A few years ago I noticed a picture in my local newspaper of a handsome man dressed in period costume. This gentleman was a participant in the local college's book festival featuring the explorations of Lewis and Clark. It was after the fact when I saw the picture, but I contacted him later because I was intrigued with his passion for American rivers and his extensive knowledge of nature and wildlife. Plus, he was cute *wink wink* Alas, he's a happily married guy, the husband of Sarah, but I've continued to follow the adventures of John Ruskey and his river partner Michael Clark. Most recently their travels have taken them to St. Helens, Oregon on the banks of the Columbia River where they supervised the carving of a dugout canoe from a 28 foot Western red cedar. This is part of the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition sponsored by the National Park Service called Corps of Discovery II. The celebration will culminate with the arrival of the men and women who are re-enacting the famous journey, scheduled to arrive below the arches in St. Louis on September 23rd of this year.

John and Michael's readers have been treated to a day by day account of their wood carving adventures via e-mail from the Quapaw Canoe Company in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Michael is an educator in Missouri who met John by chance on the Mighty Mississippi. Their next project is the carving of yet another dugout from a cottonwood on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Livingston, Montana come July.

Interested in their adventures? Check it out here.