Friday May 20th
Today I arrived at the shop a little before 7am. I helped sort out the canoes and prepare for our upcoming trip. We are taking a 20 person church group out on the river for two days. This trip is really exciting for me because I will be the captain of Grasshopper, the 30ft canoe made from Louisiana Bald Cypress and redwood. The paddle today was from Helena, Arkansas to Island 62. We ate on island 61. The whole paddle was about 23 miles.

Monday May 23
Today I woke up at 4:30am and did all of my packing. Mark River picked me up at 6:15, and we headed to the shop so I could say goodbye to John. He gave me all sorts of gifts, and made me an official Quapaw Canoe Company captain. The last thing John said to me was "I never say goodbye, because I believe our paths will cross again. See you later, and may the river be with you".
From now on I will definitely carry the spirit of the river and the soul of Clarksdale with me wherever I go. I already miss Mississippi, but I'm not worried... I'm already planning my next trip out there.