9MAY2012 @ St. Joseph, MO - The sun is rising earlier and earlier.  Despite getting up when the birds started, I did not push off until the sun had shown itself for about two minutes.  Calm was the weather order as the miles seemed to fly by.  The riverbanks below St. Josephs are filled with wonderful camping spots, many with picnic tables and chairs.  This keeps going for several miles ... had I had this info and the energy to get a few more miles, it would have been fun to try one of these areas.  Energy to get here was lacking last night, though and would have been hard to conjure up based on the way the river runs.  Immediately this morning I headed west and then NW before finally settling in to a generally SW direction.   Rarely have I ever paddled SW.  Long ago I paddled the Colorado River near Moab, UT; that was SW ... that is all I recall.  Heading west last night would not have happened as the final 50 yards into that wind (and blinding sun's glare) was all the challenge I could handle. 
So this morning I picked up a bald eagle feather.  I think that makes me a criminal, but perhaps not.  I think I will transmit (notice how I did not write "MAIL") it to my mother for Mother's Day.  Then she will be both happy and a criminal.  But back to the eagle ... I startled it and it lifted off the Kansas riverbank and flew to Missouri.  It dropped a feather early in it's flight ... easy to pick up.  Other animals seen today are ducks and geese.  I heard a rooster - Kansas side - and I am not aware of hearing even one at any point upstream.  After noon I saw a fox, tuurkeys and a pelican.
I arrived at Atchison at 1030 and walked up to Paolucci's restaurant.  Wonderful coffee and who else but Italians to operate a restaurant right?  At the front table are three folks and a 90-ish lady (Mom?) ... halfway is a 60-ish couple ... two 20-somethings attired in bicycle clothing just left.  Hashbrowns done right was my breakfast with one over-easy egg on top.  Like grits in Spartanburg, hashbrowns in the midwest can be counted on ... fine breakfast.  I may order lunch soon.
Atchison is the home of Amelia Earhart, something any town would love to claim.  The waterfront here is the best I have seen ... only Great Falls and Fort Benton even approach how nice this is.  I paddled up to one of two boat docks and walked up to a riverside sidewalk about 12 feet wide then strode less than 1/4 mile to Paolucci's.
Leaving Achison the river flows SE almost straight for 17 miles, then makes a huge bend into Leavenworth.  With a NW wind these 17 miles were a joy ... just paddle and go.  About ten miles along four young folks (2&2) with four shotguns were enjoying shooting moskeet out over the river.  So I saw it again - Americans having fun.  At mile 418 several yellow heavy equipment pieces were working at fixing God's handiwork.  I've seen plenty of this type activity but this one rates special notice because several live large cottonwoods were brought down and pushed to the riverside berm.  Full grown cottonwoods - what's up with that?  Later - near mile 406 - I went ashore to examine more home damage.  About 25 homes in a row are either gone or irretrievably broken.  While all look similar every one is different too; one rumpled yard has a concrete cow, standing firm.  Back in the river I made the long arc into Leavenworth.  It is very pretty and the last mile is shaded.  Immediately downstream from the bridge is the boat ramp.  Serena's dad helped me shag my gear to a tent site and I was set up for the night fairly soon.  The only neighbor came over to share a bathroom key and soon I was cleaned and shaven.  At this point I realized how dirty my Blair-cleaned clothes had become.  Oh well, sleep is coming anyway ... but no, David Powell is at the flap asking for my ID and payment.  Ten Dollars and no hassle ... are you reading this, South Dakota?   
Today I paddled from river mile 445 to river mile 397, a distance of 48 miles.  Today is the 1st day of the whole trip that I completed more than 10% of the remaining distance to St. Louis.  I expect to do that every day going forward ... the next few days will tell on that.