Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Monday, July 4th, 2016

Monday, July 4th, 2016
East Moline, Illinois

Illinois by Way of Canal

The trek on the Hannepin Canal Trail wraps up today at Cologna, a town just a few miles shy of the Mississippi River.

The solitude is unbeatable.  Even fishermen along the canal are quiet, like focused yogis.  They do give a greeting.  Also serene are the snake, the turtle, the otter, the rabbit, and the cricket-- though loud, his sound adds to the calmness.  Voiceless is the coyote.  As is the coyote scat.  It is always something to dodge and it’s interesting that coyotes eat grasses, roots, and berries.  You can tell by their stool samples.  Apparently that’s their easy-to-acquire menu.

After two and a half days by the canal you almost forget what traffic sounds like.  The canal did come to an end near Rock River and so back I went to the noisier side of life.

People are out and about.  U.S. flags are plentiful, set in front of businesses and residences alike.  No, they don’t flap.  The air is still.  It’s humid.  Yes, weather changes and it’s wet in the air.  The canal had been like a mirror.  Only the tiniest of ripples had appeared during a five-minute drizzle-- hardly noticeable.

My mantra never changes.  It’s the regular sound that I shelter myself in each morning, which is the time of my walk-- the best time.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

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