This morning we woke up and were greeted by a beautiful sunrise and a heavy fog that blanketed the river. Thanks to Bird we were able to feast on scrambled eggs, toast, and oranges! Dave was like a kid on Christmas, all smiles. It's funny how the little things like eggs and toast can be so great, so special when life gets boiled down to its component parts. Just as we were finishing breakfast Charlie pulled up. We loaded into his truck with Dave and Reggie in the back. Reggie was unsure about riding in the back but he ended doing fine. We stopped off at Charlie's house. He offered us a shower and although we would be sweaty and sticky by the end of the day I was not going to pass one up, it was glorious! After showering we headed to the store leaving our electronics plugged in at his house. Once again Dave and Reggie road in the back. As we were about to go into the store Dave realized that he left our wallet at Charlie's house, ahh! So while Charlie and Dave went back to the house to get the wallet I started shopping. After they returned I had already finished and in no time we were back on the the river and thankfully the fog lifted. Shortly after leaving Paulina the same hectic intensity of industry resumed as we approached New Orleans. Around noon the sky's began to darken as rain storms closed in on us and the winds increased. The entire day we wound our way through the industrial chaos of this section of the river all the while getting rained on. The ship and barge traffic was intense. As the rain continued Dave continually told me to put on my rain jacket but I refused because of the significant degree of anxiety that I was experiencing as a result of the intense traffic, wind, and waves. We ended up stopping early t0day because we were both soaking wet and we were fried. The ships, the wind, the waves...when they all come together at the same time it's scary for me. The way my eyes works changes the picture of what's happening. I don't make it a point to tell everyone I meet or highlight it at all really but I have a visual impairment called Stargardts. Stargardts is a genetic disorder effecting the roads and cones in the eyes which significantly impairs central vision and thus peripheral vision is clearest. If you look at a tree from 400ft away on a foggy day that's how I would see the tree from 20ft away on a clear day. When we enter busy areas where the ship traffic and barge traffic is heavy they would at times look like they were coming directly at us although they weren't. Dave does a good job reassuring me that we are ok and that the ships are not going to run into us. He would tell me where they were ahead of time and what he believed thier trajectory to be. As we paddled through the Gauntlet ( the busy industrial section between Baton Rouge and New Orleans) Dave would update me of any and all traffic north and south of us then advise where we needed to go or what side I should paddle on. Kinda like a human radar. The truth is most people don't realize that I have a visual disability. I'm Amanda first my vision does define who I am it's just a part of me. That's the way I live and how my parents, my siblings, my husband and his family treat me.
Sunrise in Pualina Louisiana
A list of the Industry that you go through from Baton Rouge through New Orleans
Repairs on the tent
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