day 44: start of Mississippi, end of ohio, sand in my Ramon noodles

The 3rd picture is the flood level chart.  It's kinda like how as a kid your mom measured your height in the hallway but instead it measure floods.  I'm surprised it didn't measure the death toll too, it might be an important stat.

Today in Cairo Erik almost lost all his stuff, scary moment.  A barge must have came by when we were in town and knocked a lot of his stuff out of the boat, including food.  His important stuff got wet like solar charger and backup phone, but we're hoping that it gets dry and can work.  Erik will be fine, he said he wasn't even upset 10 seconds after it happened because, well, shit happens.

We're on the Mississippi River people.  Lots and lots of current on this sucker, almost as crazy as an ocean when a barge goes past.  Speaking of which,  not even 1 mile into ending the ohio, which I miss dearly now, the biggest barge yet rushed past us and created wakes 7 ft high spaced out by only a few feet.  Luckily were pros at keeping it cool or else that could have been the end of of the road for old Mr Oddo and Mr Barnum.

We covered serious ground today, I'd say about 19.2 miles in 3 hours and 40 minutes, just based in what the map and clock told us.  For all I know we could be in new orleans already.  But we're not yet.  Based in our speed today we could easily be getting 50 miles a day.  On October 8th it's a full moon so plan on a night paddle for that one.  Tonight is a new moon, the beginning of the fall equinox, and the first day on the Mississippi,  and ni we did not plan this intentionally, the universe just keeps working in our favor I guess.

As I sit here I can see the milky way and it is epic on a new moon.  I don't have place to set up hammock so I'm gonna sleep in a tent, or maybe just on the sand beach.  Erik does not use his tent and I give him mad props because the mosquitoes bite allll night.

Cairo, Illinois.   Every person we talked to told us we shouldn't be there, and to "be afraid!" I asked the one lady what we were supposed to be afraid of and she said a person got stabbed.  I said "ya but why, and why should I be afraid?"  All anyone from any town said was to be afraid of Cairo.  Weird.  I will say they had a big building, it was a project.

I cooked my Ramon and tuna in Mississippi River water and I feel fine.

845 miles to go on the Mississippi,  should be in Memphis early next week, then it's 250 miles of nothing.

I feel good, I hope yal do to.

Bald eagle count - 24
Times thought about pizza and beer- infinity