By Reece Turrentine

Editor’s Note: Over the years I have canoed Southern Rivers with many different companions. I have assigned stories to and edited copy from many writers who were writing about Georgia and southern streams. Never have I known anyone who, deep down at their core, cared more about rivers than Reece Turrentine. If there ever was a person to whom the description “He has river water flowing through his veins,” applied, that person is Reece Turrentine. Not only does he truly have the spirit; Reece can describe his river experiences in a way that communicates his affection for rivers to everyone whether or not they have ever paddled a canoe. A Methodist minister by profession, Reece can hear more of God’s voice in an eddy current than most of us can find in the Old Testament.

My wife and I spent a couple of weeks canoeing, hiking and fishing around Yellowstone National Park. In the evening we were delighted to get back to the quaint elegance of the old Yellowstone Inn on the lake. Each evening meal was accompanied by a live string quartet and by “Bullwinkle,” a huge Bull Moose who made nightly rounds.

One evening we heard a little more commotion than unusual. Into the dining room strolled former President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter and their entourage. They were ushered to the table next to ours. The temptation was too great. As he approached, I stood up and offered a “down-home” introduction. (more…)