Kathy, author of three river books with more to come, is a retired river captain's wife and has "been there, done that." She knows the river and has spent hundreds of days riding the boats and collecting information for her books. She is also a tireless supporter of water transportation and water resource development. Visit www.LittleRiverBooks.com often and find "TOW TALKIN’" a delightful new experience in river chats. It will be posted each week.

Tow Talkin’

December 21, 2009

The other day the Tigre came up with the Burl Joe in tow. They stopped in Clinton for a couple of days. That Burl Joe is the smallest thing there is.

Just when I thought the towing season was over the ARTCO boats M/vs Prairie Dawn and Coral Dawn came up light boat but only to Clinton. They went down that night with a few barges each.

We do have the M/v Julien Dubuque, Suland, Gold Cup, and Saratoga still in the neighborhood.

There was ice clear across the river but now it is open. Just a bit of ice right in front of the house out to the little island. We still have snow on the ground and that makes me happy. I just love winter.

Well, this is short but I’ve got to go take a nap. This chronic fatigue is about to do me in.

So long from the old river rat.

Click here to e-mail the Old River Rat!

Click here to read previous "Tow Talkin'" columns by Kathy Flippo!

Beaver Island Remembered
- by Kathy Flippo
112 pages. Generously illustrated. Soft cover. Now in its third printing. This popular book is a history of some of the people who lived on Beaver Island (just off the Mississippi River right bank at Clinton, Iowa) from the time Charles and Ann Meyers settled there in 1840 until March 1995. We get a glimpse of the "Beaver Island War," which took place in 1842, clearly establishing that the Clintonians ruled the island. From then on, the upper end of the island drew many settlers, mostly of Swedish and German descent. The island was a sportsmen’s paradise, and Kathy Flippo describes what it was like to work on the island, what residents (128 when the population was at its peak) did for fun, for transportation, for education, and for groceries, and how they survived during high water. Usually same- or second-day shipping!

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Between The Saints:  Louis and Paul
- by Kathy Flippo
325 pages. Generously illustrated. Soft cover. Nonfiction: Upper Mississippi. This marvelous book is a must for anyone even thinking about working on the river or for those just wondering what river life is like. Author’s captain husband spent 50 years on the river. She spent much time on towboats and tells all (almost). Describes river towns and displays pictures of hundreds of boats. It will keep you turning pages. Usually same- or second-day shipping!

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Back To Beaver Island
- by Kathy Flippo
216 pages. Soft Cover. More than 250 illustrations. This book is a sequel to Beaver Island Remembered. The author delves more deeply into the lives of those residents of Beaver island (just off the right bank of the Mississippi River at Clinton, Iowa). The island became populated in the middle of the last century and remained so through the mid 1900s. Ever wonder what people did on a small island in the Mississippi? They had a blast - and some hard times, too. If you missed the first book, don’t miss this one. If you have the first book, it’s still worth the chips, because the author invited all of the surviving island residents and their families back to the island for a get-together. This meant scads of new pictures and tons of new information. Usually same- or second-day shipping!

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