Chapter 38

In the best of all possible worlds, it would be easy to float anti-gravity DANGER NO TRESPASSING signs around the barges ... Or CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS tape between available trees or fences. This would have to involve majick or science fiction. Since this is a factual account, that would not be possible.

No ... Murphy must have his day and this is how that turned out.

The Kings Knight took the long way around. The dredged channel is the short but extremely crowded passage between Harsens Island and Wapole Island. Harsens and Wapole used to be one island but someone decided it would be shorter and therefore more profitable to cut a channel between here and there.

If google maps is used it's very easy to see that some time in the past Harsens has been in Canada and not in Canada many times ... depending on the volume and intensity of the spring floods that cause rivers to change their beds. Both Harsens and Wapole are low lying and swampy ... typical delta lowlands. Delta lowlands are noted for rivers cutting through and switching counties and even countries.

A river can be described as a system that is continuously changing along its length. Because rivers, and their beds, are in constant change river management is a continuous activity as rivers tend to 'undo' the modifications made by people. Dredged channels silt up, sluice mechanisms deteriorate with age, levees and dams may suffer seepage or catastrophic failure.

Depending on the river to define a country can and has been a foolish thing. As an example, farmers in low-lying areas have eaten their dinner and gone to sleep citizens of France and had breakfast in Germany.

That Wapole is a Canadian Indian reservation and Harsens is a Native American Reservation ... or should be ... is neither here nor there ... high mucky mucks decided that west is US and east is Canadian ... and that was that.

It was just Andrea's luck that both Davids were working in the bay at the end of the long west passage ... currents in Lake St. Clair being what they are ... Clement Shipping lost their barges while trying a short cut.

There was a Police boat at the west end of the delta and they had quite the backlog of boats wanting out on the lake.

Perhaps ... well ... sure. City police departments and County Mounties who included big water with international borders in their jurisdictions spent more money on fast boats than they did on patrol cars. Sometimes the officer owned the boat and 'leased' it to his department. In 1963, the police weren't all that honest ... most ... in the outlying cities and counties were the sons, cousins, nephews and uncles of the Chief or Sheriff or even the judge ... a lot of those guys had IQ's like their shoe size.

People used to say that a Sheriff who couldn't guarantee himself a decent (read opulent) retirement in one four year term wasn't much of a sheriff.

Canada had an 18 year old liquor law and Michigan was 21. Plus, Canadian liquor was cheaper ... although nobody seemed to realize that the US sold fifths (Four fifths of a quart) and Canada sold liters. To say nothing of the fireworks. Michigan was just cracking down of personal possession of fireworks and Canada made the bestest and baddest whiz bangs and thunder boomers.

All the right goodies were for sale over there ... over there meaning across the water ... and you didn't have to beg some drunk to buy you a case because preacher daddy didn't understand.