There is an open spot in the river, otherwise completely iced over, that's about 20 feet long and 3 or 4 feet wide, at most. Here, the current flows fast and the river runs clear. It's a small window on what lies beneath reminding me of river adventures to come. Soon, we'll be kayaking the river as Spring opens up the […]

The death of one man while canoeing on the Sangamon River near Decatur reminds us all that while we're enjoying our river, nature remains full of perils. While no-one can know the details of how this person lost his life, we can all know that while the river entices us in, it can also be a dangerous place where a […]

Hi All Woody and I did go out Saturday the 1st.  I wore long underwear and warm up pants, long sleeve T, hooded sweat shirt, and a water proof parka over a knit cap, ball cap and hooded sweat shirt.  On my feet I had socks and closed toed sandals.  I wore neoprene gloves.  The gloves were too tight so […]

At the start of 2011, the river has finally thawed and finally risen to a great paddling depth. Unfortunately it's COLD outside. Just before Christmas however, Abbey and I cleared the snow off the frozen river so she could practice her ice skating. At that point, the river below the ice was about a foot deep and the ice looked […]