Today Adam met someone he's wanted to chat with for a long time.
That's Mark Riffle, a mate on the Ingram towboat Steven J. Mason. Riffle's wife knows Adam's grandmother, so today the two finally got together. Riffle gave Adam some photos of the tools that are used on boats. The gift Adam prized most was an 8-by-10 photo of the old Ohio River Co. towboat Orco on its first trip. It's the photo in Adam's hand.
Ingram acquired the Orco when it purchased the boats owned by Ohio River Co. It sold the Orco to Madison Coal & Supply. MCS ran the boat as the Ohio until a few weeks ago, when it sold the Ohio and the Indiana (formerly the Robert P. Tibolt) to South America.
That made this photo even more special to Adam.
We also traded gossip on rumors we've heard about things that are supposed to be happening soon. You know, the secrets that no one is supposed to know but everyone talks about.
Adam showed Riffle this photo that appeared on this blog back in March. It shows two deckhands as the boat is locking through the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam before the "junk fleet" pushed by the Evan Wharton got there. Riffle looked at the photo and said he is the person holding his hands apart.
Small world, eh?
Now when the Steven J. Mason is in the area from noon to 6 p.m., when Riffle is at work, we'll have to go find it.
