometer/Thermometer/Hygrometer $125.99  Night Watch Tide ClockThe clock has a second hand to ensure proper movement, plus a tide indicator hand which is calibrated to the Atlantic lunar tide cycle. (Note: The clock will work for other tidal bodies of water but will need to be re-set more frequently.) It uses a AA battery (included). Wt. 5.2 oz. 240413 Night Watch Tide Clock $125.99 Tow Talkin'
June 13, 2005 By Kathy Flippo Well, the tows got a bit ganged up again at Lock 13 Saturday night. The Ed Renshaw was headed up with nine barges. Knocked the boat out to lock through. Then they locked some pleasure craft through…and not a life jacket on anyone. It drives me nuts. If I were in charge, I wouldn’t lock them through unless they were properly dressed with their life jacket on.  Then it was the Ardyce Randall’s turn, and she was coming down with six, so that didn’t take long. Push in, push out. After that the Bruce Hahn came up with 15 loads of coal. By this time it was dark, and I went home. Big thunderheads were rising up in the west, and I’d bet my bottom dollar they wouldn’t give us anything. We are in a drought with about seven inches short for the year. Add in hot and humid, and it is miserable.
Went to Minnesota the 6th through the 8th to sell books and visit old friends. Saw all sorts of boats, including a stranger in these parts, The Mv. Miss Juk was coming down… To continue reading, click here. See you on the Web, Jack Little River Books jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com Don't forget to visit our website! |
||||||||
