Kim’s Canoe Trip for Cancer Posted on September 23rd, 2008
4 February 2009
All,
It’s been a while, but Kim wanted me to pass along thanks to all of the people below. Note that some of the business owners have telephone numbers beside their names, so if you are in their area, please call them and use their services.
Marvin
DONORS FROM THE RIVER WHO JUST HANDED ME CASH.
Peters family
Pastor Mitch/Mandy/Amy
Buddy & Sue
Larry (Snoopy)
Nancy & Rodger Hall
Gil & Colleen
Tod Agnew & Harvest Homecoming family
Brent Rodgers
Sue & Ray Cummings
Brad (age 13)
Maddie (age 13)
Emma (age 14)
Sydney (age 13)
Robert Richardson
Ted & Kate
Greg
EXTRA SPECIAL PEOPLE (Gave me food, shelter, love)
Mark Snyder and Island 52 family
Dean & Connie Fry Magnolia Boat Club
Jim Quinet’s Court Restaurant (304-455-2110)(Best food anywhere!)
Ron King Harbor Marina Marietta (740-374-3600)
Town of Ravenswood
Marylou & Leonard Robinson
Old Lock 24 Campground Racine
Gary and Kathy Layne
Will & Lisa Scarbro
Rudy@ Showboat Marina Huntington ( Cajun kitchen)
Phil & Barb Hand Holiday Point Marina (740-354-97790
(Happiest place,best burgers.)
Becky & Charlie Hall
Ron & Vickie Griffin
Richard Griffin
Fred Griffin
Dayerl Ramey @ Shawnee Boat Club
Henry Sloan & Chong @ Sandy Springs Campground (740-464-8092)
(Where the stars come out to play)
Captain Peppy and crew
Jane Niehaus
Scott Neiheisel
Zach @ Rivertown Marina(513-533-3000)
Shanty boat Mike
Mike & Michell Shirley, Shawn Somers @ Destiny Yacht(513-921-3210)
Entire town of Aurora IN.
Bob Evans @ Aurora Landing (812-926-1774) Best pizza!!!!
Leslie & Dennis Kimmett
Chandra Mattingly
Captain Don Sanders
Tugboat Sandy @ Tugboat Eatery Madison
Harvest Homecoming family @ New Albany IN.
Tod Agnew
Rocky Point Marina
Gail & Don Matherly
Ray & Marian Nusekabel
Bee & Merle Rice
Walt and Martha
Greg & Malinda Wroe @ River Haven Campground
Wayne & Shirley Garrett
Mike & Barbra Doughty
Big Green Angels from Lafarge Co.
Hog Rock Campground
Joshua @ Cave in Rock ferry
Danny & Nancy Love
Mariah Shepherd
Steve Shepherd (Ride back to PGH!)
Thank you and love to all I met from a friendly smile to food and shelter. Thank you God for this fabulous journey called life. Kim
To all of you who had been following my trip I feel the need to share the loss of a most beloved friend. I had met Dean and Conny Fry on my 4Th night and stayed at their house for 2 nights.I had all ready been showered with love and kindness then the next day they introduced me to their friend Jim Quinet. Dean and Jim were Navy buddies way back and Jim always said if Dean met any one floating down the river to let him know. Jim and I became instant friends. Jim would keep an eye on the weather where ever I was at and call me when there was bad weather heading my way. I would talk to him along the way and tell him of the days adventuress. I was thinking one time about having a party when I was done and about a half hour later he called me and said he wanted to cater a party for me when I was done. I said from my lips to Gods ears to Jim’s brain all that quick. I called Jim and Dean my Navy angels from the moment we met because they both helped me out several times in unexpected ways. When I had to quit early because of the weather I called Jim crying and he just made me feel good about what I did and not to worry about what I have left because I’ll finish it later. He said I have more gumption of any woman he ever met and coming from a Navy Seal I take it as the highest compliment. On my way home I made a point to stay at Jim and Barbara’s house and tell a few stories and get fattened up again at his restaurant. My friend Steve and I had a great time and I made plans with Jim at thanksgiving to go down before Christmas and bring all my pictures. Unfortunately my good buddy Jim passed away this morning. God took him while he was sitting on the couch. Jim wasn’t feeling well and went to the doctors to figure out what was wrong but God just took him before he found out he had Pancreatic Cancer. God spared him and his family the pain and grief of that. God just took him home.
