Good thing we are Waiting!

Our last trip to LaCrosse was not the joy we were planning.  The boat motor wasn't running very good.  In fact, it had to be guided into the sling to be taken out of the water.  That means we are now looking for a different motor for the boat between now and spring!  I guess we should be glad we discovered the problem in LaCrosse, rather than in the middle of the river!

We did spend some time at the first Lock we will be passing through.  At this time there is only about 1 foot difference in the water level at this spot.  We traveled down the river road a ways and enjoyed some beautiful scenery.

Upon return from Wisconsin we went to the Jug in Chenoa to meet our friends from Montana.  While there, we met a young man that  actually did the trip we are planning but instead of stopping at Mobile, he and his grandparents went all the way to Sarasota, Florida.  The boat he was in was twice the size of ours!!!  He did not seem to enjoy the waves on the Gulf but did like the other part of the trip.  That got us excited again.

Rick and I began to get on each other's nerves a little during this part of the trip.  I think that we are both worn out of optimism.  I think some time in Florida, Texas and Arizona will help renew our spirit.

Check a few of  these shots.  And until next April, That's All for Rick and Diane's Big Adventure!

Heading Back to LaCrosse

Our decision for this fall has been made.  We will head back to LaCrosse in our rented car tomorrow.  We will also take the truck to bring home food in the boat and the motorcycle.  The marina will take our boat out of the water on Tuesday morning and it will remain there until sometime in April. 
In April we will need to decide if we will travel a little way down river and finish the trip in August, or if we will simply leave it in the water for the summer in LaCrosse and do the entire journey in August.  Hopefully, we will not have the flooding issue next August.
We will simply keep the blog spot so you can see how well Rick and Diane get along as a retired couple!  Only kidding (it was Patti's idea)!  I just think that I can occasionally post where we are and when the trip time comes, if interested, you will all have the site information.
Some people have mentioned that they cannot comment on the blog.  I have made it so only followers can comment.  This keeps any random person from making comments.  Of course, you can always e-mail us at rdtrachsel@gmail.com  

Looking forward to the arrival of friends from Montana this week.  Originally, we had hoped they could join us on the river.  Guess we'll visit in Chenoa instead.  Diane

Back In Chenoa

We arrived home about 9:30 this evening.  Before leaving LaCrosse we did some checking on having the boat taken out of the water to be dry-docked for the winter in case we want to do the trip next summer.  We also checked on a slip to put it in the water in April to enjoy a time or two over the summer.  We are strongly considering waiting until next August to do the trip.  They say this fall flood only happens about once every 50 years.  It is not so bad in LaCrosse, nor is it real bad where the Mississippi is wide.  The problem is that the weather is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter and the entire scope of the trip seems to be changing.
We are both really looking forward to doing the trip.  The reality is, it may be one year behind schedule.  We have the week to think about it and make our decision.  We'll keep in touch and let everyone know what we decide.
Thanks again to all of you who helped get the boat out of the shed!  Without you, we couldn't even have enjoyed the wonderful 10 days in LaCrosse.  Diane

HIGH WATER DELAY

 We spent the morning contacting marinas south of here and have discovered that most of them are flooded and parts of the river are even closed.  Even though we are not happy about it, we have decided to rent a car and return to Chenoa for the week.  We will stock up on some warmer clothes, take the Quimby's (river trip-tic) with us and plan to resume our trip next week. Maybe we'll even get the part to make our furnace work.

Looking forward to seeing a few of you in Chenoa.  I think Becki will be home over the weekend, which will be nice.  Unless something of a disaster happens between now and next Monday, we say "Have a great week" and if you have a little room in your prayers ask for the Mississippi River to get below flood stage.  (We know it is not big on the prayer list, but sure would be nice!)

Weekend coolness is arriving

The clouds are rolling in.  They say we may have some showers this evening.  It is nothing that should stop us from leaving on Monday.  Our neighbor, nearby boat owner, was evacuated today.  He lives on his boat in order to not pay taxes, etc.  He was "subletting" a dock slip but the owners of the slip got upset.  We've had police here almost everyday because of it.  He decided it was time to move on.  It is amazing the people we are meeting!!!

We enjoyed the parade last night.  It ended  a little early due to an accident but since we didn't know about it, no problem.  I ate my second best brat since being in LaCrosse.  Interestingly, brats have never been on my list of "good foods".

Check out a few of these pics.  One is the dock where we are staying and a few others are the parade and the "after-parade". 

I am unsure if I will have any news over the weekend.  Our furnace is not fixed and it is to get cold.  We will adjust!  And, we are not leaving until Monday morning.  I will make sure to post on Monday to let everyone know we are finally on our way.  Diane