Page 46 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

There it was. Slightly off my bow, about 11:00, open flat ground around it, trees behind from
this view and my wife standing nearby. This was the one thing everyone could identify with

even if this was not the actual source but the recognized legendary iconic symbol of the start of
the Mississippi River, it was inspiring.

Funny as it was with two rocks there and an open spot, I decided to beach first to the side of

the marker before seeking to breach the rocks to the Mighty Mississippi River.

Pre-arranged as it turned out, John Sullivan recorded a video of the arrival and “cross over and

back” cut and splicing and speeding up from the Web Cam at Lake Itasca live. I do know I was
the first to do live from Itasca, but really who cares?

People had gathered. It was a Sunday afternoon and stray people had come walking up from

the nature center and were taking turns walking across the rocks, that acted as a slight buffer
between Lake Itasca and the Creekside here that is the Mississippi River. Though here it’s a

pond leading to maybe ankle or knee deep and certainly shallow.

A school of fish appeared and suddenly so did half a dozen young people with what looked
like a pitchfork but was used for spearing fish. They kept trying to stab these big o fishies till

finally one guy just reached down and grabbed it.

I landed the boats and started sizing up what I was going to do to take the boats between or
over the rocks proper into the little pond and Creekside of the Miss. Lori, my wife, filled me in
on the events of my sister watching, the video recording, people there and I listened sort of but

rally my mind was far far away……..

I WAS ALREADY GONE IN MY MIND AND DOWN THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER