Day 125 Peoria

Our bonfire last night was a success. John got a rip roaring fire going in no time. About 10 other Loopers joined us as the evening passed - good times. Six of us attempted to leave the marina at the crack of dawn, but were delayed with a fog bank. It dissipated fairly quickly and we were on our way to Starved Rock Lock. Amazingly enough we got through in less than an hour. The area around the lock was beautiful with its huge rock banks. The current is with us so we are doing an amazing 10.2 mph with little effort from the engines. Free Bird and Midas Touch are anchoring out and stopped early today, but the rest of us decided to make the full day journey to a marina in Peoria. Water levels must change a lot by the looks of the houses and retention walls around Peoria. After the big rains, the rivers experienced a lot of flooding which floats out a ton of debris. You have to be cautious or you may run into a tree drifting down the middle of the river. Passed a ton of tugs with barges earlier today, but all the pilots were very pleasant and accommodating. The second half of the day was a very peaceful, serene excursion. Most of the scenery is farmlands and tree forests which line a much wider river. The temps are cool, the sun is warm - immensely enjoyable. However, we saw the hint of fall in the trees - some turning yellow and orange. The last pic is of an abandoned barge taken over by hundreds of seagulls just enjoying the last days of the Indian Summer.