Yes, we have spent this week on the IL River - seeing many barges (moving, discarded, being loaded, repositioning and exchanging crews).  We have met them and passed them and heard them pass by in the night.  There are many more barges than pleasure boats this time of year.  Many are being loaded with the grain harvest of the midwest, to be shipped down to New Orleans and beyond.  It makes one pause and think about being here in the "breadbasket" of the world.

We have met many interesting people in the small river towns and fellow travelling LOOPers. Last Sunday, we walked to and worshipped in a church in Henry, IL - very nice communion service with fellow Christians.  They were offering us rides to wherever we might need to go, as did the other locals. 

Boaters we have met include couples from Canada, Arizona, Ohio and Illinois.  We are in Grafton, Il today - it is right at the confluence of the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, near St. Louis.  So tonight we plan to go up to the top of the bluff here (at the reccomendation of the couple from IL) with a Candian couple, to check out a winery there at sunset to take in the view.

The weather has been great this week - sunny and warm days and cool nights!  Night before last we spent on the anchor, near an island, where there were hundreds of white pelicans stopping over on their way south.  Also, the changing fall colors of the trees on the bluffs is gorgeous! What beautiful sights to behold!

Tomorrow we will enter the Mississippi River and then in about a week we should be on the Tenneesee River ( this is where we boated when we lived in TN).  So we just keep moving on and are very thankful for this experience and the safety and good times we've had so far.