Every morning we talked he’d say “Make sure you have a good breakfast.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him I had pop tarts and breakfast bars. His love of food was only matched with his love of people’ and food was a way to show his love. The Quinets have the biggest and best buffet I’ve ever seen. I can only imagine that the look on Jim’s face when he sees the great banquet God has prepared for us would look something like mine when I first saw the buffet at Quinet’s Court. Everything about Jim was big. His heart, his love, his list of friends. I thank God for the privilege to have been Jim’s friend for even a moment in time. I love you Jim. I’ll see you in heaven. Till then, I promise to have a good breakfast every now and then. Kim
To have loved with open arms and full spirit.
To have laughed with many and frequently and loud.
To have provided with an overabundance of the things that matter most.
This is the measure of a life well lived.
So the grief is for those left behind.
For what was once theirs now belongs to the universe,
and the spirit once held by earthly bounds now lives and laughs with the Angels,
providing us with a reason to look to the heavens with thanks for a life well lived.
Kim’s note from 23 September 2008:
To my family and friends. The old, the new, and those I have yet to meet.
Well I did it. OK almost. I made it to mile 902.5 and got froze out. The last days and nights had been getting pretty cold but it was the last one that did me in. It was 30 degrees before you factor in the wind and it was hailing little chunks of ice. Angel was completely under a heavy blanket and was still shivering and I had 3 layers of sweats and 2 jackets and my vest and was still cold. When we got to the marina Angel put her nose to mine and EYEBALLED me like OK now! Were done!” I told her that was it and we would go home but she made sure with the longest eye to eye stare I have ever had. (Cats don’t count.) I was still hoping the weather would get better in a day or two but I found out later it got down to 25 that night. It felt like it because the air in the tent was like breathing in little icicles. There was about an inch of ice on Angel’s water bowl that morning and I had to crack it with a rock.(Just how do those eskimos survive? ) I will spare you all the gory details of me crying because I didn’t finish and what a looser I felt. I hung out that day hoping in vain for any boat to come along to take me to the end just so I could finish. None did, and as I lay in my tent that night in the freezing rain I decided to plan my trip out for the spring. I’m going to finish and take a few friends along. Next day I called a new river friend, Steve, and he came and got me, and the day after that he ended up driving me all the way from Newburg IND. to Pittsburgh. Imagine that! I had not known how I was going to get home when I left and I ended up having several offers. One of which was from my Navy Angels Jim and Dean from New Martinsville. Steve is a little younger and the rain kept him from his tree busness anyway. We had a nice ride home and we stayed the night at Jims beautful house. So now a week and half later I don’t feel so bad. Especially since I was just at the doctors. The skin in my entire chin blistered and peeled off. I have 1st degree burns from frostbite. My cheeks are hanging on by a prayer I think. I froze my face. Its a good thing I didn’t continue. My whole face might have slid off and fell into the Mississippi. Glad I had my nose covered alot from it being cold or that would be the first to go. So definatly going in the LATE spring. Now that makes a total of 28 blisters on my hands. Two on my ass, and one big huge one on my face. I told my dad I wasn’t going out in public for 2 weeks. He said it wasn’t so bad I was just vain. OK.Now I think not wanting to go out in public without makeup might be vain. Not wanting to go out without skin…Not so much. Well In spite of it all I wouldn’t trade any of it and do it all again just to have met so many wonderful human beings. You only hear about the bad ones in life but Im going to make sure I give credit to all the ones that make this the greatest country in the world. The one where a raggedy vagabond and her dog can crawl off the river and be welcomed and loved and fed and given a warm bed and handed cash for someone they never met. The One where one big man saves his lunch because he can’t stand the thought of you might be hungry. The one where entire towns say their glad to meet you and thank you for comming to their party. The one where you talk to someone for 5 minutes and their your friend for life even though they live hundreds of miles away. The one where you are hold up in a public park pavilion and the police come by extra to check on you. The one where you are given gifts from a navy guy that saves you more than you know and one that feeds you way to much and becomes the voice from the past that helps you know the future. The one that allows people let you come into their most intimate lives knowing you really understand and care. It might take me a while to put it all down but till then I want each and every one of you to know that every thing from a smile to a warm bed it most appreciated by Angel and I. As I thank all of you for your part in this grand story of my life I’d like to thank Marvin for allowing me the privelege to be a part of his. I wish all that love I received could be bottled and he could take it for surely nothing bad could exist in the midst of all that. I thank you all for your donations for “Paddling for Marvin”, whatever size, because it came from the heart. I was handed $600 in cash on my trip. If anyone made online donations or by mail could you please email me and let me know because the Brain People have so much red tape it will take forever to know. The Brain people need a cool mil over 5 years to TRY to figure it out. It would be nice to hand it to them at once and say get started but $600 is a start. I will be having a party after I finish finish in the early summer to thank people and raise some of that much needed dough. Jim Quinet from Quinet’s Court said he’d cater it and let me tell you……..That man and his family can cook!!! I am so so glad I don’t live within 100 miles of that restaurant or I would be one fat happy camper. If you do live close or are driving through Go eat there!
