A fleet of Marquette towboats just south of St. Louis. Very unusual to see this many without barges just sitting off shore.
Rocky Raccoon is still hanging out on the aft cap rail, he was watching the lines for me as we went through the Lock/Dam #27 Chain of Rocks, it was a bollard lock, which all will be from now on.
That is Lady Sheila, a light boat that locked through with us. This lock doesn't have the gates at the upstream side, but a "panel" that comes up to stop flow.
We were going to go to Blue Belle or whatever the pie place is called in Kimmswick, MO but knowing we may run out of time, they close at 3:00 I decided to make my own, of course with the choppy waves with white caps, high winds and towboat wakes in the busy commercial area around St. Louis, the pie juices spilled & burned in the oven, the smoke alarm went off.... but the pie was great! Best damn apple pie I ever made in fact. Combo of McIntosh and Granny Smiths, lime juice vs. lemon (use what ya got) .Last night the winds really howled as we were in Alton Marina, but we got up early and was off the dock at first light, we called Mel Price Lock/Dam to ask when we could lock through, he said "How 'bout January 1st?" Well.......
