The adventures of these two men have been a real delight Lori, I am really enjoying their journey and all that they encounter along the way. Beautifully written as always.
I’m really enjoying the deadpan understatement of phrases like ‘gave some zest to the situation’ and ‘ticklish look’. You get a real sense of the kind of men these were.
I've gone over a four foot falls on a smallish river in a rubber raft which, at the time, felt something like Niagara falls. Those guys are nuts to do that in winter, Billy or no Billy. And for some reason, I keep hearing Mark Twain's voice narrating the words from George's log book.
This is an excellent, well-written, and well-researched serial. Only someone with a serious death-wish would attempt to navigate the Falls in a canoe. It's an almost unbelievable account by the politician George W. Gardner. Lori Olson White brings it all to life with insight and exceptional writing skill. This is an absolutely compelling read!
Thanks, @Christopher! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. George did a lot of the heavy lifting with his log, but it has been fun pulling it all together and putting it into context. What an adventure! And they’re just at the halfway point 🛶
My ancestor owned a transfer business at this location around this era. His company would transfer goods off steamboats for the market in Louisville and/or to reduce the weight on the vessels as they traversed the canal.
That’s awesome! I wonder if we could find a connection? George didn’t use those services, as far as I can tell. But I bet your ancestor may have know - or known of - William Devan at the life saving station!
Gasp, Lori! It's epic, even when you KNOW what they're going to do. Here's to the crazy ones. 🥂I may never understand why, but there it is. Without this kind of gusto (and lunacy), all sorts of crazy ambitions would never have been attempted.
The adventures of these two men have been a real delight Lori, I am really enjoying their journey and all that they encounter along the way. Beautifully written as always.
Thanks, Paul! There are a few more adventures ahead, but their journey has definitely been an adventure to write lol
The adventures of these two daredevils is a delight to read.
I can’t imagine navigating those falls in canoes.
I’m really enjoying the deadpan understatement of phrases like ‘gave some zest to the situation’ and ‘ticklish look’. You get a real sense of the kind of men these were.
They definitely approached the adventure with humor and the self confidence of men who knew who they were and didn’t take themselves too seriously.
I've gone over a four foot falls on a smallish river in a rubber raft which, at the time, felt something like Niagara falls. Those guys are nuts to do that in winter, Billy or no Billy. And for some reason, I keep hearing Mark Twain's voice narrating the words from George's log book.
This is an excellent, well-written, and well-researched serial. Only someone with a serious death-wish would attempt to navigate the Falls in a canoe. It's an almost unbelievable account by the politician George W. Gardner. Lori Olson White brings it all to life with insight and exceptional writing skill. This is an absolutely compelling read!
Thanks, @Christopher! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. George did a lot of the heavy lifting with his log, but it has been fun pulling it all together and putting it into context. What an adventure! And they’re just at the halfway point 🛶
My ancestor owned a transfer business at this location around this era. His company would transfer goods off steamboats for the market in Louisville and/or to reduce the weight on the vessels as they traversed the canal.
That’s awesome! I wonder if we could find a connection? George didn’t use those services, as far as I can tell. But I bet your ancestor may have know - or known of - William Devan at the life saving station!
What a literally wild ride!
Gasp, Lori! It's epic, even when you KNOW what they're going to do. Here's to the crazy ones. 🥂I may never understand why, but there it is. Without this kind of gusto (and lunacy), all sorts of crazy ambitions would never have been attempted.
Tuck in and enjoy.
I like the dramatic tension in the tale increasing with the presence of Captain Devan, who clearly thought these two were a pair of meschuggahs.
I was thinking of a different word. But yes.
Oh, yes. I feel like I can hear the water rushing by, building that tension.
Oh, and bonus points, Lisa, for the Yiddish. It's a concept that transcends language... but damn, fits so well in Yiddish.
Exciting! I felt like I was in the canoes with them.
Me too!
The falls at Louisville fascinate me. It seems such an unlikely place for them.