Hello again, we're back and with confirmation of where 'Ol Ned camped Tuesday night. Tuesday's camp site was about 6 miles north of Osceola, Arkansas.

Day - 29

I got a call from the captain at 5 PM EST and he said he was just north Memphis, TN in Millington. Millington, TN is home to Naval Support Activity Mid-South. Captain Ned and Uncle Keith both went to school here in Millington when they were in the Navy.

Capt. Ned set up camp or should I say...almost set up camp near the boat ramp at the Meeman Shelby State Park. At 6PM EST I got another call from 'Ol Ned and he said "I'm paddling again". He said he had his condo about 75% set up when he was run off by the park ranger.

A quick note to the park ranger; I got a call from Captain Ned just before 7 PM EST. He said he had his condo all set up in your park. He said he was nestled in right along the bank in a nice wooded area between 2 of your big beautiful trees. He said it was much nicer then spot you ran him out of and he only had to paddle about 3/8 of a mile to find it. I asked him if he was worried about you finding him, and he said "no fear at all, because it would involve a little work and effort on your part, and you probably couldn't find your own ass searching with both hands".

Moving on...just prior to Capt. Ned's run in with ignorance on shore he said he ran into 3 guys that were out running a ski boat around. 2 of these guys were also in the Navy back in the day. They got along real well and I received emails from two of the guys. Now I'm not sure if both guys tried posting comments on the blog, but I know one of them did. He said he was having problems getting it to post. This isn't the first time I've heard this, so I'll go ahead type up what I received here in a minute.

In case you weren't aware...I know I wasn't...the Mississippi River has mile markers, just like an interstate. Capt. Ned said he was 703 miles from New Orleans. Hey wait a second here...Uncle Keith said Capt. Ned was 702 Miles from New Orleans...Oh yeah...there was that (add expletive of choice here) park ranger to contend with. The mile marker system is counting down and actually ends/begins 50 miles south of New Orleans where the Gulf Of Mexico and Mississippi River run together.

Wilson took the day off...again, but he worked Tuesday and helped move 'Ol Ned 75 miles in 2 days. WOW! He keeps up this pace and we'll be drinking a couple "gold tops" together before you know it.

Day - 30

I got a call at 1:15 PM EST and Capt. Ned was 8 miles from the Mississippi state line. We only talked for a minute or two. He was cruising underneath the second interstate bridge in the heart of Memphis. He stated the wind was against him but he was moving along at 4.7 knots. Then he said "oh sh!t I just got spun around, oh...well now would you look at that...that's a good shot of Memphis, I better take a Picture of that, hang on, let me get my camera". "Okay, I just got a picture of a big building that looks like a pyramid at the top and it's as shiny as a freshly spanked babies ass". It was right after that one of many analogies that 'Ol Ned uses that he said "oh sh!t, I just got spun around again...I gotta go mon I'm down to 2 knots and I better start paddling again" As always I told him to take care and call when he could.

We received an inner family email update from Gary this afternoon. Gary talked to his Uncle Ned a few hours after I did. Captain Ned is still moving right along at 4 knots and is leaving Memphis behind. It was reported that 'Ol Ned was drinking his last cold "gold top", and then he would have to tap into a warm one shortly as to not let them feel left out.

Capt. Ned hopes to make it to Penton Mississippi tonight which will put him in Helena, AR in a day or so. Were hoping to maintain a decent cell signal, but Capt. Ned said he's not feeling to positive about it. The only time he's getting anything is when he's next to an interstate or near a bridge. We'll send an update ASAP.

The following are the emails I received from Jerry Morelock and Bill Painter, 2 of the fellow sailors dad meet yesterday:

Attempted a couple of time to post this to blog with no go evidently. Doing an end run this way.

Cheers!
Jerry Morelock

Had tried to post the following:
"Hey Guys, that sure is a strange looking tree floating down the river! Hold on a minute...It's a guy in a kayak!"

Pulled the ski boat we were testing in a hard circle and went back to look at the tree. Stopped mid river fifteen miles north of Memphis to chat with Ned and point out the boat ramp at the local state park. He's in great shape and good spirits but wants said the wanted a beer about the size of a 55 gallon barrel! Plans to camp over the night and continue in the morning which will be his 30th day on the water.

Bon Voyage! (6/18/08) from two old ex-sailors and a river rat.

...time here now 4:25 CST just a few miles above Memphis, Tennessee. My two pals and I took the boat out this afternoon to enjoy a few hours on the water and sighted a strange apparition mid-river. At first we thought it was a tree ball rolling over and over in the river, but when we got closer we could see it was a guy -- in a kayak, f' chris'sake! ...well, we'd run across Captain Ned. Couldn't be anyone else. He said it was his 29th day on the water, and (holding up a tattered piece torn from a Rand-McNally Road Atlas) wondered if we could tell him where the park was...the one just below Millington. ...we pointed ashore two hundred yards to the boat ramp from which we'd launched a couple of hours before. We assume Ned's middle name must be "Amerigo," given his navigational skills. ...as we pulled our boat, Ned came ashore looking for a place he could pitch his tent for the night. He found a suitable spot at the top of the ramp where there was a clearing with grass and wildflowers (and only a few tall weeds). He admitted he could use a laundromat; said he'd been banging his clothes clean on river rocks. And he said he could drink a beer "...about this big," holding his hands a foot apart. Well, we didn't have any beer, but we did leave him with two cold bottles of water; he said he didn't have any place to put the ice from our chest, but we offered. ...and we directed him to the nearest marina -- he said he'd only seen one in his travels so far. Ours is on he River in Memphis, immediately south of the Hernando Desoto Bridge. We advised him to cruise under the bridge and bear hard a'port, which would take him into the marina entrance.
...we spent a pleasant few minutes trading Old Bill Snuffbucket stories of our times in the Navy, and took a look at Rainbow's End photos. Ned is quite an impressive fellow; our drive home was quiet. Each of us not-quite-mid-sixties fellows were wondering what the hell we'd done with our lives. ...now I'm going to quit, get into the car and drive back out to the Park with a beer "about this big." Seems the least I can do.

Jerry and Bill,

Thanks for the emails and attempts to post comments. Most appreciated. These are some of the things that I know Capt. Ned will really enjoy reading when hits the "Rainbow's End". When I talked to Capt. Ned this afternoon, the first thing he asked me was "did you call the marina up here?" I said no, but I can tell you who did...I pulled your email up on my screen and said it was either Jerry or Bill, and I'm guessing it was Bill because he loaded some beers up and was coming back down to the boat ramp to shoot the sh!t with you. I then got his famous "well damn the bad luck" and a chuckle. He said that when he got to the marina they were almost expecting him and greeted him with smiles. Anyway...take care guys...stay tuned in and in touch...thank you!

Hang on...Hang on...More of day 30.

We just received a short email message from Ruthy. She confirms Capt. Ned is in Mississippi and has a nice little isolated camp site set up and is chowing on some noodle soup. She said their conversation consisted of several hello...hello...can you hear me...hello's before they were cut off, so we don't know if he made it to Penton or not, but one thing we do know is that as soon as we know you will too.