Pulling my hair out here with 31.33′ the reading this morning, on the Natchez gauge, roughly seven and a half feet above this date a year ago.  Some may doubt my accuracy in this since yesterday I sent out false information regarding the Chicago Shoreline results for Saturday’s race.  I was unclear when I clicked on their “Race Results” on their site, the button for which is listed immediately to the left of “Race Date, Aug.28, 2010″.  Not realizing the 2009 results were what I was reading, I overlooked the finebyte.  An incomplete list of this year’s race is up this morning, which still has Dawid Mocke as this year’s winner, but the times for this year are considerably greater than a year ago.  I’m waiting on a first hand report from Phatwater Staff Member Chris VanMeter, who had little to say initially other than, “We did not have a good day.”  One might conclude the weather was less than favorable.

Not so here.  As brutal as things were two weeks ago in the Miss-Lou, this past week provided and continues to provide ideal weather.  Wednesday we’ll be making a Phull Phat run, beginning at daylight, with a couple of others, so we can check out the port and upriver conditions. Although we aren’t paddling for time, we expect the water to be swift.  Perhaps a video moment or two will be the result.

Here are a couple of shots taken by Phatwater Veteran Don Chesler, M.D., in Oklahoma City, at the U.S. Olympic facility on the North Canadian River, which, apparently has been renamed the “Oklahoma River”.  Hopefully we can recruit some of this talent.  Don will be here shooting this year’s Phatwater for those wishing to have a pro-quality shot.  We’ll be uploading them to our SmugMug account where purchases can be made, following the race.

All For Now-KB