I have thanked God so many times for his love and blessings and grace that he shows me through people like all of you. At times in my life my pockets have been empty and the world might have looked down on me for the things I don’t have but I know I am one of the most blessed people on earth. You just can’t put a price on the love and kindness I have been given throughout my live. I pray you all should have such favor and be so blessed and know the love of sweet Jesus. Much Love, The river rats. Kim and Angel
September 25th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Well, Kim is still cruising down the O-HI-O and meeting more and more great people! Last night, she was at the Sandy Spring Campground, run by Henry Sloan, whom she describes as a very nice guy. Sandy Spring Campground is at mile 376. Ends up pthat Henry designed the campground himself, along with his helper, Chong, and Kim says it is coming along very nicely. Chong and Henry took her out to eat and even fed her dog! Thanks Henry and Chong!
Later she stayed at the Island Creek Marina.
Tonight she is planning on staying at the Ripley Boat Club at mile 417, near Maysville, KY. She says that today was a good paddling day, despite the head winds.
September 27th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
WE JUST HAD YOUR COUSIN VISIT US ON THE MOTOR VESSEL NED MERRICK.WE GAVE HER A TOUR OF THE BOST AND OF COURSE GAVE ANGEL SOMR LEFT OVERS.
SHE WAS LOCKING DOWN AT CAPT MELDAHL LOCL MILE436 OHIO RIVER.
IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GIVE HER MY PHONE NUMBER IN CASE SHE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RIVER FURTHER DOWN.
BEST OF LUCK
PEPPY
October 1st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
OK, so I’ve had to do some transferring of files between pages and it hasn’t gone so well. So I will retype a few of my last entries to keep you up to date on Kim’s voyage. So, here we go.
Kim and I are both fascinated by tow boats on the rivers and, by chance, she had the chance to tour one a few days ago. The folks on the tow boat fed Kim well, including pie and they also fed Angel, her dog, roast beef. Who’s getting the better deal there? Kim’s been wondering why she hasn’t lost any weight on the trip and I’d say the reason is that you all are feeding her so well
Though it’s been hot and humid, she’s been enjoying this trip more than her last two.
The other day, she fought a windstorm for 5 hours, making only 1.5 miles per hour. She made it to Point Pleasant at mile 445. There she met Mike and Nancy, the owners and got to stay in their new grassy area. And … the great news is that she was able to take a shower there! She reports feeling 100% better! They served her flank steaks, which was great because she had paddled so hard that day that her muscles were spasming.
Two nights ago, she was at mile 464 on the outskirts of Cincinatti. She got to stay on Zack’s houseboat for two nights, for which she was immensely pleased. Zack was VERY kind and took her on a tour or Cincinatti, Covington, and Newport, KY. She got some great pictures of KY. And, to top it all off, she had lunch at Zakc’s aunt’s restaurant!
Tonight, she has lodged at Destiny Yacht Charters and is staying on a 100-ft yacht that used to be a store. She says it’s the second largest yacht like. She’s at mile 275.5. And, she would like to thank Mike and Michelle Shirley and Shawn Somers for their wonderful hospitality.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Hey everyone! Kim managed to find a library today in Aurora, Indiana and sent some thanks and comments on this blog. Click here to read more:
http://marvinshoop.com/blog/?p=25#comments
In the mean time, she relayed the following to me tonight. She paddled for 11 hours today and landed in Aurora, Indiana, arriving just in time for the Aurora 100th Anniversary Fair. She initially planned to stay at the Aurora Landing Marina which she says is a nice place (and that the owner, Bob Erves, is a nice man). However, she met up with Leslie Kinnett and Leslie offered Kim a room for the night. So, Leslie, Kim thanks you with all her heart for the place to stay. And, she also says that her body thanks you too for a night of rest in a bed. And also, thanks to your husband, Dennis, your daughter Nicole, you mom, Mary Anne, and your sister Paula for all your hospitality!! Interestingly, in Kim’s tour of the town, she ran into a nice man as she was window shopping and, lo and behold, he was the mayor of Aurora, Mr. Donnie Hastings! Donnie, she was impressed with meeting you! And finally, I wanted to thank Mary, the town librarian for allowing Kim and Angel into the library so close to closing (and thank you for the donation too!)
