Day 14 Blog post: Rick Campana

In the middle of the night it began to rain. For some reaon, my tent group and I did not think to secure the rain fly for set up the tarp property. Throughout the night I awoke being dripped on or rolling into a damp spot. Tucker and I were up before five to make pancakes. Too much water was added to the mix and it was difficult to create our fried batter masterpieces. Once we developed the Antarctic Slow Pour we were back in business. After normal pancakes got boring we started taking shape requests, it was lots of fun. Too bad pancakes are not on the breakfast menu again. The mud around our put-in was the consistency of pudding and it stuck to everything. Moths around the water would dive into or skip out of the water. I found it strange that they all were doing it. Our first break was at a boat dock where we were offered food. (that happened a lot today) I forgot that it is labor day weekend, so there was a lot of boat traffic especially with the poker run. I wanted to buy my dad a shirt, but I lacked cash. Most of the people we have run into in SC have been very friendly. The guys at the dock told us that they saw a fourteen foot alligator just up river from the dock. So it was looming in the water below us at some point. We have yet to see a gator and everyone hopes we get to. The thirteen days of prior paddling have finally caught up with me. It's interesting to see what keeps me going through the fatigue and heat. I'm learning a lot about myself on this expedition, which is one of my goals. Approaching our lunch dock we were greeted by the barking of a bear of a dog named Tinkerbell. Big Mike and Terry from the Pee Dee River Watchers, who "protect the great Pee Dee from current and proposed environmental mischief", had cooked up some wonderful eats. Big mike shared us stories about the river and its wildlife. Frank and Peggy Brown rolled into the party fashionablely late with bbq and brownies. Brian left us at this time to go have a doctor check out his ankles. They haven't been looking so hot. Frank and Peggy were ready to join us in paddling. Big Mikes john-boat made me jealous with his motor. Reaching the next dock they left us and we learned that Brian would be joining us at our camp tonight with some anti poison ivy cream for Jana. A-town and I cooked up some crazy conspiracy theories and hilarity ensued. Once we had reached our boats at our camp a man with a musket bellowed "Wig orTorry!" They taught us about the revolutionary war and had an awesome spread of food including homemade icecream. They let A-town fire the musket and showed us how the weapon worked. It is sad to think it is day fourteen, two weeks on the river, and it is four days away from being over. I'm going to make the most out these last days because I have loved every second of this trip.