14MAY2012 near Slater, MO - Paddling away this morning I almost immediately saw two whitetail deer, strolling the water's edge and looking deery.  Being out in the middle of a now widening river, they saw me only because my dip,dip and swing is eyecatching.  Of course they then made their way up and into the woods.  Great Blue Herons and bald eagles have been seen also this morning as well as more deer. 
For six miles I paddled a totally calm river.  Water surges up on occasion looking like weak syrup poured on a warm plate ... it mounds up briefly before settling out and being watery.  It swirls around on the edges making small whirlpools and eventually gets carried downstream.  Paddling into these surges is something to avoid.  Direction gets difficult to maintain, the paddle has no force and the thought of turnover enters one's mind.  It seems that were the surge to come up directly under the canoe, the canoe could simply go straight down.  Would it go down far enough to get swamped?  Do you think I want to find out?  I wonder how much more powerful such surges will be on the larger Mississippi River. 
I went ashore at Dalton Bottoms, emptied my garbage, tied down my load and pushed off again.  Thirteen more smooth paddling miles later brought me to Glasgow.  I sat in Henderson Drug Store (Est 1841) and updated some blogs.  In 1841 maybe 100 white folks lived in Montana and in Glasgow, Missouri a drug store was opening.  Glasgow has a city park that allows camping and has showers.  Though getting here early, I may sit this afternoon out and enjoy Glasgow.
Indeed I spent the afternoon blogging at the library, getting some food resupply and just relaxing.  I planned to arise tomorrow morning at the Glasgow park, but upon going back at 1800 I found a group of about ten folks downing some beers and solving the world's - and Glasgow's - problems.  I joined them and by 1900 Gary Wright had offered his apartment for me to sleep in, so I was there rather than setting up my tent.  While Gary was off to a trivial pursuit competition I enjoyed watching my alma mater lose a baseball game to Florida State.  Well, the loss was not enjoyed, just the watching - very nice to catch that. 
The group at the park is fascinating.  There is a guy named Snake with a braided beard and a Confederate battle flag hat, there is a Ron Paul/NRA guy who never stops smiling, there is a 46 year old guy who wants a Phillipina wife yet still pays rent, there is a lady who can do it all, there is Gary, a carpenter - with a crew of four - who has seen it all and there are several others.  All-in-all these folks are unbeatable.  I assure you that should some foreign country have the ability and temerity to conquer and occupy this nation, these folks would in time send them home.  These folks would fan out in the country and subsist on rabbits, possum and snakes while sabotaging any and all efforts of the occupier.  City folks may capitulate, but these country folks would get it done ... these people can not be beaten.  I swear they can walk barefoot on a barbed wire fence while carrying a bobcat under each arm.  Thank God for these Americans.      
Today I paddled from river mile 245 to river mile 226, a distance of 19 miles.