As I came to in the morning, I stuck my head out of the tent. A massive barge was parked just off shore from my camp waiting to enter the nearby lock. As I made oatmeal and coffee the engine fired up and a blow horn from the the lock signaled the all clear for the barge to enter. Shortly after hitting the water toward the Quad Cities I received a message from an old family friend, Ben L. I had forgotten that Ben lived in the Quad Cities, and he reached out, asking if I was available to grab dinner that evening. Being that it was still mid morning and East Moline was a short distance away, I told him that sadly dinner wouldn't work, as I would be cruising through town shortly. Luckily, Ben was able to get away for lunch, so we made plans to meet for a quick bite.

I paddled to a public boat launch and met Ben around 11:30am. He helped me to unload the boat, and we stashed the gear and canoe on a nearby dock. It had been years since I'd seen Ben, and it was great to catch up. He had stayed with my family for a time when I was in high school and he was working his first job as a psychologist at DeKalb High.

We hopped in his truck and ran over to one of his favorite spots, Bent River Brewing Company. Over lunch we caught up on life, music, the Cubs, and talked of adventure and getting outside. From my perspective we seemed to be on the same wavelength, and it was great to hear about his projects and ideas while BSing and enjoying some delicious BBQ brisket.

Following grub Ben drove me back to the boat, I loaded up and pushed off as he headed back to work. A great reunion.

The rest of the day was spent listening to tunes and enjoying the nice weather. I passed a 4 story passenger paddle boat named the "Queen of the Mississippi".

The evening made for a beautiful orange sunset, as cloud cover began to move in. The forecast for the next few days looked grim, so I enjoyed the evening while I could. Rain was supposed to move in late tonight.

Another great day, and old friendship rekindled and the natural beauty of the river on full display. Tough to beat life on the Miss.