Book excerpt: On Thursday, October 13 2022, Leland Walker completed his solo paddle of the Mississippi River in a 14 ft kayak. Leland is an 82 year old resident of Jonesboro, Georgia. He paddled the river in two segments. He paddled the upper river from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Alton, IL in the fall of 2021. He stopped because of drought and winter. He resumed his trip in July of 2022 in Alton, IL. and paddled the lower river to the Gulf of Mexico. He is one of three people known to have paddled the entire river at the age of 80 or over. This book is his daily log of that trip.