Don't Be Afraid. Wade. Wade in the Water.
Upcoming Events & Activities ~ Spring/Summer 2023
Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 902 "Voice of the Lower Mississippi River" Memphis, TN ~ Helena, AR ~ Clarksdale, MS ~ Vicksburg, MS Photos & Text (c) 2023 John Ruskey Quapaw Canoe Company 2023 Celebrating 25 Years of Service to our Queen Mississippi (And over 900 issues of the Lower Mississippi River Dispatch!) This is the 902nd issue of the Lower Mississippi River Dispatch... We have been building canoes & sharing the wild wooly muddy river continuously since 1998 -- through guiding & outfitting, and through artwork, stories, music, and more. This newsletter you are reading started out as simple series of stream-of-consciousness emails to friends & family, and grew from there. If you're new to the journey, welcome aboard "River Time!" -- where the big, muddy, Mississippi River leads us back home, to Mother Earth, through the magic balance of the canoe, in harmony with the birds, the fishes, the beavers, and all of creation.
Quapaw Canoe Company -- Mississippi River Upcoming Events & Activities ~ Spring/Summer 2023 Saturday, April 22nd Community Canoe (signup on www.island63.com, click "Book my Expedition" and select "Community Canoe") May 5 – 7, 2023 Erin Mulligan Yoga Retreat (details: https://www.erinmulligan.com/events/2023-flower-moon-yoga-retreat) June 5 – 9, 2023 Mississippi River Girls Canoe Camp (learn more here: https://www.lowermsfoundation.org/summer-camps) June 12 – 16, 2023 Mississippi River Boys Canoe Camp (learn more here: https://www.lowermsfoundation.org/summer-camps) For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company or info@island63.com, John Ruskey 662-902-7841, Mark “River” Peoples 662-902-6479
Saturday, April 22nd ~ Community Canoe ~ Helena, AR
Meet 2pm at the Helena River Park Boardwalk & Boat Ramp. Dress warmly! Pack snacks and your favorite hot beverage in a thermos. River stage: 19.2 on the Helena Gage. Saturday's weather forecast: a 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Back to land by 6 or 7pm.
Special opportunity for those who have never paddled on the Mississippi River!
Free for youth under 18. 1/4 price for educators ($25). 1/2 price for adults $50). Reservations required!
Please go to automatic online signup for making reservation.
End Note: Hot off the Press! Last year our good friend Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders’ became the oldest man to complete the 2,340-mile-long journey in a canoe from the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, MN to the Gulf of Mexico. Zak Rivers and Wilderness Mindset have made a feature-length film documenting Dale's accomplishment. The film has been released on DVD and video streaming on April 1st, 2023. Go here to watch and more info! Or cut & paste:
https://greybeardthedocumentary.com