Peoria Pounder

Blog S/V Visitor 19 Sept. 2011  Pos. N 39 44.2,  W 90 37.42

Peoria Pinks

There are many forms of water  torture I’ve only read about.  The ancient Chinese version where they tie you down and let water drip, drip, drip on your forehead for days.  We’ve all heard about the new fad of water boarding where they put a wet towel over your face until you signal acquiescence.  Or, like in a John Garfield movie, they stick your head in the toilet bowl and flush after a couple minutes (swirlie?).  But, the Peoria Pounder owes them nothing.  Here’s the skinny.  Take a big ole Dutchman on a Fri. nite and give him:  1 West Coast IPA at an Irish saloon with 10 crab cake mini-balls, 1  Bass ale at a Creole ( how the H do you spell) rhythym kitchen bar/rest.,  maybe 3 or 4 Hacker-Schorr draft pints and a German sausage at the Octoberfest beer tent ,  play a bunch of Latin rhythyhym inspired ? polka/ german marches  (Frie Bier Ist Gut)  until he’s as happy as a gov’t worker on pension( thanks, Sam Clemens).  Just lay back until you see that big orange ball peek over the up river horizon.  Okay, now let loose with the ersatz steam calliope on the huge riverboat just off his bow.  Give it some intermittent foot bass notes,  don’t shy away from the dissonant archipelagos (thank you Keith),  and stomp all over the melody.  Give that bastard some Sousa!  He’ll give you up his mother, his wife,  and his daughter.

No, seriously, we had an excellent time in Peoria.  The farmers market on the waterfront was an organic “corn”ucopia.  Met a veggie guy who used to swim in Lamberton Lake next to our house in his salad days.  Another preacher’s kid who moved around.  I think he had a little Methodist in his madness.  Good soup, buddy.  Fresh eggs guaranteed to last weeks:  blue eggs.  “There’s more in this world than is dreamt of in our philosophy”, ($10 to anyone who can finish the quote).  If yer ever in the big P, check out the Peoria Bread Co.-  this is my third morning on the best cinn. roll God ever graced this little blue ball with (Yeah, Bill, I know- preposition).  Thanks to the old man tending the roses.  Sorry, we just couldn’t resist the Peoria pinks. 

There’s a great bar for sale- Cap’t Ron’s-  just up from the lock, LDB.  Classic.  After hours party ‘til 4 antemeridian.  Mighty spicy bloodys.  Rog?  River is a little bit of a ditch down here- not much fauna, but we did spot one early morn coyote with a black tipped tail.  Still some herons and swallows.  “Summertime,  and the Asian carp are jumpin,  Corn is mos’ ripen, and the river is low.  Your Daddy is poor, but your Momma’s good lookin.”  We’re leap-froggin’ down the river with mostly the same boats.  Getting to know them mostly as radio personalities.  All sorts of luck, good, bad, and indifferent.  If it wasn’t for bad luck, some wouldn’t have no luck at all.  One gets the feeling that we’re all, less or more, in the same boat, though.  “People on the river are happy to give”  Thanks, Duddon Pilot, (do you know that river, Gary?), for the Penfolds Koonunga Hill shiraz cabernet 2007.  “Uhhh, uhhh,uhhh, I can almost taste it, now.” 

We’ve done about 400 miles and both tanks are still well over half from a fill in Muskegon.  Running at approx.. 1200 RPM at 6-7 mph.  Not bad.  Paid $50 for one dock so far.  Not bad.  We’re still hugging each other.  Not bad. “It’s not bad work, if you can get it, and you can get it if you try. “  Gershwin. 

Peace, Visitor out.