Ruth Hartsell kindly took me along to the Trash Bash at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers…

click here for details about the event

Here’s a map to the area:

We started at the Old Chain of Rocks bridge:

It's a long bridge! Here I am with Kenny Hartsell, Ruth's son... The clean-up was organized by RiverRelief, and they had number plates to match! It was very hard work (first of all, trying to balance between the dead tree branches and the rocks, with slippery mud and steep banks!), but we found some interesting stuff, like these mussels: Others apparently found even more interesting stuff in the trash that they cleared (there was a prize for the most interesting object!)... We were given lunch at the end of the clean-up: I then walked with Ruth and Kenny down the bridge (which takes a turn halfway down), to the Illinois side, and then back to Missouri, looking at the landmarks of downtown Missouri: There was a line of gulls visible under the newer bridge (the bridge we were on is now only for pedestrians and cyclists. Can we imagine, one day, something like this happening in Bangalore?) We spent a little time watching a large group of American Pelicans on the way back: They use some excellent detergent...none of the mud of the Mississippi sticks to them! However, they lifted off, and I reluctantly left the spot:

For more photographs,

click here

Thank you, Ruth, for a very, very enjoyable morning!