Grafton, IL

We have spent the past few days in Grafton, Il. This is an old river town at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

We started out from our anchorage at Beardstown intending to anchor at a convenient spot behind another island, but the wind came up strong from the south. This meant we would have a wind opposing the current. We would have lain at anchor alternately upstream and downstream as the wind rose and fell during the night. Each time we swung around, John would have been up to insure that the anchor turned around and re-set each time. Not a recipe for a restful night. We therefore pressed on after a long, but uneventful day.

These are a couple of pictures of a car ferry across the Illinois River at Kampsville, IL. The little tug has a post on its bow and there is a similar post on the side of the barge that carries the cars. There is a link that fastens to each post. The tug pushes the barge from alongside across the river. When he wishes to return, he spins the tug around, still attached to the link, and pushes the barge back across the river.

The river has really changed it's character, with rugged hills and rock outcroppings. We are looking forward to entering the Mississippi when we get going again. Right now we are waiting for mail, which activity is becoming the bane of our existence.

Yesterday we borrowed the courtesy car and drove around the area a little. We happened on the town Elsah, IL, a quaint 19th century river town that time and the steamboats have passed by. Many stone houses from another era make a charming change from the newer and somewhat shabby river towns we have been seeing. A sign pointed the way to a pottery establishment 2 miles outside town. Unable to resist, we took the journey and were well rewarded for our trouble. We found a building housing a small show room featuring early American pottery more likely to be found in eastern Pennsylvania. The owner showed up from an adjacent field and invited us in notwithstanding the fact that the shop was closed. He introduced himself as Jonathan Wright and proceeded to give us a short history of the town and that of Principia College, a Christian Science institution we had passed on the way up.

After a discussion of ''Salt Glazed Pottery'', its history, chemistry and place in early American culture, he proceeded to give us a demonstration by ''throwing'' two very interesting pieces on his wheel while we watched in fascination. We peppered him with questions, but undaunted, he fielded them all and told a number of interesting stories about himself and his pottery.

Gail, of course bought one of the pieces and chose a motif for the artwork to be completed by Jonathan's wife, Jan and shipped later this fall. You can all come by the house this winter and see the finished piece.

Well, tomorrow the Mississippi.