Note: This is the sixth and final installment of the blog series
“River Gator: Exploring the River, Expanding Ourselves,”
a recollection of my adventure on the Lower Mississippi River.
The first day on the River the water sparkled so in the bright sunlight you would swear it was a blanket of diamonds. Being from up north, where the grey fall and winter had begun to set in, I was ready to feel the sun on my face. It was warm and bright. So bright! Before long I realized the sunglasses and a winter hat with a small brim I brought would be no match for the relentless (beautiful) glare of the River.
My Captain, Mark River, came to the rescue. He graciously handed me his own floppy hat with a big-ol’ brim and the minute I put it on he told me it fit me so well I had to keep it. I bet the hat would fit anyone, but I think it was Mark’s way of sharing a bit of himself with me. You see, Mark has a thing for hats. Wool hats with flaps, fishing hats, knit hats, baseball caps, bandannas, you name it, if you can put it on your head, Mark’s got one. For good reason I suppose, the River presents you with a variety of different conditions and it’s best to be prepared, which Mark and the Quapaw’s certainly are. Mark is an example of the best of what River guides should be; he’s smart, a team player, reliable, humble and a hard worker with no complaints (all great reasons why he is also the 1 Mississippi Team Leader in the South!)
Mark has been an important and creative member of the 1 Mississippi team for three years, the longest of any of the Regional Outreach Assistants. His writing is thoughtful and from the heart, and a great way to get to know him. He is the lead contributor to our Field Notes blog, and writes about life working on our great River. If you check out his work on the Sunflower River Days, his experience with the endangered least tern, or his reflection on music, the River and how “Change is Gonna Come”, you will be sure to look forward to his next entry. Mark’s hat is the gift I might get the most practical use out of in the future, but not the only gift I received that week.
Mark and Braxton
My first day in Clarksdale, the newest member of the Quapaw team, Braxton, showed me a cotton tuff, still incased in its prickly shell. As I turned over this pure white representation of the South in my hands, I tried to conjure up its immense importance to the history of the South and our country as a whole. My fingertips ran over the sharp edges of the plant and I paused, remembering the hundreds of thousands of slaves whose hands grew callous from harvesting this white gold.
King Cotton
Quietly, my heart sank knowing I would never truly be able to understand the hardship so many endured. Perhaps from seeing my face fall a bit, Braxton kindly asked if I’d like to keep it, so I did, to serve as a constant reminder of that time in our past and how it continues to shape our present.
Johnnie Driftwood, the original instigator of the Quapaw path, is a writer, naturalist, painter, businessman and musician – a true Renaissance man. Entire articles are written about John, such as Living In Harmony, the Man and the Mississippi by Chris Staudinger, River Citizen, recognized literary prodigy and a man who has spent a good deal of time with John as a Quapaw River Guide. John’s love of the River, immense knowledge and drive to share the River comes through in the Rivergator website.
John Ruskey aka Johnnie Driftwood
From John, the first gift I got was a genuine smile and welcome. This immediately set me at ease and set the tone for the trip. As someone who has always loved learning, the entire week I spent with John I wanted to crack open his brain and be amazed by the eddies of information swirling around inside. But it doesn’t really work like that. Lucky for me, John is truly a teacher, the kind who gently guides and encourages your curiosity until you pepper him questions. On the flip side, I sensed I would learn plenty if I was quiet and listened as much as possible. Getting to know everything John does would be like trying to read the encyclopedia, impossible to do in one sitting and much more fun to discover the breadth and depth over time.
The last day of our trip John gave me a crinoid, a tiny fossil which reminds us of the vast ocean relegated to history that once covered the same area of today’s River; a reminder that in the grand scheme of things, we are but a blip on the radar of time. He also gave me a white pelican feather – a reminder of the illustrious and majestic huge River bird that quietly rules the roost in the same way he does. I cherish these as well as the unspoken and intangible gifts he gave me that week, as for what those are…well you’ll have to meet him to find out.
White Pelican Feather
Emma Lou
My favorite gift was the first one given to me. A little blond angel skipped into my heart, John’s daughter Emma Lou. She plucked a single sunflower seed from a dried flower and handed it to me with simple direction. “Plant it,” she said, her bright eyes reminding me how to believe in the power of each seed. She was right – each single seed has possibility. Each seed can be cherished, nurtured and grow into something unique and beautiful. Her wisdom beyond her years was a wake-up as refreshing as jumping into the River.
Worry Bone
Some things were given to me directly by the River. I guess I had to look for them, but there they were. My favorite is a piece of bone, so black I had no clue it was bone until our resident scientist Paul Hartfield looked it over. It is so smooth and beautiful. I like to keep it in my pocket. Some people have a worry stone they rub while in deep thought to lessen one’s worries; I have a worry bone.
Paul also gave me in his words “an exceedingly rare” willow flower. I had never seen one before. Upon first glance I wondered how it was formed. As I held it and examined it a little closer it appeared to be a branch whittled, carefully sliced and opened. The flower was creativity in my hand, using simple natural materials, care and imagination. Or maybe it really is a flower from a willow tree, the mystery makes it even more magical.
My trip exploring the Lower Mississippi River was an adventure and so much more. As a special thank you to John, Mark, Braxton, Emma Lou and all the Quapaws, here is a list of the Top 10 Most Awesome Things About Quapaw Canoe Company! My gratitude rests deep in my heart, now and always. Thank you for the mementos to cherish and remind me of our time together on the River.
Annette Anderson, 1 Mississippi Campaign Manager
Continue reading the rest of the series!
How the River Raises You to Be Your Best – Series Episode 1
Fresh, Simple, Spicy, Saucy – Food on the Mighty Miss – Series Episode 2
Good and Dirty – Series Episode 3
Still is Still Movin’ to Me – Series Episode 4
Maps: You Are Here – Now Get Lost! – Series Episode 5
Plus a bonus blog: Top 10 Most Awesome Things About Quapaw Canoe Company