Page 140 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

So far my distance finder was my eyes. Since I could see the farther landscape with so many
barren tree’s I really am not sure that was a blessing or a curse compared to others who later

would describe this area as “enclosed” or “line of sight” limited.

I could see horizons, minor hills and miles of flat most of the time and with everything appear-
ing as naked trees, naked bushes, brown dead grasses and bulrushes (I assumed) with some

green grass popping up, the landscape mostly stayed the same.

When on the “seeming” lake bed, (I would be told later ‘watershed’) the marsh like environ-
ment with a creek going thru dominated.

When evergreens were seen it would be a ridge line or in fact a dirt mound standing higher

than dead marsh flattened out in some areas while standing tall in others like a dead forest.

No Spring was not coming except to the grasses that seemed daily to be growing up thru the
brownery.

One “dead” appearing bush I had tried to snap off a branch and found what was naked limbs

was sap full and did not give, but held it’s ground tightly. In fact it fought back.

Once passing thru a overgrowth on the river, the bushes had combed ever hair on the head of
my packed kayaks and if it wasn’t tied down or under the cargo net these pushes would sweep

clean anything not tied down.

I began to notice at times something missing. I never knew what it was because I would not
need it at the time, but eventually I realized I was being pick pocketed of little things by the

River Flora.

And finally the river was close banked enough that it caught the cargo netting I had one time
too often and jammed me up so I took it off once I had to get out and float the kayaks again

down a shallow chute to a bend in the river up ahead.

That too had become my mantra of seeing and sight. Moving from one bend in the river to an-
other. It was Mississippi River Steps. Bend to bend to bend. Left to Right, up to down, all over

these “flat water sheds” this creek wound and wound and wound like a snake in the grass.

I had that thought in mind when I came up around the bend floating the kayaks and walking
them in from of me tethered to them.

Snake in the grass.

As I rounded the bend, a large bush reached into the widening creek and there in the midst at

the top sat one big ole bad eagle just as near as could be and staring at me.

I stopped and eye balled him back for awhile, holding the kayaks in check, till he lifted off and
flew near me and past me. It was awesome. That close. I turned to watch him leave. WRONG.