Spiral Bound Journal

River Dynamics

"Well," Marlon said, "this is just a tad steep."

Garrett chuckled as he lumbered down the steel ramp leading to the riverboat. "Yeah, tell me about it. Even after doing this a couple times you'd think I would be used to this, but not so much, really."

After a bit more walk-stumbling that threatened to annihilate their calves, Garrett and Marlon reached the main deck of the riverboat. Since they had arrived early, there were only a few other non-crew members on board, allowing them a chance to dawdle while they tried to figure out what to do. A crew member informed them of the bathrooms located near the stern on the main deck and the bar located toward the bow. Marlon peered at the stairs leading to the top level.

"I take it you want to head upstairs?" Garrett asked him.

"Yeah," Marlon replied, "unless there's something you want to see down here first."

"Well, there are some new concept renderings for dam removal based on some updated river bed maps. I think they're in the inside area."

"Sure, we can check those out first."

Garrett waved Marlon over to the threshold, and they stepped in the main room. The side closest to the threshold was flanked by several tables covered with deep blue tablecloths. A smattering of framed prints were propped up on some of the tables. Garrett stopped by the first table, and Marlon decided to follow his lead.

This table had a few stacks of handouts along with a print of a historical rendering of the Mississippi. Marlon glanced at one of the handouts, seeing Locks, Dams, and the Future of the Mississippi printed at the top. He knew that Garrett had helped with some of the analysis when it came to the scenario removing one of the dams, but beyond that his understanding of the issue was flimsy. He wandered down the line of tables and found a framed collage. This appeared to have recent photos included. The collage had not title of dates, but the colors looked vibrant enough to not be vintage in Marlon's eyes. Peering closer, he noticed a figure that looked similar to Felicia. He couldn't tell because her back was to the camera. However, the dark ponytail looked similar enough to her hair that he suspected it was her.

Too bad she's not on this tour, Marlon thought. It would be nice to chat with someone who knows something about this subject but isn't super involved.

Marlon had no idea how long he'd been standing at the table until Garrett sidled up to him.

"Oh, hey, it's Felicia," Garrett remarked. "I remember her saying she had gone on a Mississippi River tour back in 2022. Now I know for sure."

Marlon blinked and looked over. "How do you know that's her?"

"Well, let's be real. She's probably the least white person in that entire frame."

"Okay, you're not wrong about that. But when did she tell you about this?"

"A couple days ago. We were chatting, and I brought it up. Felicia mentioned that she'd gotten an invite for this tour but couldn't make it due to a work conflict. She seemed pretty bummed."

"I bet. I mean, I feel like she'd be a more knowledgeable person for something like this. My scientific understanding is more health related than engineering or anything like that."

Garrett gave Marlon a warm smile and a pat on the back. "No need to worry about getting too into the details. You can start by just listening and reading. I think the panel will be appreciative of any perspectives, even from those who don't live here or are immersed in this kind of thing."

"Heh. River. Immersed."

A random person nearby groaned.

"If you keep that up, though, we'll both be immersed in the Mississippi River," Garrett mock-grumbled.

"Well, what can I say? I do have a kid. I gotta make dad jokes."

"Yeah, you at least have a plausible excuse. Felicia, on the other hand, does not."

"True story!"

After a while, they gathered a few handouts and stopped by the bar for some sodas. They balanced all their acquisitions as they trekked up the narrow stairwell to the open top deck. More people had arrived by this time, so Marlon and Garrett ended up grabbing seats in the sunny part of the boat toward the back. Since they were far enough back in the boat, Marlon was able to get a moment to himself as Garrett stepped over to chat with one of his colleagues for a moment. Taking a sip, Marlon grabbed one of the handouts and started to read. As he read about the geological history of the Mississippi, he found that the handout was easy enough for him to follow along. Perhaps once he finished reading he wouldn't feel so out of place on the tour after all. And maybe, just maybe, knowing a bit more about this subject could help him better connect with Garrett.