#2: [23-Apr-12]

17-Nov-2001 -- As far as fall weather, it couldn't have been any better for our trip to Southeast Missouri. It was a beautiful 73 degrees. The spot turned out to be in the middle of a corn field that had been harvested and plowed under. There were patches of smoldering vegetation from a recent controlled-burn. Two creeks merging together near the point and as we attempted an approach from the South, we discovered the creek was too wide to cross (and stay dry). We tried to be crafty and devise a bridge from pieces of timber that the creek had deposited on the edge of the water. After dragging all the large logs we could find to the bank, we tossed each in, hoping that they would miraculously bind together and form a suitable crossing. At this time, John thought it would be fun to take a picture of our endeavors. We discovered, to our dismay, that the camera battery had failed. So we returned to the car to reformulate our plan. We drove to the nearest "real" town, Dexter. Got lunch, batteries and a new course of action.

We returned to Leora and tried again from the North and found the spot easily with the GPS.

We saw a dump in one of the creeks, including an old car (unsure of the model) and some old clothes washers, among other items. There were no inhabitants in the vicinity, so our attempt to speak to the owners was unsuccessful