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Just found a new article about Kim from New Martinsville, WV by Steven Centofanti. If you want to read more, go to:
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=43675
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
And yet another blog about Kim and her trip down the Ohio … this time from her friend Sue! Sue has some great pictures on her blog, so check them out if you get the chance!
http://www.monvalleyabate.org/monriver/sues_mon_river_stuff_canoe.htm
October 7th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Kim called tonight to tell me that she is in Madison at mile 558 or 559. Since thunderstorms are predicted, she’s hunkering down for the evening. She said today was the “perfect” paddling day. In Madison, she met Tugboat Sandy who fed her and Angel, so I wanted to thank her!!
October 13th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Kim has made it all the way to New Albany. This morning, she takes off from New Albany after having visited the Harvest Homecoming. She’s at mile 609 of 982 - what an incredible feat! And still meeting some incredile people. She met Todd Agnew who donated some money for the National Brain Tumor Society and, when Kim awoke in the morning, she found quite a bit of money outside her tent! Thank you to her mysterious guest(s) and for the donations! Brent Rogers also donated some money to Kim. She stayed an extra day in New Albany to equip herself with some warmer clothes from Target. Though the temps have been hot, the night-time temps have been getting colder and she wants to be prepared. Stand by for what might happen on her next 370 or so miles!
October 13th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Kim called from Westpoint, KY at mile 360. This spot is pretty close to Fort Knox. We only talked briefly tonight, but she’ll be calling tomorrow with a more full update.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I finally figured out how to do this “blog” thing. I have been writing for a week! Anyway, Kim, thank you for the post card and card that I got in the mail today. It brought a great big smile to my face!! The article that you interviewed for landed on the FRONT PAGE!!! A great big picture and article (continued on page 3) was well written, and my name was in there, too. HA!!! Please email me and give me your address so that I can get a copy in the mail.
Love you - Leslie.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:48 am
Sorry I’ve been delinquent in logging in lately. I’m in the final stages of marathon training - the marathon is on Sunday. But, here is an update on Kim. A couple of days ago, she was in Cloverport where she had a run-in with a boxer (dog) who wanted to joing Kim on her trip. Apparently the dog also had brain cancer
Actually, when Kim pushed the dog away, it actually jumped into the water and swam along side her canoe for a mile!
The next day, she found herself at the River Haven Campground where she met lots of folks. She said their names, but I probably have the spelling wrong. But, for the sake of argument, I wanted to say “Hi” to Greg Rowe, Arv Dowdy, Wayne Garrett, Shirley Garrett, Melinda Rowe, and Mike Dowdy! Thanks for being so nice to Kim!
The night before last, she stopped to do laundry at Mile 719. And, then, last night, she decided to stay in Grandview, IN at mile 742 (only 240 miles to go!). The current was VERY strong and she decided to stay there for at least one, if not more, nights! God bless you Kim!
November 1st, 2008 at 9:44 pm
180 Miles to go! Hey, all, Kim called in from Henderson, KY tonight and she is getting very excited about the completion of her trip - a big dream of hers about to come true. She’s at mile 802. She sends “thank yous” out to Danny and Nancy Love for their help. She said that today was a wonderful day to paddle. About 10 more days and she is done … although it has to be a bit of a bummer to have such a great trip coming near the end.
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Kim has made it all the way to mile 821.5 (or so). She holding up on the Indiana side of the river, but she’s staying pretty much in the middle of nowhere. She says it’s the most desolate place she’s stayed yet.
In case you want to read more about Kim and her travels, here are links to a few good recent news reports:
This first one is from a Canadian canoeing page by John Roe.
http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=31390&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
Then there is a link to a story about Kim’s visit to the Delta Queen at:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/oct/26/delta-queen-rolls-to-end-of-river-ship-faces/
And the final one is a very good story about Kim’s trip so far and all the friends she’s made. The original link was a PDF, but for some reason, I can only get the HTML version:
http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:KPSSbCPpuAEJ:thejournal-press.com/index2.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26do_pdf%3D1%26id%3D4277+%22kim+cornell%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=259&gl=us
November 4th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Well, Kim is nearing the end of her adventure. It ends up that the last few days have put her mostly in places where there is not a lot of civilization. Last night she was in Uniontown, KY at mile 842, but not anywhere near the town. And tonight she is at mile 858. She felt like she had to stop there since the next nearest place to stop is about 23 more miles. So, other than today being a “good paddling day,” she had little to report.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Kim didn’t make it as far as she had hoped tonight due to the high winds today. She’s at mile 870.5 on a 115-acre campground across the river from Sturgeon Island. She’s a little down because her daughter is sick. Last night she didn’t want the adventure to end. But tonight, she wants to get it all done to get home to her daughter.