"Driftin Ol Miss Journal by Wali-G"

Sep 1-15   Sep 16-30   Oct 1-15   Oct 16-31   Nov 1-15   Nov 16-30   Dec 1-15   Dec 16-31  
   Oct 2, 2009 Fri

   New single day record for the Don: 32 miles covered in pounding waves and rain. Looking to hole up in Davenport for a few days for structural improvements, laundry, and football. Currently in Clinton, IA drying our clothes at a laundry. Looking forward to sleeping tonight.



   Oct 3, 2009 sat

   Pushin ahead through this snow and rainy weather. Trying to make it to Davenport to find building supplies, engine help, and possibly a propane burner for cleaner cooking and possibly drying heat.....expecting to run into an old friend, Dietsche for football and foosball.



   Oct 3, 2009 Sat

   Much love on the river today. Stopped for gas in Savana, Il and hitched a ride to the station. Then we stopped in Le Claire, IA for gas again and a guy was waiting to give us a ride to the station again..Pheng stayed with the raft; when we returned a family had given Pheng their picnic. Finally, when we stopped to eat, a woman gave us $20 to go tear up the town..,which we did.



   Oct 4, 2009 Sun

   Davenport, IA. Raft across the river from Moline, IL. We park by the Boathouse restaurant for Sunday football. Our tour leads us to the East Village and their Fall Fest. Headed to downtown Davenport, a guy named Bill comes out of the bar to give Pheng $80 for our journey. Then, as we walk dt Bill and his friend Bill pick us up and give us a ride. Alot of love has been shown in Iiwa and the Midwest.



   Oct 6, 2009, Tue

   Head out from Davenport at 8am. Get blown off the water in Buffalo, IA at noon. We decide to utilize the sunshine and do som shack improvements. We decide to blow the last $20 Bill gave us on Sunday locally (help keep Bill's money in the local economy). We meet Lopez and other locally famous people; Lopez and other locals outfit us with 12 nails, straps, a coat, and a Hawkeys hat. Pheng - "Go Hawkeyes!"



   Oct 7, 2009 Wed

   Stop by Muscatine to refuel. Hear from locals about this big gaggle of raft and people from NY that went down the river three years ago (we've heard about these all the way down the river)....apparently they only made it to New Boston then turned around and went back and sunk their ship in Muscatine. We also found out from one local that Muscatine is the Meth capital of the Midwest.... We think there might be a connection between these two stories.



   Oct 8, 2009 Thurs

   We decide to stop at every city we can to get gas, so we can tell our story and hand out business cards. Currently, we are averaging talking to 7+ strangers a day on the weekdays (Pheng probably averages that per hour on the weekends). Stopped in New Boston, Keithsburg, Oquawka. ....New speed record set for the Don Quixote! Cruising at 6mph! Unofficial distance record bumped to 35-40 miles in one day! Gas, money, and weather issues still looking grey.



   Oct 9, 2009 Fri

   The day starts with rain and frozen fingers. Spirits are not the highest, but the crew knocks out 30+ miles. ....Burrlington, IA brings a swing of events with their first newspaper interview with the Hawkeye.....and a chance encounter with a pair of canoers that also launched in La Crosse and headed to New Orleans, Phoenix and Pan.....the weather is frosty.



   Oct 10, 2009 Sat

   The day starts with Pheng, Wali-G, and that dreadlock guy making the local newspaper, the Hawkeye....... Traveling from Ft Madison to Keokuk, IA, Pheng drops the High Definition video camera on the deck and it promptly bounces off the back of the boat. Wali-G loses an expensive camera and footage from Dubuque to Montrose, IA, but gains a HD memory. The plan to release the HD version of the trip has taken a turn.. Warmth, laundry, hot showers, and donated gloves/dinner help end the day well at the Keokuk Yacht Club. Pheng watches the Hawkeyes for the last time in Iowa.



   Oct 11, 2009 Sunday

   Made it to Missouri. Forty percent of drifterRadio's audience has been proven wrong; the haters can sit down now......stopped by an old 1950's hunting shack, now beer bar on the river called the Purple Cow, for NFL Sunday......met a river rat named Carver that let us stay at Earl's Party; this was our best accomodations yet... Big thanks to Roger for the vension. I see one mean stew on the horizon.



   Oct 12, 2009 Mon

   Shack boat improvement day. Head out from Earl's Party in the afternoon. Sun has been very shy the last few days and temps are hitting the thirties (fahrenheit). Post up on a beach down the way. Have night time visitors; get to see a racoon and an owl.



   Oct 13, 2009, Tuesday

   From the mini-beach we head to Quincy, Il. Stopped in Canton, Mo and La Grange, Mo on the way. Ate at Grandma's Cupboard in La Grange. ...Quincy is raining; starting to think a big grey cloud sits over Illinios.



   Oct 14, 2009, Wed

   On to Hannibal, Mo from Quincy, Il. Could use some sun. Looking forward to seeing the hometown of Mark Twain.



   Oct 14, 2009 we'd

   Hannibal, Missouri. Pool 21. Looking to post up here for the 33rd Folk Fest this weekend. Still looking for a nice day for pics/film so it doesn't look like we are in the grey gloom of Eastern Europe (you know what I'm talking about Czech Repubic)....,looking to put together the first Mark Twain Pub Crawl.



   October 15, 2009, Thur

   Stopped by and said hi at The Muffler Shop at the request of an army buddy. Created the Mark Twain Pub Crawl. Inadvertently walked out of the Badger Cheese Haus without paying...went back and paid when I realized Erik wasn't busy mowing down cheese curds. // Staying in town for the 33rd annual Folklife Fest this weekend.