September 14, 2008 (Sunday): Chicago

Yesterday was the wettest day on record for Chicago with over 8 inches of rain falling in the past 48 hours. With it continuing to rain and 30 mph winds predicted for today, we decided to worship by ourselves today on board the boat. We found a service podcast from our home church www.tbcraleigh.org with our pastor’s sermon from John 14: 5-14. It was wonderful to listen to the message of how much God loves us and to be reminded of God's offer to be in relationship with us. He is the way and the truth and the life.

Being here in Chicago with a flash flood warning, it is becoming clearer as to what that means for the boating community. Normally, Lake Michigan flows into the Illinois River and the water is all flowing south. There are locks that regulate that flow from Lake Michigan into the river and the Chicago Harbor Lock has been closed to prevent flow of water into the system. But water in the city is now a foot and a half over where it is expected to be and rising so this afternoon, they opened the lock into Lake Michigan and for the first time since 2000, water is flowing from the city into the lake. Some of the trains to O'Hare are gong to be out of service for several days waiting for water to go down. We may wait a couple of more days before entering the river. We expect the river level to be rising for a few days more. Flood stages mean fast currents and floating debris that we would like to miss as we go down the Illinois River.

As the rain stopped late this afternoon, we decided to take our bikes into the city to get milk and bread. We saw the Chicago Harbor Lock open as we took the bridge over to the Navy Pier and then turned up Grand Avenue. I was expecting to find a small convenience store, but instead found a wonderful huge Dominick’s. There must be a lot of people who live in downtown Chicago to support a big grocery store like that. When we came out we rode down by the NBC studio and the Sheraton Hotel and reminisced about being in Chicago as Kiwanians eight years ago. We were here for the Key Club International Convention and stayed in the Swissotel with all the Key Clubbers from North Carolina. That was the year Laurie was elected to be an International Key Club trustee.

We are hoping for clearing weather tomorrow. We are eating dinner tonight on the boat and it is ROCKING! : )